We talk to a lot of homeowners who’ve had a siding project on their list for two, three, sometimes four years. Life gets busy. The roof needs attention. The kitchen finally gets redone. Siding gets pushed.
And honestly? For a while, that’s fine. But 2026 is shaping up differently, and if your siding is showing its age, this is the year to stop kicking the can down the road.
Finding a Good Crew Is Harder Than It Used to Be
Here’s something we don’t sugarcoat with customers: the pool of truly skilled siding installers in Northern Jersey has gotten smaller. The construction trades have been dealing with a serious workforce shortage for years. The Associated Builders and Contractors pegged the industry shortage at nearly 500,000 workers heading into 2026. That’s a national number, but it hits close to home.
Good crews in northern New Jersey are busy. The contractors who actually pull permits, follow manufacturer installation specs, and stand behind their work are not sitting around waiting for calls. They’re booked.
What that means, practically, is that if you’re hoping to get your project done before Labor Day, waiting until May to start making calls puts you in a tough spot. You either end up rushing to find someone, or you settle for a contractor you’re not totally comfortable with. Neither is a great outcome.
We’ve been doing this since 1977. That’s almost 50 years of watching the local market. Right now it’s tight. We’re not saying that to manufacture urgency. We’re saying it because it’s true, and because we’d rather you hear it from us than figure it out the hard way in June.
Spring Is the Sweet Spot, but It Disappears Fast
There’s a reason contractors love March, April, and early May. The temperatures are mild, the humidity is down, and the conditions for siding installation are about as good as they get in New Jersey.
Siding materials, especially fiber cement, need consistent conditions to install properly. Too hot and you’re fighting expansion. Too cold and adhesion suffers. Spring threads that needle. The seams are tighter, the finish looks better, and everything just goes more smoothly when the weather cooperates.
The catch is that everyone else knows this, too. Our spring schedule fills up earlier every year. Homeowners who reach out now, in February or March, get their pick of timing and colors, and the peace of mind that their project is finished before the humidity of a Jersey summer rolls in. People who call in late April often find themselves facing a July start date, when they’d rather be focused on vacation.
Getting an estimate costs you nothing and takes about an hour. Even if you’re not 100% ready to commit, knowing the number gives you something real to plan around.
Don’t Let the Price Tag on Good Siding Fool You
We get it. Price is a major factor, and fiber cement costs more upfront than vinyl. That’s a real thing, not something we’re going to talk you out of noticing. But here’s what we’ve seen play out over decades of doing this work: cheap siding is rarely cheap over a home’s lifetime.
Vinyl has its place. It’s genuinely the right call for some budgets and some homes. But in New Jersey’s climate, with the freeze-thaw cycles we get every winter, the summer heat, the nor’easters… vinyl takes a beating. It cracks. It warps when sunlight reflects off windows or neighboring surfaces. It fades. And when it goes, you’re paying for labor again.
That’s the piece people don’t always factor in. Installation isn’t free. Paying to install siding twice over 20 years costs a lot more than paying for a better product once.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s actually on the table:
Vinyl Siding: Lowest upfront cost, lowest maintenance hassle in the short term. Fine for the right situation, but it’s important to know its limitations in extreme weather.
Engineered Wood (LP SmartSide): Looks great, holds up better than real wood, and gives your home a natural aesthetic without the rot and pest issues. It does need periodic repainting and maintenance to keep the warranty valid, though not as much as real wood.
James Hardie Fiber Cement: This is what we recommend most often. James Hardie’s HardieZone® system is literally engineered for climates like ours. It doesn’t shrink and swell with temperature changes the way wood does. It won’t melt in a heat wave or crack in a cold snap. It’s fire-resistant, woodpeckers don’t bother with it, and the 30-year warranty is real, not full of asterisks. And the best part: the lifetime cost is lower than vinyl siding. Add in the fact that the ROI when you sell is among the best of any exterior improvement you can make, and you see why we recommend it over other options.
One More Thing: The Color Options Right Now Are Really Good
This isn’t the main reason to do the project, but it’s a nice bonus. Design trends in exterior siding have shifted in a way that works well for the older housing stock seen in Northern Jersey.
The cool gray everything-looks-the-same era is fading. What’s coming in and selling well are warmer tones. Sage greens. Soft taupes. Creamy whites with deeper trim. Two-tone combinations where the body of the house is one color and the trim or accents pull in something a bit bolder.
James Hardie’s ColorPlus® finish is factory-applied and baked on, which means it holds up to UV exposure better than field-painted wood or basic vinyl. Colors like Iron Gray, Boothbay Blue, Arctic White, and Autumn Tan have been popular around Bergen County lately. If you’re not sure where to start, we can show you what different options actually look like on your home before anything gets ordered.
Our Take
Siding doesn’t get the glory of a kitchen remodel. We know that. But after nearly 50 years of working on homes across this region, we can tell you it’s one of the highest-impact things you can do. For your home’s protection, your energy bills, and its value when it’s time to sell, siding is a strong investment.
This spring is a good time to do it. Our crews are still taking on new projects. The conditions will be right. And if your siding has been on your list for a while, there’s no better time to cross it off.
Schedule your free siding consultation with CRS. Come see samples in our showroom, or we’ll come to your home.
