How much should it cost to put vinyl siding on a 1500 sq ft cape?

Question:I am considering putting vinyl siding on myself but would hire someone if the markup was not much more. How much do you think it will cost me to put an average grade vinyl siding on my house in materials if i did it myself, and how much would i expect to pay if i hired someone to do it?

Answers:
Doing it yourself is not that difficult. It's having the right tools to do the job. The cost to have it installed varies with geographic area and per capita income .

The vinyl siding today, costs about $6.00 to &7.00 per square foot to buy. Add to that all of the support pieces, like J channel, starter strips, corners, soffit and facias, etc.

The main tools you will need are, shears, hammer of course, level, chaulk line, roofing nails, ladders, standoff brackets, walk plank and brackets, electric saw and drill, pop rivet and rivets, tape measure and more that I can't think of right now.

Of course, the biggest item is the break,(brake) to bend and form the PVC coated aluminum facias and soffit corners. Most reliable supply stores have a break that you can use in the store, or, you may be able to rent one. If you decide to do it yourself and have solved the tool problem, buy a roll of cheap aluminum flashing to use to practise bending different shapes. That way, you won't be wasting money ruining expensive coil stock. (PVC trimcoil)

A general rule of thumb on the cost of a contractor is four or five times the cost of materials. And, that depends on the size of the contracting company. The bigger the company, the higher the cost due to added overhead. Selecting an individual that works with a small crew, can save you big bucks.

As a former vinyl siding contractor, I try to discourage DIY. Not because I needed the business, which I didn't, but simply because the more experience you have, the better the job will look. Keep in mind that vinyl siding is like a woman dressing for a Presidents Ball. She would rather have her makeup put on by an expert rather than be embarrased. Vinyl siding is a dress, hung on an old hag.