Published on: February 18, 2025
Vinyl siding contractors in Seattle – Discover which are the key factors to consider and how to find the best installers for your project.
Since you know you want vinyl siding, you should ensure the contractor works with that siding material. Otherwise, meeting with the contractor won’t be worth your time.
The good news is, that most siding contractors do work with vinyl siding since it is such a common material. According to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), vinyl siding was the second most popular material with 25.6% of all single-family homes in the U.S. using the material. It’s second only to stucco, which is the principal material on 26.8% of all U.S. single-family homes.
Fiber cement siding is on 21.7% and brick or brick veneer is on 18.5% of U.S. homes.
Some siding contractors provide services across the country. And while their local office near you might be of good quality, it also might not be. You’re likely reading national reviews online and it can be challenging to evaluate the service you’ll receive locally.
It’s best to go with a local Seattle-based company. This will help ensure you are getting the best possible quality because you’ll know how well the company performs on homes just like yours.
When looking to update your home’s siding, avoid hiring a general contractor or handyman. Because these professionals don’t focus their time on siding, they might not have as much experience as is ideal when working on this crucial area of your home.
Look for an expert with many years of experience in siding. While contractors add services to their offering, you don’t want to hire a roofer who just started doing siding as well. Instead, look for longevity in the specific service you need.
Another risk of a general handyman is that they don’t have proper insurance and licensing to provide siding services. While this might be adequate for a quick project where they replace or fix a piece of siding after a storm, it isn’t appropriate for a full siding project. Instead, look for a professional who has a general liability insurance policy, workers’ compensation to cover any injuries during the project and knows what building permits to pull to protect you from issues during your project.
If you have a specific vinyl siding manufacturer in mind, you might also look into whether the contractor has special licensing or approvals through that company for best results and potentially longer warranties.
Learn more from past customer experiences. Ask your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers about their experiences with local contractors. Hear first-hand accounts of the process from start to finish, such as ease of communication, availability considerations, etc.
If you don’t get a good volume of personal accounts from this, go to the internet. Read reviews carefully. Know that not all bad reviews mean the contractor did something wrong. At times, it’s a communication breakdown or a misunderstanding.
Read the company’s response to the customer. Does it sound genuine and appear as though the company is working toward resolving the issue? The tone of the responses will tell you about the integrity of the company and whether they put customers first.
While you’re reading reviews, consider looking at the company’s case studies and white papers as well to get a better idea of who they serve and why.
There are two types of warranties for vinyl siding: manufacturer warranties that cover the materials and contractor warranties that cover the workmanship. Each contractor will handle these differently and depending on whether they have special licenses or completed additional training with the manufacturer can extend the materials warranty.
That’s because the manufacturer knows that the contractor is skilled at installation, which can affect the life of the material.
Most siding companies offer a 10-50-year warranty on their materials. Others provide a lifetime warranty, which covers the life of the product from defects. Many contractors offer a 5-year warranty on the installation, but you might find some who offer up to 15 years on the installation.
Vinyl siding contractors in Seattle can help bring your vision to life, so discuss your home improvement goals during the meeting. Ensure your contractor can make your vision a reality – or at least a version of your vision you’re happy with given the constraints of your home or the materials.
Before the meeting, you should sit down and envision what you want your home to look like. Think about warm versus cool colors, how your trim and doors will look with your new siding, the shade of your existing roof and how much life it has left on it, etc. You can’t simply choose a vinyl siding color. You must go through how it will work with other elements of your home.
As you meet with the top contractors from your list of candidates for the job, request a quote. You should not make your siding contractor decision based solely or even mostly on the quote. But it will certainly be a factor in who you decide to hire.
Make sure the quote is detailed enough to know what you’re getting for the work. The quote should include details of the labor and material warranties, the scope of the project, payment information, timelines, who is responsible for getting permits, etc.
If you see a detail on one quote but not another, ask the contractor before making your final decision.
Once you know who you want to work with for your siding replacement project, sign the contract and get the project moving. The longer you wait to sign the contract, the longer it will be before your new siding goes on your home. That’s because contractors don’t put you on the calendar until they have a signed contract.
2FL has more than two decades of experience installing vinyl siding in Seattle and the greater surrounding area. We’ve worked on homes of all sizes, styles, architecture and age. We can help you revive the curb appeal of your home with a simple project. Get started today by requesting your free estimate.
Further Reading:
Read the latest articles about painting.
