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California · carpenters rank 3 of 50 · labor +25.3%
Siding replacement cost in California
A 1,500 sq ft siding job in vinyl siding comes to about $6,750 to $20,300 in California when the national installed price keeps its materials and its labor part is scaled to what carpenters earn statewide. Permit fees are set by each city or town, not the state.
Wages and housing figures checked October 21, 2026 · sources
- 1Vinyl, 1,500 sq ft $6,750–$20,300
- 2CA labor index +25.3% vs US
- 3Median home value $734,700
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What carpenters earn in California
California's carpenters earn a median $36.50 an hour, far above the US median of $29.12. That ranks 3 of 50 states, among the ten best-paid states for the trade. Applied to the labor share of a 1,500 sq ft siding job, that adds about $1,500 to the national midpoint.
The index is statewide. Wages inside California differ by metro area, and a contractor's price also depends on overhead, insurance, travel and how busy the season is, none of which a wage median captures.
Siding replacement prices in California by material
Each row starts from the installed price per square foot of wall that a national cost guide publishes and moves only the labor part by the California index. For 1,500 sq ft:
| Material | National | California | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $6,000–$18,000 | $6,750–$20,300 | $13,500 |
| Fiber cement siding | $9,000–$22,500 | $9,750–$24,800 | $17,250 |
| Engineered wood siding | $10,500–$18,000 | $11,250–$20,300 | $15,750 |
| Cedar siding | $9,000–$24,000 | $9,750–$26,300 | $18,000 |
By size
| Wall area to side (sq ft) | National | California |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | $4,000–$12,000 | $4,500–$13,500 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $6,000–$18,000 | $6,750–$20,300 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $8,000–$24,000 | $9,000–$27,050 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $10,000–$30,000 | $11,250–$33,800 |
Vinyl siding. The labor part of this job is $3,000–$9,000 at national rates and $3,750–$11,300 at California rates. Remove the old siding adds $1,300–$3,750 at the state index (all labor).
California homes and incomes
The median owner-occupied home in California is valued at $734,700 (US: $332,700), one of the ten highest state medians. The midpoint estimate here is 1.8% of that value. Against the state's median household income of $99,122, the same midpoint equals 1.6 months of income. 55.9% of California's occupied homes are owner-occupied (US 65.2%), so more of this work is ordered by landlords than in most states.
Permits in California
Building-permit fees are set locally. No California town schedule has been collected for this site yet, so this page shows no permit amount. The national cost guide puts siding job permits at $30–$200; the local building department can give the real figure and say whether one is needed.
Other projects in California
| Project | Trade index | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement, 2,000 sq ft | Roofers +14.7% | $8,450–$12,900 |
| Deck building, 320 sq ft | Carpenters +25.3% | $8,900–$17,800 |
| Heat pump installation, 2,000 sq ft home | HVAC mechanics and installers +18.9% | $10,950–$21,900 |
States ranked next to California
Hawaii ($7,200–$21,650) · Illinois ($6,900–$20,750) · Massachusetts ($6,750–$20,200) · Washington ($6,650–$20,000) · Alaska ($6,650–$19,950)
More: all states · how contractors price a roof · comparing three quotes
Sources
- Installed price: HomeGuide: Siding cost (Oct 29, 2025) — “Vinyl $4 – $12 (installed, per sq ft)”.
- Labor portion: HomeGuide: Siding cost (Oct 29, 2025) — “$2 to $6 per square foot (siding labor)”.
- Statewide wage: O*NET OnLine, Carpenters (47-2031), California local wages (BLS 2025 wage data).
- Housing and income: Census QuickFacts, California (ACS 2020-2024); US: QuickFacts, United States.
Checked October 21, 2026. Estimates are ranges built from published averages, not quotes. Cost by Town does not perform or arrange work.