The Pros, Cons, and Costs of Aluminum Siding

Aluminum siding dominated American homes from the 1930s through the 1970s, offering homeowners a durable, low-maintenance alternative to wood. While vinyl siding eventually overtook aluminum in popularity due to its lower price point and minimal upkeep requirements, aluminum continues to be a solid choice for many homeowners.

For one thing, because it’s metal, aluminum siding is flame-resistant, whereas vinyl sometimes melts in strong sunlight, let alone wildfires. Aluminum siding panels are also more resistant to adverse weather conditions like rain and strong winds. Though vinyl can be cheaper for standard qualities, prices to install aluminum siding average from $3 to $10 per square foot, so it’s still a very affordable option.

In this guide, we'll explore what makes aluminum siding an excellent choice for some homes, the potential drawbacks you should consider, and how it compares to other popular siding materials.

Key Takeaways

• Aluminum siding costs $3 to $10 per square foot and lasts 30 to 40 years with proper maintenance, making it a mid-range investment that outlasts many alternatives.

• Fire and weather resistance are aluminum's biggest advantages; it won't melt like vinyl and provides excellent protection in wildfire-prone areas and extreme climates.

• Aluminum siding dents and scratches easily and can be noisy during rain or hail, requiring occasional repairs and repainting every 5 to 10 years.

• Aluminum is ideal for high-risk areas where fire resistance matters most, while vinyl remains the more popular choice for standard residential applications due to lower cost and maintenance.

Aluminum Siding Pros and Cons

Before diving into the details, here's a quick overview of aluminum siding's main advantages and disadvantages.

Why Homeowners Choose Aluminum Siding

While aluminum isn’t the cheapest siding material, its many benefits make it well worth the investment for many homeowners. For starters, the material can last well over 30 years, and under ideal conditions, it can outlive the structure it’s put on. This is partly due to aluminum’s exceptional resistance to many types of damage that commonly affect other siding materials.

Aluminum is highly resistant to fires

Aluminum is fireproof, so it’s one of the best siding materials for homes in wildfire-prone states like Texas and California. Its high flame resistance can give you more time to escape a raging fire and give the fire department enough time to show up and save most of the home’s structure. While aluminum will eventually buckle under extreme heat, it offers far better protection than vinyl or wood alternatives.

Pests can’t hurt aluminum

Pests like termites, squirrels, and birds don’t burrow, scratch, or peck aluminum siding, so you don’t have to worry about outdoor critters when your home is clad with aluminum. 

Aluminum withstands all kinds of weather

Aluminum is waterproof and, unlike steel, corrosion-resistant, so it won’t ever rust or rot because of rain or high humidity. Additionally, aluminum can withstand strong winds, so you don’t need to worry about a gale ripping panels away and leaving your home’s structure vulnerable to the elements.

Drawbacks of Aluminum Siding

Image source: Reddit

Despite its many benefits, aluminum siding has a few notable disadvantages that are important to consider.

The material's relative softness makes it prone to denting and scratching. In fact, a strong hailstorm can sometimes leave its mark on low-gauge aluminum siding. The worst part is that aluminum is also fairly difficult to restore, so heavily damaged panels usually need to be replaced, which can be expensive.

The other issue is that aluminum rings when struck, so it’s fairly noisy during rain and hailstorms. It can also creak as it expands and contracts due to temperature fluctuations, and all these creepy noises take some getting used to. 

Aluminum vs. Other Types of Siding

Aluminum is a great siding option for many homes, but it’s far from your only option. To help you find the best siding for your needs, here’s a quick breakdown of how aluminum compares to popular alternatives:

Siding product	Pros	Cons	Average price range per square foot
Aluminum siding	Rust-resistant Pest-resistant Flame-resistant Recyclable	Less durable than steel Moderate maintenance	$3 – $10
Steel siding	Highly durable Pest-resistant Flame-resistant Recyclable	Vulnerable to rust Moderate maintenance	$4 – $16
PVC vinyl siding	Affordable Pest-resistant Low-maintenance Diverse color options	Short lifespan Low heat-resistance	$3 – $12
Fiber cement siding	Great ROI (114%) High durability Pest-resistant Flame-resistant	Moderate maintenance	$5 – $14
Stucco siding	High durability Pest-resistant Low-maintenance Flame-resistant	Vulnerable to moisture Moderately expensive	$7 – $17
Wood siding	Attractive Easy to paint	High-maintenance Highly vulnerable to fire, pests, and moisture	$2 – $15

Aluminum Siding Costs and Installation Pricing

If you're considering aluminum siding for your home, understanding the investment involved is essential. Installing aluminum siding on a 2,000 sq.ft. home typically costs between $5,400 and $20,000.

However, costs greatly vary from region to region, and the size of your home will impact your costs, so your installation price could fall outside of this price range. Here's what you can expect to pay for different home sizes:

Exterior surface area	Installation price range
1,000 square feet	$3,000 – $10,000
1,500 square feet	$4,500 – $15,000
1,800 square feet	$5,400 – $18,000
2,500 square feet	$7,500 – $25,000

For a comprehensive breakdown of metal siding costs, check out our metal siding installation cost guide.

How to Care for Aluminum Siding

Aluminum siding isn’t maintenance-free. In fact, it requires a little more upkeep than vinyl simply because it needs to be painted every 5 to 10 years to maintain its color and appearance, whereas vinyl is made from a solid material of its color and doesn’t require painting. You can still paint over vinyl to change its color, though. You just need to use specially formulated paint.

Aside from a handful of necessary paint jobs over the course of its life, though, aluminum doesn’t require any more maintenance than any other type of siding. Compared to the immense amount of maintenance that steel and natural wood siding require, aluminum is among the more low-maintenance siding materials on the market.

Here are a few routine tasks that you should keep up with to ensure siding (of any type) lasts as long as possible:

• Clean annually: Either hire a professional siding cleaner or follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions to remove dirt, mildew, and debris yourself.

• Maintain gutters: Keep gutters clear to prevent clogs and water overflow that can damage your siding.

• Inspect regularly: Check for dents, bent panels, scratches, and other damage. Fix issues promptly to prevent them from worsening.

• Monitor caulking: Ensure caulking around windows, doors, and seams remains intact to prevent water intrusion.

Best Aluminum Siding Brands

Ply Gem

Ply Gem is a leading manufacturer of siding, windows, fences, gutters, and trim. It partners with distributors across the country to make its products widely available. The brand’s Variform Premium Aluminum Siding has a faux wood texture, is available in 10 colors, and has several different profiles for customization. 

CertainTeed

CertainTeed produces an immense selection of building materials, such as roofing shingles, aluminum soffits, and trim coils. CertainTeed’s siding materials are made from vinyl, stone, and aluminum. CertainTeed’s vinyl collection is called Urban Reserve™, and it comes in nine different colors and features a 40-year limited warranty. 

Gentek Building Products

Gentek offers an extensive assortment of siding products, including vinyl, steel, and aluminum options. In addition to its siding planks, the brand also manufactures soffits, fascias, and siding shakes, making it a great one-stop shop for renovating homeowners.

The best part is that the brand offers three different aluminum siding collections for you to choose from:

• Deluxe™ Aluminum Siding 

• Woodgrain™ Series 2000 Aluminum Siding

• Cedarwood® Aluminum Siding

Working With a Professional Installer

Now that you know all about aluminum siding’s costs, benefits, and drawbacks, you’re ready to meet with a contractor! Whether you’ve decided to get cladding made from aluminum or some other material, you can fill out our form below to find qualified and licensed siding installers in your region.

FAQs

No, you shouldn’t attempt to install aluminum siding yourself, even if you’re an experienced DIYer. If you don’t have experience working with the material, you can dent or scratch it during installation. Damage like this looks unsightly and leaves your home vulnerable to the elements. DIY siding installation can also void the manufacturer’s warranty on the material.

Standard-grade vinyl siding ($4–$7 per square foot) is less expensive than aluminum siding ($3–$10 per square foot). However, premium vinyl siding can cost as much as or even more than aluminum, often reaching the same $10 per square foot price point. While standard vinyl offers the lowest upfront cost, aluminum provides superior fire resistance, better weather protection, and potentially longer lifespan with proper maintenance

Aluminum tends to last somewhere between 30 and 40 years with proper maintenance, and it can sometimes outlive the home it’s installed on. Some aluminum siding options also come with limited lifetime warranties.

Both are excellent choices depending on your needs. Vinyl is more affordable, requires minimal maintenance, and offers the widest variety of styles, making it ideal for most homeowners. Aluminum excels in fire resistance and extreme weather performance, making it the better choice for wildfire-prone areas or harsh climates. Your best option depends on your budget, location, and priorities.

Yes, aluminum siding can be painted and typically needs repainting every 5 to 10 years to maintain its appearance. Make sure to use exterior-grade paint specifically formulated for metal surfaces and properly clean and prime the surface before painting for best results.