to calling them lessens your chance of hiring a problem.

• If you have the time, call a few siding companies to look at your problem. This will help you determine fair market price for your job. This does not mean you should always go with the lowest price...you should go with the company you feel most comfortable with and who you feel will do the best job. If an individual is offering a real low price you should ask yourself "why?".

• Make sure the company has insurance. Replacing siding usually involves heights, ladders, and plenty of opportunit

Many homeowners have problems with their house siding. Your home's age, position, and the materials used to build your home are all factors in the condition of your siding.

Siding replacement is usually not something you want to wait to have performed. The consequence of having water infiltrate into the exterior framing of your house can eventually be far more costly than correcting siding the problem.

Replacing your siding can also be a decision you make based on ease of upkeep. Even if your siding is in good shape you may want to look into materials that help you avoid the cost of painting your house every 5-7 years.

Hiring a professional siding contractor is not always an easy task. There are several factors to consider in this industry.

First, there are many, many siding companies out there. Look under "Siding Contractors" in the phone book and you will see what we mean…there are hundreds of siding companies listed in each area. Also, there are often 'underground' contractors that are out dropping business cards and trying to get customers. Many times these are individuals who are hourly contractors or carpenters that also side houses part time with their own crews. How do you choose from the hundreds that are available and promoting the same thing?

Second, the barriers to calling oneself a siding contractor are small. People don't necessarily need a lot of fancy equipment or tools to start a siding contractor business. Therefore, individuals that have little experience can try to trick you into believing they are highly skilled and experienced siding pros. If you have a truck, a ladder, and a business card you could fool a lot of people!

Finally, there is the fact that many different types of companies advertise siding replacement. Along with companies that focus only on siding, there are general contractors, paint companies, window companies, and

gutter companies that also advertise siding replacement.

So what do you do when looking to replace your house siding?

We recommend:

• Ask your friends and neighbors to see if they have had good or bad experiences with local siding companies. Simply knowing that another person has had a good experience with a siding company prior to calling them lessens your chance of hiring a problem.

• If you have the time, call a few siding companies to look at your problem. This will help you determine fair market price for your job. This does not mean you should always go with the lowest price...you should go with the company you feel most comfortable with and who you feel will do the best job. If an individual is offering a real low price you should ask yourself "why?".

• Make sure the company has insurance. Replacing siding usually involves heights, ladders, and plenty of opportunit

t help you avoid the cost of painting your house every 5-7 years.

Hiring a professional siding contractor is not always an easy task. There are several factors to consider in this industry.

First, there are many, many siding companies out there. Look under "Siding Contractors" in the phone book and you will see what we mean…there are hundreds of siding companies listed in each area. Also, there are often 'underground' contractors that are out dropping business cards and trying to get customers. Many times these are individuals who are hourly contractors or carpenters that also side houses part time with their own crews. How do you choose from the hundreds that are available and promoting the same thing?

Second, the barriers to calling oneself a siding contractor are small. People don't necessarily need a lot of fancy equipment or tools to start a siding contractor business. Therefore, individuals that have little experience can try to trick you into believing they are highly skilled and experienced siding pros. If you have a truck, a ladder, and a business card you could fool a lot of people!

Finally, there is the fact that many different types of companies advertise siding replacement. Along with companies that focus only on siding, there are general contractors, paint companies, window companies, and

gutter companies that also advertise siding replacement.

So what do you do when looking to replace your house siding?

We recommend:

• Ask your friends and neighbors to see if they have had good or bad experiences with local siding companies. Simply knowing that another person has had a good experience with a siding company prior to calling them lessens your chance of hiring a problem.

• If you have the time, call a few siding companies to look at your problem. This will help you determine fair market price for your job. This does not mean you should always go with the lowest price...you should go with the company you feel most comfortable with and who you feel will do the best job. If an individual is offering a real low price you should ask yourself "why?".

• Make sure the company has insurance. Replacing siding usually involves heights, ladders, and plenty of opportunit

carpenters that also side houses part time with their own crews. How do you choose from the hundreds that are available and promoting the same thing?

Second, the barriers to calling oneself a siding contractor are small. People don't necessarily need a lot of fancy equipment or tools to start a siding contractor business. Therefore, individuals that have little experience can try to trick you into believing they are highly skilled and experienced siding pros. If you have a truck, a ladder, and a business card you could fool a lot of people!

Finally, there is the fact that many different types of companies advertise siding replacement. Along with companies that focus only on siding, there are general contractors, paint companies, window companies, and

gutter companies that also advertise siding replacement.

So what do you do when looking to replace your house siding?

We recommend:

• Ask your friends and neighbors to see if they have had good or bad experiences with local siding companies. Simply knowing that another person has had a good experience with a siding company prior to calling them lessens your chance of hiring a problem.

• If you have the time, call a few siding companies to look at your problem. This will help you determine fair market price for your job. This does not mean you should always go with the lowest price...you should go with the company you feel most comfortable with and who you feel will do the best job. If an individual is offering a real low price you should ask yourself "why?".

• Make sure the company has insurance. Replacing siding usually involves heights, ladders, and plenty of opportunit

there is the fact that many different types of companies advertise siding replacement. Along with companies that focus only on siding, there are general contractors, paint companies, window companies, and

gutter companies that also advertise siding replacement.

So what do you do when looking to replace your house siding?

We recommend:

• Ask your friends and neighbors to see if they have had good or bad experiences with local siding companies. Simply knowing that another person has had a good experience with a siding company prior to calling them lessens your chance of hiring a problem.

• If you have the time, call a few siding companies to look at your problem. This will help you determine fair market price for your job. This does not mean you should always go with the lowest price...you should go with the company you feel most comfortable with and who you feel will do the best job. If an individual is offering a real low price you should ask yourself "why?".

• Make sure the company has insurance. Replacing siding usually involves heights, ladders, and plenty of opportunit

to calling them lessens your chance of hiring a problem.

• If you have the time, call a few siding companies to look at your problem. This will help you determine fair market price for your job. This does not mean you should always go with the lowest price...you should go with the company you feel most comfortable with and who you feel will do the best job. If an individual is offering a real low price you should ask yourself "why?".

• Make sure the company has insurance. Replacing siding usually involves heights, ladders, and plenty of opportunities for injury. As mentioned above, there are many fly-by-night people who say they are siding contractors but may not be insured. Ask them to prove they are insured. If you skip this part you could be held liable for an uninsured workers' injury while working on your house, or be stuck with a repair bill if they cause major damage to your house.

• Always get an estimate with a statement of work to be performed in writing. Keep this filed away. Make sure the statement clearly describes what work is to be performed.

• Ask for suggestions from the siding contractor as to how to fix the problem. You may find companies that will do a job cheaper, but may not put a stop to your problem when their work is completed. Making sure you permanently fix the problem will cost you less in the long run than nickel-and-diming a problem several times.

• Ask if the house siding pro's work comes with guarantees. Many siding contractors offer warranties on their labor as well as the warranty from the siding manufacturer on the product. Make sure you get these things in writing. These are all factors to weigh when looking at the total estimates left by different Raleigh-Durham siding contractors.

• There are hundreds of different products available to side your house. Hardiboard, vinyl, wood, and Masonite are just a few. Talk over the different options with each company. Ask them to make suggestions. Lots of times price can vary based on the product you choose. Have the contractor review the benefits of each product you are interested in. A quality professional should be well versed in his products. If the siding professional does not offer suggestions, or is unable to easily discuss the potential products you can choose from, this is a red flag that this company may not be as experienced as you would want. If they don't know anything about what they are putting on the house how can you be sure they know anything about HOW to put it on the house!? Most manufacturer warranties are only good if the product was installed properly...another reason to hire a quality pro!

• Some siding contractors require an upfront payment. Agree to a payment schedule (which is a written document that clearly states how much and when payments are due). Make sure your