The Flint/Bishop record in brief
In NOAA's engineering weather data, a station named Flint/Bishop sits at an elevation of 764 feet, and NOAA lists these values for it:
- a 99% winter design temperature of 3°F;
- a 1% summer design temperature of 86°F, with a mean coincident wet-bulb temperature of 72°F;
- a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph, measured as a 3-second gust at 33 feet;
- a 100-year rainfall rate of 2.8 inches per hour;
- about 61 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year.
Each of those belongs to the Flint/Bishop station and is quoted as listed.
Walk your own walls before anyone bids
Contractors can only price the same job if they are handed the same job. Before the first visit, take a slow lap around the house with a notepad and a phone, and put together a one-page description:
- the walls in question, whether that is every side, a single elevation, the gables or an addition;
- what you have spotted, photographed and dated: split or missing pieces, loose corners, trim that feels soft, paint that peels in the same place, stains indoors below a window;
- the trim you want included, such as window and door casings, corner boards, soffit and fascia;
- what happens to the gutters: taken down and rehung, or replaced;
- the profile and color you have in mind, or the existing siding a repair has to blend with.
Hand the same page to every company. If one suggests a different plan, ask for a price on your version as well, so the bids still line up.
Tear-off or cover-over
Some bidders will propose stripping the walls to the sheathing; others may offer to install new cladding over what is there. Ask each one to explain the choice in plain terms:
- What would a cover-over hide, and how would anyone find a soft spot underneath later?
- Does the new product's maker permit installation over existing siding, and on what conditions?
- How would window and door trim depth change, and how would the flashing around each opening be redone?
- If several older layers are already on the wall, would all of them come off?
Behind the panels: barrier, flashing and drainage
Cladding sheds the bulk of the rain, and whatever slips past it meets the layers underneath. Those layers are covered up within days, so ask about them while they are still a plan:
- Which water-resistive barrier goes on, and how will its laps and seams be sealed?
- In what order will the head, sill and side flashing go in at each window and door?
- Will there be a drainage space, such as a rainscreen mat, between the barrier and the siding?
- Where a roof edge runs into a sidewall, will a kick-out flashing turn water into the gutter?
- How will dryer vents, meters, outdoor lights, faucets and cable entries be blocked out and sealed?
Nailing patterns and wind ratings
A siding product's published wind rating rests on a specific way of fastening it. Questions to put to every bidder:
- What wind rating does this product carry, and which fastener spacing does that rating assume?
- What fasteners will the crew use, how long are they, and are they corrosion-resistant?
- How will the starter strip, the top course and the pieces under the soffit be held?
- Which wind design requirements, if any, apply at this address, and who inspects for them?
- Will the contract state that the maker's installation instructions are followed in full?
Pricing hidden damage ahead of time
The sheathing stays out of sight until the old siding comes off. Agree on the terms before that happens:
- a unit price per sheet for replacing damaged sheathing, and per linear foot for rotted framing;
- a promise in writing that the crew will stop and show you, with photos, anything hidden before it is covered again;
- how debris, the dumpster and dropped nails will be handled, and whether the yard gets a magnet sweep at the end of each day.
Questions for each siding material
- Vinyl: How will the crew leave room for the panels to expand and contract on the nails and at the ends? What thickness is quoted, and is an insulated version an option?
- Fiber cement: How will cut edges and butt joints be treated per the maker's instructions? How will cutting dust be controlled near open windows?
- Engineered wood: How will each field cut be sealed? What clearance from soil and roofing does the maker call for?
- Wood clapboard or shingle: What paint or stain goes on, and when would the next coat be due?
- Steel or aluminum: How would a dent be repaired, and will matching pieces be available later?
Whichever you pick, ask for the printed installation instructions and the warranty, and read the clauses on what voids it.
Where the wall meets the ground, the roof and the deck
The bottom course sits closest to splashback, soil, mulch and insects. Ask what clearance the product's maker requires above grade, patios, decks and roof surfaces, and how the crew will handle a spot where the yard has crept up against the wall. Ask how trim near the ground will be protected, and whether a composite or PVC trim board makes sense there.
People, permits and coverage
- What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?
- Which local permits does the job call for, who applies for them, and will an inspector come out?
- Can you provide proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation? Your own insurer can help you read the certificate.
- Will your employees install the siding, or a subcontractor, and who is in charge on site each day?
- How will plantings, windows, the roof edge and the driveway be protected during tear-off?
Reading the bids
Line the written bids up and look for the same entries in each: your scope page, the product name with profile, thickness and color, the barrier and flashing details, trim, soffit and fascia work, the unit prices for hidden damage, gutter work, permits, daily cleanup and the final nail sweep, start and finish dates, the deposit and payment schedule, the manufacturer's warranty and the installer's workmanship warranty. Where an entry is missing, ask about it before comparing totals.