Roofing & Exterior
Cement Where Your Wall Used to Be Wood
Fiber cement is the Northwest default for a reason: it doesn't rot, burn, or feed pests. But it only earns its warranty when the clearances and flashing are done to spec — and that's the part you're actually paying for.
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Signs to watch
Is this you?
Your wood or panel siding is rotting out
Real cedar, hardboard, and T1-11 all lose to Northwest moisture eventually. Fiber cement is cement and cellulose — it doesn't rot or swell, and pests lose interest.
You're done repainting every few years
Factory-baked color finishes on fiber cement hold far longer than field paint on wood in this wet-dry climate. The repaint clock slows way down.
You're in a fire-risk zone
Fiber cement is non-combustible and carries a Class A fire rating. East of the Cascades and in the wildland-urban interface, that matters more every summer.
You want a material that outlives the mortgage
Correctly installed fiber cement is a decades-long wall. The failures we're called to fix are almost always install details, not the board itself.
Your options
The category, and the details that decide it
Fiber cement is a blend of Portland cement, sand, and cellulose fiber, formed into lap boards, panels, and shingle profiles, and available with factory-applied color finishes or primed for field paint. James Hardie is the name most people know; brands like Allura and Nichiha make it too, and we'll talk through which fits. Versus engineered wood, it's heavier, mineral, and non-combustible; versus vinyl, it's tougher, paintable, and far better in a fire zone but costs more and works harder to install. Under all of it: housewrap, a rainscreen gap where the wall calls for it, correct ground and roof clearances, and flashing at every window, door, and penetration. Fiber cement installed wrong still fails.
The method
How we do it
- 01
Design, profile, and finish selection
Lap, panel, or shingle profiles and color samples held against your actual house in real light — not a chip under showroom bulbs.
- 02
Tear-off and sheathing inspection
Old siding off, wet or rotted sheathing found, photographed, and repaired at the per-sheet price printed in your bid.
- 03
Weather barrier, clearances, and install
Housewrap, flashing, correct clearances and fastening to manufacturer spec — the invisible work that makes the finish last. Most homes: one to two weeks.
Straight numbers
What fiber cement actually costs
Fiber cement sits above vinyl and engineered wood on both material and labor — it's heavier, and the cutting and detailing are more exacting. What moves the number: square footage, number of stories, trim and corner complexity, and what we find under the old siding once it's off. We quote fixed bids with financing available, so the sheathing isn't a mid-job surprise.
Where we do this work
Fiber Cement Siding: straight answers
Is fiber cement worth the extra cost over vinyl or engineered wood?
If you're staying long-term or in a fire zone, usually yes — it's non-combustible, holds its finish longer, and returns more at resale. If budget is the hard constraint, quality engineered wood or thick-gauge vinyl can be the right honest answer. We'll price the options rather than push the top one.
Does fiber cement really hold up in the wet Northwest?
It's about as well-suited to this climate as siding gets — it won't rot or swell like wood and doesn't feed mildew the way some substrates do. The one thing that still matters is the flashing and moisture barrier behind it, plus keeping the bottom edge clear of the ground. That's exactly where we spend the care.
Can you install fiber cement over my existing siding?
We don't. Overlay traps whatever moisture problem is already in the wall where nobody can see it, adds weight, and voids most manufacturer warranties. Tear-off, inspect, repair, wrap, then side — the sequence is the product.
Do I have to paint it?
Not if you choose a factory color finish — it comes colored and holds up for years before it needs attention. You can also get it primed and field-paint any color you want. Both are valid; we'll walk through the trade-offs for your home.
Get the fiber cement siding conversation started.
Free 20-minute inspection. Photo report you keep either way. Zero pressure.