Cedar Shingle Siding Cost: Price Per Square Foot And Totals

Cedar shingle siding turns heads on any street in Kirkland or Bellevue, but the price tag catches people off guard when quotes start rolling in. Cedar shingle siding cost runs higher than vinyl or fiber cement, and without solid numbers in front of you, it's hard to know if a contractor's estimate is fair or padded. That uncertainty is exactly what stalls a lot of siding projects before they start.

Here's the short answer: expect to pay between $8 and $14 per square foot installed, with total project costs for an average Washington home landing somewhere between $12,000 and $28,000 depending on size and grade of cedar. Those figures shift based on shingle grade, wall prep work, and how much old siding has to come off first.

In this article, we'll break down exactly what drives those numbers up or down, from labor rates in the Puget Sound area to the difference between number one and number two grade cedar. You'll walk away knowing what a realistic quote looks like for your home, and why a locked-in price matters more with cedar than with almost any other siding material.

Why cedar shingle siding costs more than other options

Cedar costs more because you're paying for a natural product that has to be harvested, graded, and installed by hand, not stamped out in a factory. Vinyl and fiber cement come off an assembly line in uniform panels that crews snap into place fast. Cedar shingles arrive as individual pieces of wood, each one slightly different, and every single one gets nailed up by a skilled installer working at a fraction of the speed. That labor difference alone accounts for a big chunk of the gap between cedar and its competitors.

Material and grading costs add up fast

Grade matters more with cedar than with almost any other siding material on the market. Number one grade cedar, sometimes called "blue label," is clear, straight-grained, and free of knots, and it costs noticeably more than number two or three grade shingles that carry small imperfections. Western Red Cedar, the species most Pacific Northwest contractors use, also fluctuates in price based on regional lumber markets, so the quote you get in March might not match one from September.

Siding material	Typical installed cost per sq ft
Vinyl siding	$3 - $8
Fiber cement	$6 - $12
Cedar shingle	$8 - $14

Cedar shingle siding costs more because every piece is cut, graded, and hand-installed, not machine-stamped like vinyl or fiber cement.

Installation takes real skill and real time

Installing cedar shingles isn't a job for a crew that normally hangs vinyl panels. Each shingle needs proper spacing for expansion, correct nail placement to avoid splitting, and careful layering so water sheds the way it should for the next 30 to 40 years. A crew experienced with cedar installation moves methodically, checking exposure lines and staggering joints row by row, which takes far longer than snapping vinyl panels into a track. Homeowners in Bellevue and Redmond often tell us they got a lowball quote from a general siding contractor, only to find out later that crew had never actually hung cedar before.

You're also paying for longevity and character

Nothing else gives a Pacific Northwest home the same weathered, natural look that cedar develops over time, and that aesthetic value factors into the price. Properly maintained cedar siding can last 40 years or more, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's research on residential siding lifespans, which pushes the lifetime cost per year below cheaper materials that need replacing sooner. Long-term durability and the way cedar ages into a silvery patina rather than cracking or fading are exactly why homeowners who value craftsmanship keep choosing it despite the higher sticker price.

How to budget and get an accurate cedar siding quote

Getting an honest number starts with measuring your home correctly, not guessing off a real estate listing. Square footage of siding almost never matches square footage of living space, since you have to account for gables, dormers, and window trim that eats into the total. Most Kirkland-area homes run 1,800 to 2,600 square feet of actual wall surface, which is why a 2,000-square-foot house doesn't always cost less than a 2,400-square-foot one once roof pitch and architectural detail get factored in.

Request a detailed, itemized bid

Skip any contractor who hands you a single number scrawled on a business card. A trustworthy bid breaks out material grade, labor, tear-off, and disposal separately, so you can see exactly where your money goes.

• Shingle grade and species specified in writing

• Square footage calculation shown, not estimated

• Tear-off and disposal costs itemized

• Underlayment and flashing details included

• Timeline and payment schedule spelled out

A real cedar quote breaks out grade, labor, and disposal separately, never bundled into one vague number.

Lock your price before work begins

Cedar lumber prices swing with the market, and some contractors pad quotes to cover themselves against that risk, then pass savings back to nobody but themselves. Locked-in pricing protects you from that guesswork entirely. Once Legacy Exteriors quotes a job, that number holds regardless of what happens to lumber costs mid-project, which matters most with a material as volatile as Western Red Cedar.

Timing your quote request matters too. Late winter and early spring tend to bring more competitive pricing before the summer rush hits every roofing and siding crew in the Puget Sound area. Waiting until August, when everyone wants work finished before fall rains, usually means longer lead times and less room for negotiation on labor rates.

What drives your total price up or down

Several factors swing your final number well beyond the base square footage calculation, and most homeowners don't see them coming until the estimate lands in their inbox. Cedar shingle siding cost depends heavily on what's underneath your current siding, how many corners and angles the crew has to work around, and which exposure pattern you choose for the shingles themselves.

Tear-off and wall condition change the math

Old siding rarely comes off clean. If your crew finds rotted sheathing, water damage, or outdated insulation once the tear-off starts, that adds labor and material costs that no contractor can predict from a drive-by estimate. Homes built before 1990 in the Kirkland and Bothell area often carry surprises behind the old siding, which is why a pre-project inspection matters more than a quick walkaround.

The condition hiding behind your old siding, not the cedar itself, causes most budget surprises on these projects.

Architectural complexity adds labor hours

A simple rectangular home with few windows costs less per square foot than a home with dormers, bay windows, and multiple roof pitches. Every corner, valley, and trim detail requires extra cutting and fitting that a flat wall never needs.

• Number of gables and dormers

• Window and door trim count

• Roof pitch and accessibility

• Existing siding removal difficulty

• Distance from a Puget Sound lumber supplier

Exposure pattern and shingle width matter too

Shingle exposure, meaning how much of each shingle shows once installed, affects both material use and labor time. Tighter exposure patterns use more shingles per square foot and take longer to hang, which raises cost but also creates a denser, more weather-resistant wall. Wider exposure saves money upfront but shows more grain variation and may need more frequent maintenance over the decades ahead.

Cedar siding cost examples by home size

Numbers get real once you see them attached to actual home sizes instead of abstract per-square-foot ranges. Cedar siding cost scales with wall square footage, but grade choice and architectural complexity can push a smaller home above a larger, simpler one. Here's how that plays out across three common Kirkland-area home sizes, assuming average tear-off and standard exposure.

Home size (wall sq ft)	Standard grade cedar	Premium grade cedar
1,600 sq ft (starter/rambler)	$12,800 - $17,600	$17,600 - $22,400
2,200 sq ft (typical two-story)	$17,600 - $24,200	$24,200 - $30,800
3,000 sq ft (larger custom home)	$24,000 - $33,000	$33,000 - $42,000

A 2,200-square-foot home with standard grade cedar typically lands between $17,600 and $24,200 installed.

Why identical square footage can cost different amounts

Two homes with the same wall area rarely land on the same final number. A rambler with few windows and a simple gable roof moves through installation faster than a two-story home with dormers, bay windows, and multiple roof pitches. Architectural detail, not just raw square footage, decides where your project falls within these ranges.

What these numbers don't include

These figures assume standard tear-off with no major sheathing repair, standard exposure, and no custom trim work. If your crew opens up the walls and finds water damage or outdated insulation, add anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 depending on severity. Homeowners in Bothell and Woodinville with older homes should budget on the higher end of these ranges just to be safe, since hidden wall damage is common in homes built before 1990.

Getting a firm number for your specific home means having someone measure your actual wall surface, not your listed square footage. A locked-in quote based on real measurements protects you from these ranges turning into open-ended surprises once demolition starts.

Ways to save without sacrificing quality

Saving money on a cedar project doesn't mean settling for a material that looks cheap or fails early. Cedar shingle siding cost has real room for negotiation once you know which levers actually move the number without touching craftsmanship or durability.

Choose grade strategically, not universally

One smart approach uses number one grade cedar on street-facing walls and number two grade on side and back elevations that get less visibility. Since shingle grade drives a big chunk of your material cost, this split can shave 10 to 15 percent off your total without anyone noticing a difference from the sidewalk.

Mixing cedar grades by wall visibility saves real money while keeping the front of your home looking premium.

Time the project around contractor schedules

Booking work in late winter or early spring, before the summer rush hits every Puget Sound crew, often means better labor pricing and shorter wait times. Contractors have more flexibility to negotiate when their calendar isn't already full through October.

Bundle related exterior work together

Pairing your siding project with gutter replacement or trim repair in one visit cuts down on mobilization costs, since the crew is already on-site with equipment and scaffolding set up. Legacy Exteriors regularly bundles these projects for homeowners in Kirkland and Bothell, which trims labor overhead that would otherwise get billed twice.

Here's a quick checklist worth running through before you sign anything:

• Ask about mixed-grade options for less visible walls

• Request quotes in late winter or early spring

• Bundle siding with gutter or trim work

• Confirm the price is locked in, not an estimate range

• Skip crews unwilling to itemize material and labor separately

Understanding these levers before you talk to a contractor puts you in a stronger position to negotiate, and it keeps your cedar shingle siding cost aligned with the quality you're actually paying for.

Getting your Kirkland-area siding project started

Cedar shingle siding costs more upfront than vinyl or fiber cement, but the numbers make sense once you understand what you're paying for: hand installation, graded lumber, and decades of durability that cheaper materials can't match. You now know the real range, from $8 to $14 per square foot installed, and the factors that push your specific project toward the top or bottom of that range. Accurate measurements and an itemized bid protect you from surprises once demolition starts, and grade choices by wall visibility can trim real dollars without cutting corners anyone will notice.

The next step is getting numbers specific to your home instead of general ranges. Legacy Exteriors offers locked-in price quotes for Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, and surrounding communities, so the estimate you receive is the number you pay. Request your free quote and inspection and find out exactly what your project costs before you commit to anything.