Significant differences exist between siding replacement contractors and new construction contractors when considering your home siding project. Siding replacement contractors vs. new home siding contractors: choose wisely. There is a big difference between the two.

Different Skills, Different Business

While it’s true all siding contractors may use many of the same materials and crews may use the same equipment on any given project, that’s where the similarities end. The difference between new home siding installation and existing home siding replacement is so pronounced that market-leading manufacturers such as James Hardie distinguish between new construction and replacement contractors within their organization globally. Their business models differ vastly in volume and pricing, but many other differences exist, especially among the crews working on the homes.

New Home Installation vs. Remove and Replace Crews

• The teams of people that make up the crew have drastically different skills and experiences.
• The replacement contractor must deal with many, sometimes complicated, challenges that new construction crews rarely encounter.
• The goals and objectives of the respective crews are entirely different. An experienced replacement contractor siding crew might need help maintaining the high volume expectations of new construction siding projects. In contrast, the new construction crew will need help with all the challenges and details required by a quality siding replacement contractor. Let’s explore the differences further.

Replacement Siding Contractor Crews:

• Mainly deal with one home at a time, low volume, slower pace, but more broadly complex.
• Have broad skill sets from demolition to fitting, sealing, and finishing.
• Perform under the watchful eyes of homeowners and neighbors.
• Must deal with the unknown in every job. i.e., damage from rot, moisture, insects, rodents, and hidden shoddy quality.
• Landscaping, accent lighting, and security cameras all require careful attention. 
• Job site cleanliness
• Crews must be much more attuned to their behavior.
• HOAs!
• Ability to deal with change orders. Homeowner add-ons or repairs to damage uncovered during the project.
• Have more years of experience and much broader skills to deal with daily surprises.
• Must deal with stressed property owners.
• Permits!
• Accurately quote projects competitively but profitably.
• Must comply with material Manufacturer’s requirements for warranties to hold up.
• Detailed understanding of dozens of complicated products and their proper installation.
• Direct accountability for artistry, quality, and brand warranty requirements.
• Custom long lead-time planning
• Work around problems with critical material damaged in transit.
• Live and work in the same area for a long time.
• Reputation is important.
• Crews typically work together for many years.

New Home Construction Siding Crews:

• Typically many new homes or multi-family apartment buildings are being built close to each other. 
• Work is divided into many simple tasks and optimized for speed and low-skilled or inexperienced labor. 
• Tasks are repetitive, simple, and high volume, where speed reigns supreme.
• There is little latitude for deviation from the high-volume quota and timelines. Speed can be at the expense of better quality, especially on Tract or Spec homes and multi-family apartments.
• Good enough is more typically the mantra
• Workers are encouraged to focus on their tasks without deviation until they are complete. 
• There is no demolition involved. 
• There are few impediments or obstacles since each exterior phase works in succession. An exterior sequence may include slab > framing > utilities > insulation > sheathing > house wrap > windows > siding > roofing, etc.
• Crews have few surprises to resolve other than logistics and weather. For example, new construction crews have no problems with preexisting damage, wear, or faults from the previous installation.
• Narrow crew member skillsets and inexperience may not recognize problems during construction.
• Deficiencies in new, unoccupied homes frequently conceal many hidden shortcomings. 
• Rarely encounter settled or improper hidden framing and old fasteners.

Beyond Good Siding Crews and Bad Siding Crews

Of course, there are many great new construction siding crews out there, just as there are many excellent replacement siding crews. Can they cross over? Sure, but the learning curve is much steeper for the new construction worker to become a siding master in the siding replacement business. 

New construction works better for workers that enjoy repetition and a faster, straightforward pace. This is especially true when dealing with dozens of new sub-division of homes. Conversely, replacement contracting favors crews who like regular change and working through challenges regularly.

When Re-siding a Home, Always Use a Replacement Siding Contractor Specialist

Pick a specialist. For the homeowner who needs to have their siding replaced, you want to focus on a company with verifiable experience and a strong reputation dealing with siding replacement in your area. As housing starts slow, new replacement crews will hunt for work in the siding replacement space, often at a discount. It would be best to be very wary of using these teams on your project. Your home may look ok when completed, but as soon as three to five years later, you’re likely to regret the decision when things are leaking or falling apart, and the warranty claim is impossible.

Low Price & Immediate Availability = Red Flag!

It would be best always to do your homework on the siding contractors. Ask about the crew that will do the work on your home. Ask the manufacturer, like James Hardie, about Elite Preferred contractors in your area. Pricing is always important, but consider that you get what you pay for. Better people are more expensive but worth every penny in the siding business.

Home Exterior Systems (HES) = Replacement Siding Specialist

If you have any questions about Siding Replacement Contractors vs. New Home Siding Contractors, please don’t hesitate to call us at 281-797-8367 or use our handy contact form. We would love to share what we know and help you get what you want.

Team HES