How much does it cost to re-side a house in Bellingham?
A whole-house re-side in Bellingham usually runs $9,000 to $45,000 depending on material. Insulated vinyl and engineered wood land lower, around $9,000 to $24,000. James Hardie fiber cement runs $14,000 to $38,000, and real cedar runs $18,000 to $45,000. Four things move the number: exterior wall square footage, the material you pick, how many stories the house is, and how much rot we find once the old siding is off. We walk the house and give you a line-item quote before any work starts.
What if you find rot once the old siding is off?
We don't know what's behind the old cladding until we open it up, and on Bellingham homes from the 60s through the 90s we routinely find soft sheathing and damaged framing around windows and at the bottom plate. When we find it, we stop, photograph the damage, show you, and write a separate change order with the cost before we repair anything. You see the wall before we close it back up. No surprise bills, no work you didn't approve.
Hardie vs cedar vs vinyl, what's right for this climate?
For our wet marine climate, fiber cement (James Hardie) is the workhorse: it won't rot or feed mold, holds a finish a long time, and resists fire. Real cedar looks right on Fairhaven and Edgemoor character homes and lasts well on a rainscreen, but it costs more and needs upkeep. Insulated vinyl and engineered wood like LP SmartSide cost the least and need little maintenance, which suits rentals and straightforward houses. Whatever you pick, it should go on a rainscreen here so the wall can drain and dry.
Do I need a rainscreen?
A rainscreen is a vented air gap behind the siding, built with furring strips or a drainage mat, that lets the wall drain and dry. In Bellingham, where we get about 35 inches of rain a year and long damp stretches, it's the difference between siding that lasts 40 years and siding that fails in 12. It's worth it on almost any quality fiber cement or cedar install here, and most permit reviewers and the WA energy code push toward better water management. It's not an upsell, it's the part cheap bidders skip.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Bellingham Siding Co. is operated by Apex Builderz LLC, a licensed, bonded, and insured Washington general contractor, WA Reg. APEXBBL749B1. We carry general liability insurance and a contractor bond, and we're happy to show you the paperwork. Just ask.
How long will my house be wrapped up or open to the weather?
Most whole-house re-sides take one to three weeks on-site depending on the size of the house and the material. We work in sections and we never leave a wall open to the rain overnight. The sheathing and weather barrier stay protected the whole time, so your house is buttoned up at the end of every workday even before the new siding is on.
Do you work on cedar and historic homes in Fairhaven and Edgemoor?
Yes. We do a lot of cedar shingle and shake work on the older character homes in Fairhaven, Edgemoor, and the Lettered Streets, and we respect the original look. We match coursing and exposure, use corrosion-resistant fasteners for the salt-tinged air near the bay, and put the wood on a rainscreen so it can dry. If your home has a historic-district look you want to keep, we'll work to it.
