How to plan siding and window replacement

Vinyl siding is the volume product in southern New England — durable, low-maintenance, fast to install, and the cheapest-per-sqft path to a new envelope. Fiber cement (James Hardie HardiePlank, HardieShingle) has overtaken cedar as the premium choice because it holds paint for 12–15 years and doesn't rot. Engineered wood (LP SmartSide) splits the difference — looks like wood, installs like vinyl, costs less than Hardie. On windows, the choice is vinyl (entry to mid), fiberglass (Pella Impervia, Andersen 100 series) or wood-clad (Andersen 400, Marvin Essential/Elevate, Pella Reserve) for premium tier. Wood-clad is the right call for historic homes and homes where interior wood trim continues across the rooms.

You can't see what's behind the old siding until it comes off. On a 1950s cedar-clapboard cape that has been re-sided once over the original, expect to find some combination of: rotted sheathing at the bottom of every wall (no kickouts, water sheeting behind siding), rotted sills under second-story windows (failed head flashing or missing entirely), and absent or shredded original tar-paper. The crew is already on staging — repairing it during the re-side is the right move; calling someone back to do it later means pulling siding off twice.

This is the part of the assembly that actually keeps the wall dry. A code-minimum house wrap (DuPont Tyvek HomeWrap, $0.18–0.30/sqft material) lapped correctly, taped at seams, integrated with window head and pan flashings, and finished with kickout flashings at every roof-wall intersection is what the siding sits in front of. Higher-spec assemblies (ZipSystem R-sheathing, Tyvek DrainWrap, rainscreen furring) add drainage and ventilation behind the siding — material moisture clears faster, paint and substrate last longer. The cost delta on the full wrap package is $1.50–4/sqft of wall area; the cost of doing it badly is the wall sheathing rotting from behind in 8–15 years.

An insert (also called a pocket or retrofit) replacement leaves the existing window frame in place and slides a new sash unit inside it — about 30–40% cheaper, faster, and you keep the existing interior and exterior trim. The tradeoff: you inherit any rot, racking, or air-sealing failure in the existing frame, and you lose roughly 1/2 inch of glass on each side because the new unit fits inside the old jambs. A full-frame replacement strips back to the rough opening, replaces the sill if needed, installs new flashings and a proper pan, and lets you reflash the head — slower and more expensive, but it's the right call on any opening with sill rot, an out-of-square frame, or original aluminum-clad units showing weeping at the sill corners.

EPA RRP rules apply to siding tear-off, window replacement, and any exterior work that disturbs more than 20 sqft of painted surface on a home built before 1978. The contractor must be EPA-certified, lead-safe-trained crew members on site, plastic ground containment, HEPA vacuums for cleanup, and post-work cleaning verification. This adds 8–15% to a job on an older home and it is the law — it is not optional and it is not negotiable. Skipping it exposes the homeowner to lead contamination of soil and HVAC intakes and exposes the contractor to EPA fines that can exceed $37K per violation.

The glass does most of the energy work. ENERGY STAR Northern Zone (which covers RI and MA) requires U-factor ≤ 0.27 and SHGC unconstrained — meaning you want low U (insulation) and you don't need to worry about solar heat gain like Florida buyers do. A double-pane low-E argon unit hits these numbers; triple-pane gets you to U 0.20 but adds 20–35% to the unit cost and isn't a clear payback in this climate unless you're passive-house-targeting. Mass Save offers $40–125 per ENERGY STAR window depending on program tier; RI Energy has matching incentives. The rebate paperwork is the contractor's job — ask whether they file it.

Vinyl siding in a stock color (white, almond, clay) is the cheapest path; "designer" colors from CertainTeed Cedar Impressions or Mastic Ovation add $0.50–1.50/sqft. Pre-finished fiber cement (ColorPlus from James Hardie) saves the painting step and carries a 15-year finish warranty, but locks you into the manufacturer's palette. Field-painted Hardie or LP costs less up front but adds a paint job to year 1 and another to year 12. Trim choices — Azek (cellular PVC) or Boral (poly-ash) for fascia, frieze, and corner boards — vs. wood add $4–9/lf material but eliminate the rot cycle on the trim.