How much does 18 squares of siding cost in San Diego, CA?
| Typical total$878 per square | $15,801 |
|---|---|
| Range you should see in bidsthree bids on the same scope normally land inside this | $7,901 – $31,602 |
| Labor portion55% of the job — this is the part that moves by city | $8,691 |
| Material portion45% — bought at national prices | $7,110 |
| Carpenters pay near San Diegoabout $37/hr · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro | $77,240/yr |
| U.S. mean for the same tradeSOC 47-2031 | $65,630/yr |
| Versus the national pricetrade pay here runs +17.7% against the U.S. mean | +$1,401 |
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 San Diego, CA average $77,240 a year against a U.S. mean of $65,630 — a factor of 1.177 — so the labor half is scaled by that and the material half is not. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 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 $15,801 quote into a $19,751 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 San Diego, CA
$15,801 is the typical number, and three bids on the same scope normally land between $7,901 and $31,602.
That is $1,401 more than the same job priced at the national average.
Why the city changes the number
About 55% of this job is labor — $8,691 of the $15,801 above. Labor is the only part that moves locally; a bundle of material costs what it costs wherever it is nailed down.
Carpenters near San Diego average $77,240 a year, against a U.S. mean of $65,630. That is a factor of 1.177, so the labor half is scaled by it and the material half is not.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 for the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 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 $15,801 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 $7,901 – $31,602, that is not automatically wrong — but it is the question worth asking out loud.
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