2002 Cost vs. Value Report

If the exterior of a home is in bad condition, that could throw a wrench into the sales process, says Columbus, Ohio, real estate agent and appraiser Mark Abbott. "If it's in good shape, it's on to the next thing." That's where siding comes in.

Depending on the product and the color, new siding can change "the whole shell, the character of the house, as defined by the outside look," says San Antonio real estate agent Pat Clay. New vinyl siding also signals a low maintenance future, because no painting will be required. A maintenance-free exterior is a big plus for homeowners in today's market, Clay says. The vinyl siding change-out in our project description costs $7,146 and brings back $5,652 upon resale, or 79% of cost recouped.

Project description

Replace 1,250 square feet of existing siding with new vinyl siding, including all trim.

MarketJob CostResale ValueCost Recouped
National Average$7,146$5,65279%
Atlanta6,3744,00963
Boston8,7083,78643
Buffalo, N.Y.6,6525,30080
Chicago8,1418,404103
Cincinnati6,7464,25063
Cleveland7,1115,68080
Columbus, Ohio6,4524,11964
Dallas5,9837,250121
Denver6,0533,28354
Detroit7,0733,93156
Houston6,7283,44051
Indianapolis6,5823,91660
Kansas City7,1133,62551
Los Angeles metro8,32510,709129
Los Angeles8,05613,542168
Orange Cty, Calif.8,5937,87592
Miami5,7874,12571
Milwaukee7,5835,41471
Minneapolis8,1937,03386
New Orleans5,5975,04490
New York metro7,4596,32985
Passaic, N.J.7,3967,00095
Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y.8,1666,03374
Fairfield-New Haven, Conn.6,8145,95487
Norfolk, Va.5,2565,00095
Orlando, Fla.6,2563,01448
Philadelphia7,4866,49887
Phoenix7,1053,25046
Pittsburgh7,1854,87568
Portland, Ore.7,6832,41731
Providence, R.I.7,2483,60050
Sacramento, Calif.8,2455,40065
Salt Lake City7,8506,30080
St. Louis7,7376,25081
San Antonio5,6272,30941
San Diego8,2816,00072
San Francisco metro9,07310,146112
San Francisco9,0737,70085
Oakland, Calif.9,07312,592139
Seattle8,0525,43868
Tampa, Fla.7,01513,629194
Washington metro5,9674,81681
Washington, D.C.6,2386,00096
Baltimore5,5663,44762
Richmond, Va.6,0965,00082