Hardie Board vs Vinyl Siding Question

Charlotte, North Carolina
Land & New Construction
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Hardie Board vs Vinyl Siding Question

Alex Smith
Member since 2018 · 16 posts · 9 votes

Hi all,

We are looking to build a couple ground up construction single family houses near Charlotte NC. The goal is to immediately sale the house once completed.

The house is 2,000 SqFt and comes with Vinyl. I can upgrade it to Hardie board for $15K.

The price point to sell the house is right at $350,000.

What are your thoughts on the ROI of adding the 15K to upgrade vinyl to Hardie?

It is in a rural area where there are not any comps of new construction sold without 5 years.

Thanks

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Chris SeveneyBusiness Member
Moderator
Investor · VA · Member since 2015 · 21k+ posts · 19k+ votes
2mo

2,000 sf house at That price point and rural I would go with vinyl siding. If it were $500k or more I would go hardi but if this is more entry level / middle of road home go with vinyl. 

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  • Chris SeveneyBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Investor · VA · Member since 2015 · 21k+ posts · 19k+ votes
    2mo

    2,000 sf house at That price point and rural I would go with vinyl siding. If it were $500k or more I would go hardi but if this is more entry level / middle of road home go with vinyl. 

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  • Kim Torres
    Lender · Member since 2025 · 13 posts · 8 votes
    2mo

    Hi Alex, I'd stick with vinyl here. At 350K in a rural market with no new construction comps in 5+ years, there's no evidence buyers or appraisers in your area are paying a premium for Hardie. A 15K upgrade only pencils out if it either shows up in the appraisal or clearly accelerates the sale and without comps that's not the case here. Save the hardie spend for a market where it's already the local standard or where you've got comps showing it moves price. 

    1Reply
  • Jules Aton
    MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    2mo

    Love my Hardie siding but wouldn't put it on a property unless in an upscale neighborhood. 

    2Reply
  • Alex Smith
    OP
    Member since 2018 · 16 posts · 9 votes
    2mo

    Thank you very much, you all have been very helpful!

    1Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    2mo

    Yep...I agree. As wonderful as Hardie is, your scenario just does not justify it. If it were your own home, sure.

    Or if you felt you could recoup the cost (?) then absolutely yes. Could you just add $15k to the price and justify it in the listing description? A lot of people would pay the extra. it ain't that much...I would for sure.

    Actually maybe make a few bucks on it, raise the price by $30k.....? Just a thought.

    0Reply
  • Salla Sandeep
    Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2021 · 3 posts · 2 votes
    2mo

    I would strongly recommend checking the comps in this area. What are other developers doing? Are they selling houses for $350K with vinyl siding? If so, vinyl is probably the way to go.

    If other developers are installing James Hardie siding, what price point are those homes selling at?

    If you need any help with your projects, feel free to DM me. I’m a licensed General Contractor working in Charlotte, NC, and the surrounding areas.

    0Reply
  • Jonathan KlemmBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Contractor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2mo

    Hey There @Alex Smith - This mainly depends on the condition of the current siding and what the comps are showing you at $350k?

    Here in Chicago, if you are close to another building, they won't let you replace it with vinyl and will require Hardie board or a non-combustible material.

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  • Alex Smith
    OP
    Member since 2018 · 16 posts · 9 votes
    2mo

    Thank you very much 

    0Reply
  • RUI LIANG
    Contractor · Dallas, TX · Member since 2026 · 13 posts · 6 votes
    2mo
    i would ask the local agent and appraiser before spending it. if nearby buyers do not pay for hardie the upgrade may just be nicer inventory.
    0Reply
  • Crystal SmithPro Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    2mo
    Quote from @Alex Smith:

    Hi all,

    We are looking to build a couple ground up construction single family houses near Charlotte NC. The goal is to immediately sale the house once completed.

    The house is 2,000 SqFt and comes with Vinyl. I can upgrade it to Hardie board for $15K.

    The price point to sell the house is right at $350,000.

    What are your thoughts on the ROI of adding the 15K to upgrade vinyl to Hardie?

    It is in a rural area where there are not any comps of new construction sold without 5 years.

    Thanks

    My thoughts- The local market will tell you what to do. Run the comparables to see what the difference is selling with Vinyl versus hardiboard. Also do not forget to include what the difference in days on market when comparing the 2 strategies.

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  • Jeremy England
    Contractor · Pensacola, FL · Member since 2017 · 322 posts · 157 votes
    2w

    I'll offer what I've experienced. I built a duplex with vinyl siding that appraised at 400k. 18 months later built the same duplex with hardi that appraised at 430k.

    So 12k more in cost got me 30k more in appraised value.

    I sold the first one and refinanced the second one so the appraised value was important on that one. I also had someone offer 420k to buy it off market. But I kept it so we'll see.

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