Siding in Dover, DE

Siding in Dover

Dover was proposed as Kent County's court town in 1683, laid out in 1717 and made Delaware's capital in 1777. Houses here span a long stretch of building history, and a siding job on any of them starts with the same two questions: what's on the walls now, and what's behind it.

The weather your siding faces

NOAA keeps an engineering weather station at Dover Air Force Base, in town, and its numbers describe what a wall here has to handle:

a 50-year basic wind speed of 100 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet);
a 100-year rainfall rate of 3.0 inches per hour;
about 51 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year;
about 612 hours a year with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F.

Wind drives rain sideways into laps and joints. Freeze-thaw works on any water that gets into wood, caulk or paint. And long humid stretches slow drying, so a wall that takes on water stays wet longer.

Wind and fastening

Siding comes off in wind when it's nailed wrong, not just when the wind is extreme. Ask each bidder:

what wind rating the product carries, and whether it covers 100 mph;
how they'll fasten it, and whether they follow the maker's nail spacing and nailing-hem instructions;
how they'll secure starter strips, corners and trim at the edges of the wall, where wind loads are highest;
whether the warranty depends on a specific installation method.

Keeping water out of the wall

Siding sheds most rain; the layers behind it take care of the rest. A complete bid covers:

the water-resistive barrier and how its seams are lapped and taped;
flashing above every window and door, and kick-out flashing where a roof edge ends against a wall;
the bottom of the wall: clearance above soil, walks and decks, and a way for water to drain out;
the seal around vents, lights, meters, hose bibs and cable entries;
whether a rainscreen gap behind the siding makes sense, so the wall can dry during humid weather.

Choosing a material

Vinyl is the most common replacement and the least maintenance. It needs room to expand and contract, and loose nailing matters.
Fiber cement looks like painted wood and stands up to moisture and insects. It's heavy, and cut ends must be sealed.
Engineered wood is lighter and easy to work, but its edges need sealing and it needs good clearance at the bottom.
Wood keeps an older house's look and needs paint on a regular cycle.

If your house sits in or near a historic area, ask the city what review applies before choosing a material.

Checking the company

Delaware law requires construction service businesses to register with the Office of Contractor Registration at the Delaware Department of Labor before beginning work in the state, in addition to registering with the Division of Revenue, and the department publishes a lookup of registered contractors. The Division of Revenue requires any contractor doing business in Delaware to hold a business license.

Those records show the company is set up to work in the state; they say nothing about how well it hangs siding. Look the company up, then ask for addresses of recent siding jobs you can drive past.

Comparing bids

Ask every bidder to price the same items in writing: tear-off or overlay, disposal, the product and its grade, the weather barrier, flashing, trim, soffit and fascia, a per-unit price for sheathing repair, any permit, and both the product and workmanship warranties. Compare line by line rather than by the bottom number.

Local facts behind this page

William Penn proposed a town called Dover as the court town for Kent County in 1683, but its streets, squares and lots were not laid out until 1717; by 1722 a courthouse stood on the square, now The Green, and Dover became the county seat. Source: Delaware Public Archives, Dover (town and city histories)
In 1777 the capital of the newly formed State of Delaware moved to Dover from New Castle, and the town's government was formalized by incorporation in 1829. Source: Delaware Public Archives, Dover (town and city histories)
NOAA's engineering weather data for Dover Air Force Base lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 100 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 3.0 inches per hour and about 51 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year. Source: NOAA NCEI Engineering Weather Data, Dover AFB, DE
In an average year at Dover Air Force Base, NOAA counts about 612 hours with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F and about 1,723 hours above 67°F. Source: NOAA NCEI Engineering Weather Data, Dover AFB, DE
Delaware law requires construction service businesses to register with the Office of Contractor Registration at the Delaware Department of Labor before beginning work in the state, in addition to registering with the Division of Revenue; the department publishes a lookup of registered construction contractors. Source: Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Industrial Affairs, Contractor Registration
Delaware's Division of Revenue requires any contractor conducting business activity in Delaware to register with it and obtain a business license. Source: Delaware Division of Revenue, Contractors (Resident and Non-Resident)

Sources checked 2026-10-29. Codes, rebates and standards change; the contractor you hire and your local building department have the final word on what applies to your property.

Before you hire in Kent County

Get Siding Pros doesn't check contractors' credentials for you, so do it yourself before you sign anything: check that the contractor is registered with the Delaware Department of Labor and holds a Delaware business license from the Division of Revenue. The Delaware Department of Labor, Office of Contractor Registration lookup is free: Delaware Department of Labor, Office of Contractor Registration.

Get the scope, price and timeline in writing before work starts.
Ask who pulls any required permit, and whether an inspection is part of the job.
Ask for proof of insurance and for references from recent local jobs, and call them.