How much does 18 squares of siding cost in Helena, MT?
| Typical total$755 per square | $13,593 |
|---|---|
| Range you should see in bidsthree bids on the same scope normally land inside this | $6,796 – $27,185 |
| Labor portion55% of the job — this is the part that moves by city | $7,476 |
| Material portion45% — bought at national prices | $6,117 |
| Carpenters pay near Helenaabout $28/hr · Helena, MT metro | $58,940/yr |
| U.S. mean for the same tradeSOC 47-2031 | $65,630/yr |
| Versus the national pricetrade pay here runs −10.2% against the U.S. mean | −$807 |
Notes
- Where the number comes from. The national price for a siding replacement is $800 per square — installed siding pricing published for 2026, $4–$16 per ft² depending on material. Labor is about 55% of that. Carpenters near Helena, MT average $58,940 a year against a U.S. mean of $65,630 — a factor of 0.898 — so the labor half is scaled by that and the material half is not. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the Helena, MT metro area, SOC 47-2031.
- Why the city matters, not just the state. Trade pay moves inside a state as much as it does between states. Crews do not commute across a state to bid a job, and materials ship at national prices either way — so a metro wage is the honest input here and a state average quietly rounds four different cities into one number.
- What is in the price: tear-off of one layer, house wrap, the siding, J-channel and corner posts, fasteners, disposal and labor.
- What is not: sheathing replacement found once the old siding is off, insulation added behind the new siding, window and door trim replacement, and permits. These are the lines that turn a $13,593 quote into a $16,991 invoice, so ask about each one before signing.
- Use this as a bid check, not a quote. It prices an average job in average condition. Difficult access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a per-unit average.
a siding replacement in Helena, MT
$13,593 is the typical number, and three bids on the same scope normally land between $6,796 and $27,185.
That is $807 less than the same job priced at the national average.
Why the city changes the number
About 55% of this job is labor — $7,476 of the $13,593 above. Labor is the only part that moves locally; a bundle of material costs what it costs wherever it is nailed down.
Carpenters near Helena average $58,940 a year, against a U.S. mean of $65,630. That is a factor of 0.898, so the labor half is scaled by it and the material half is not.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the Helena, MT metro area, SOC 47-2031.
What the quote should include
The lines that turn a quote into an invoice
Ask about each of them before you sign. On a job this size they are the difference between $13,593 and something a quarter higher.
Use it as a bid check, not a quote
This prices an average job in average condition. Access, the state of what is being replaced, the season, and a crew booked out three months all move the real number, and none of them are in a national average.
If a bid lands outside $6,796 – $27,185, that is not automatically wrong — but it is the question worth asking out loud.
Nearby sizes
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