Fiber Cement vs. Vinyl Siding for Nashville Homes

If you're re-siding a house around Nashville, the decision usually comes down to vinyl or fiber cement (James Hardie is one well-known brand). Both can look good and last a long time. They differ in cost, how they're installed, whether you paint them, and how they're treated in historic districts. Here's the comparison, with HomeGuide's dated cost figures.

Installed cost

HomeGuide's national guides:

HomeGuide's fiber cement guide puts labor alone at $4 to $9 per square foot. Fiber cement is heavier and has to be cut with dust control, so it takes more labor than vinyl.

Wall area isn't floor area. A 2,000 sq ft two-story house can easily have more siding area than that once you count gables. Get every bid measured, not estimated from the listing.

How they differ

Vinyl

• Lowest upfront cost in HomeGuide's ranges.
• Color is built in, so there's no painting.
• Lightweight and fast to install.
• Can crack on impact and can't really be repainted to change the color.
• Many styles: clapboard, board-and-batten, shakes.

Fiber cement

• Costs more to buy and install.
• Usually comes primed or factory-painted, and is repainted over the years. See exterior painting.
• Heavier, more rigid, and can look closer to painted wood siding.
• Should be cut with dust control.
• Named as appropriate for new construction in Metro's historic overlays (see below).

Historic districts tilt toward fiber cement

In Metro Nashville's historic overlays, the Historic Zoning Commission handbook says smooth cement fiber siding is appropriate for new construction because, once painted, it looks like historic wood siding and can be sanded, painted and repaired like it. The same handbook lists embossed siding (with a fake wood grain) among common, costly mistakes.

For an existing historic house in a Historic Preservation overlay, replacing original wood siding is reviewed. The commission may want repair instead of replacement. Ask staff before you sign a siding contract. See our historic overlay guide. Neighborhood Conservation overlays generally review only new construction, additions, demolition and relocation.

Permits

Metro Nashville's residential permit page lists installing siding among work that needs a building permit. Suburban rules vary, so check your city. The contractor should pull the permit.

Older houses: what's under the old siding

• Lead paint. If you're removing or disturbing painted wood siding on a pre-1978 house, the federal RRP rule applies to contractors when 20 or more square feet of exterior painted surface is disturbed. TDEC notes that in Tennessee, EPA enforces it. Hire an RRP-certified firm.
• Asbestos siding. Some mid-century houses have cement-asbestos shingles. HomeGuide's Hardie Board guide puts asbestos siding removal at about $7 to $10 per square foot. Ask whether covering it is an option. See our pre-1978 remodeling guide.
• Rot and water damage. Old siding hides problems. Budget for replacing some sheathing and trim, and make sure the bid explains how it's priced.

Details that matter more than the brand

Whichever you choose:

• a continuous water-resistive barrier behind the siding, lapped correctly;
• proper flashing at windows, doors, roof-wall intersections and decks;
• correct clearances from the roof, ground and hardscape, per the manufacturer;
• the manufacturer's installation instructions, followed so the warranty holds;
• for vinyl, nailing that lets the panels move with temperature.

Which to choose

Vinyl fits a tighter budget, a house outside a historic overlay, and owners who never want to paint.

Fiber cement fits a historic or older house where a painted-wood look matters, an owner who doesn't mind repainting, or a project in a historic overlay.

See siding for more on materials, costs and contractors.