Troy, Royal Oak, Rochester Hills, Novi and the rest of Oakland County
One free call connects you with an independent siding contractor that works in your part of Oakland County, so a local pro can look at the walls, explain your options and give you a written estimate.
Oakland County Siding Pros is a referral service, not a siding contractor. Your call goes to an independent local company. How it works.
A siding contractor in Oakland County, MI replaces worn-out aluminum, vinyl and wood siding, repairs cracked, loose and storm-damaged panels, and installs new vinyl, insulated vinyl and fiber cement on homes from Ferndale to Lake Orion. Most jobs here come from three things: old aluminum siding on 1950s to 1970s houses, vinyl that has cracked or faded after 20-plus Michigan winters, and wind and hail from summer storms.
Oakland County sits just north of Detroit, from the inner-ring suburbs along Eight Mile Road out to the lake towns past Waterford and the farm roads around Oxford and Holly. It’s more than 900 square miles and well over a million people, and a huge share of its houses went up during the postwar building boom. Drive the side streets off Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak or Berkley, or the subdivisions off Big Beaver in Troy, and you’ll see the same thing on house after house: aluminum siding from the 1960s, or the first generation of vinyl that went over it in the 1980s and 1990s.
Michigan weather is what finally wears it out. Winters bring weeks below freezing and dozens of freeze-thaw cycles, when water that seeped behind a loose panel or into a crack freezes, expands and pushes things further apart. Cold vinyl gets brittle and cracks when it’s hit by a snow shovel, a ball or a chunk of ice. Summers bring thunderstorms with straight-line winds and the occasional hailstorm that dents aluminum and punches holes in vinyl. Call a siding contractor if you see cracked, loose or missing pieces, chalky or badly faded color, wavy or buckled panels, soft spots or rot around windows, or stains on the inside of exterior walls. Siding is your home’s raincoat; once water gets behind it, the sheathing and framing are next.
Siding services across Oakland County
Each service has its own guide with what to look for before the contractor comes out.
Tearing off old aluminum, wood or tired vinyl and putting on new siding, house wrap, trim and flashing. For most Oakland County homes this is the job that adds the most curb appeal and fixes the drafts and leaks at the same time.
Siding replacement
Cracked, loose, holed and blown-off panels, damaged trim and corner posts, and gaps around windows and doors. Here’s when a repair is enough and how a contractor matches older siding.
Siding repairStandard, thick and insulated vinyl: what changes with the price, and how each handles a Michigan winter.
Vinyl sidingJames Hardie and other fiber cement: heavier, tougher, paint-ready, and the one many Birmingham and Bloomfield owners choose.
Fiber cement sidingPanels torn off by wind, hail holes and dents, tree damage, and how to document all of it for your insurance claim before anyone starts tearing off.
Storm damage siding repairUse the siding checker below, or call and describe what you see. A contractor can tell you whether it’s a repair or a replacement after one visit.
Check your sidingSiding checker
Siding usually shows trouble long before water reaches the inside walls. Match what you see to the likely cause.
Tap everything you’ve noticed and the checker points you to the guide that fits best. It’s a starting point, not an inspection. A walk around the house on a dry day, plus a look at any second-story walls with binoculars, tells you most of what you need.
| What you notice | What it usually means | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| White chalk on your hand when you rub the siding | Aluminum siding whose factory finish has worn away | Siding replacement |
| A few cracked or holed panels | Impact damage on cold, brittle vinyl | Siding repair |
| Panels missing after a windstorm | Panels unlocked from the course below; nails may be loose | Storm damage siding |
| Wavy, rippled panels on a sunny wall | Vinyl nailed too tight, or heat from a grill or reflected sunlight | Vinyl siding |
| Green film on the north side | Algae and mildew in shade and moisture | Gentle cleaning first |
| Peeling paint or stains on interior walls | Water getting behind the siding at windows or trim | Siding replacement |
Materials
A quick comparison of what goes on most Oakland County homes.
Most re-siding jobs in Oakland County come down to a handful of materials. Each one handles Michigan weather differently, and the right pick depends on your house, your budget and how long you plan to stay.
| Material | How it handles Michigan weather | Upkeep | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard vinyl | Fine in heat and cold, but thinner panels get brittle below freezing and can crack on impact | Wash once a year | Budget-friendly re-siding, rentals, garages |
| Thick / premium vinyl | Stiffer panels stay straighter and resist dents and wind better | Wash once a year | Most family homes in Troy, Southfield, Farmington Hills |
| Insulated vinyl | Foam backer adds stiffness and a modest boost to wall insulation | Wash once a year | Drafty 1950s–70s homes with little wall insulation |
| Fiber cement (e.g. James Hardie) | Doesn’t melt, burn or get brittle in cold; heavy and very rigid | Repaint every 10–15 years | Birmingham, Bloomfield, newer custom homes |
| Engineered wood (e.g. LP SmartSide) | Real-wood look, lighter than fiber cement; edges must stay sealed | Paint and caulk upkeep | Craftsman and cottage styles |
| Aluminum | Doesn’t crack, but dents easily and the finish chalks and fades | Repaint once it chalks | Matching an existing aluminum house |
| Cedar | Beautiful, but needs paint or stain to resist moisture and woodpeckers | Most maintenance | Historic homes and accents |
Grays, blues and soft whites dominate the newer subdivisions, while darker colors have come back on updated ranches and colonials. Darker vinyl absorbs more heat, so ask for a product rated for dark colors if you go that way.
Colors shown are generic examples, not a specific manufacturer’s palette. Ask the contractor for real samples and look at them on your own wall in morning and afternoon light.
Michigan weather
The same few forces wear out siding on nearly every house in the county.
Southeast Michigan sees freezing temperatures for a long stretch of every winter, and the temperature swings above and below freezing many times. Each swing works on the weak spots: water in a cracked panel or behind loose trim freezes, expands and opens the gap a little more. Ice dams at the roof edge send meltwater down behind the top courses of siding. By spring, a small problem from October can be wet sheathing.
Lines of thunderstorms cross Oakland County every summer, and some bring damaging straight-line winds. Siding usually fails from the corners and edges first, where the wind gets under a panel and unlocks it from the course below. Once one piece goes, the next ones follow. Hail is less common than in the Plains, but when it comes it dents aluminum siding and gutters and can crack or puncture vinyl, especially on the side facing the storm.
South- and west-facing walls fade fastest. Meanwhile the north side of many houses, under big maples and oaks, stays damp and grows a green film of algae and mildew. And vinyl softens in heat: a grill parked too close, or sunlight reflected off a neighbor’s energy-efficient window, can warp or even melt a panel.
Not sure if that last storm did damage? Read the storm damage siding guide before you call your insurance company.
The in-depth guide
Knowing the layers behind your siding makes any estimate easier to understand.
Siding is only the outer layer of a wall system. From the inside out, a typical Oakland County house has wall studs, a layer of sheathing (plywood, OSB or, on older homes, fiberboard or wood boards), a water-resistive barrier such as house wrap or felt, and then the siding. Around every window and door, flashing and J-channel trim direct water out and away. At the bottom, a starter strip locks the first course in place; at the corners, corner posts hide the panel ends.
Vinyl and aluminum siding aren’t waterproof on their own. They shed most rain, but some water always gets behind them, and the house wrap and flashing are what keep it out of the wall. That’s why a re-siding job that skips new wrap and window flashing can look great and still leak.
Loose and unlocked panels. Vinyl hangs loosely on its nails so it can expand and contract. If it was nailed too tight, it buckles in summer; too loose or with too few nails, it blows off. See siding repair.
Cracks and holes. Cold vinyl cracks on impact. Woodpeckers, mice and carpenter bees go after wood siding and the soft spots behind it.
Water behind the siding. Missing kick-out flashing where a roof meets a wall, failed window flashing and clogged gutters send water behind the panels, where it rots sheathing and sills.
Worn finish. Aluminum chalks, vinyl fades and wood paint peels. At some point, refinishing isn’t worth it.
A handful of damaged panels on siding that’s otherwise in good shape is a repair, if a match can be found. Replacement makes sense when siding is past 25 to 30 years, the color is badly faded or chalking, damage is spread around the house, there’s rot or water damage behind it, or you’re fighting drafts and high heating bills. The siding replacement guide walks through the decision.
Before you hire
A few minutes of homework protects you from the most common siding problems.
After big storms, out-of-town crews knock on doors across Metro Detroit. Be careful with anyone who can’t show a Michigan license, a local address and proof of insurance, or who pushes you to sign today.
How it works
The first step is simple, so a qualified local contractor can see the house quickly.
Tell us what’s wrong with the siding, where the house is and whether water is getting in. The call to (248) 487-6220 is free.
Your call goes to an independent siding contractor that serves your part of Oakland County, when one is available.
They walk the house, check for soft spots and water behind the siding, show you samples and give you a written estimate.
Nothing happens until you say yes. The contractor does the work and stands behind its own materials and labor.
Cost & estimates
Every house is different, but the same factors raise or lower every siding estimate.
Siding is priced by the “square”, which is 100 square feet of wall, plus trim, labor and disposal. Because every house is different, be wary of any firm price given over the phone. A careful contractor measures the house, checks the sheathing in a few spots and writes up exactly what’s included: tear-off, wrap, flashing, trim, soffit and fascia, and cleanup.
Two estimates for the same house can look far apart for good reasons. One may include new house wrap, window flashing and aluminum trim wrap around every window; the other may side right over the old wrap. One may quote insulated vinyl, the other standard. Lay them side by side and compare line by line before you compare totals.
Re-siding is the easiest time to replace soffit, fascia and gutters, and to fix window flashing. Doing it all at once avoids paying for a second setup later.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| House size and stories | More squares and taller walls mean more material, labor and staging. |
| Material | Standard vinyl, insulated vinyl, fiber cement and engineered wood price very differently. |
| Tear-off | Removing old aluminum or wood adds labor and disposal. |
| Sheathing repairs | Rotted or missing sheathing found during tear-off has to be fixed. |
| Windows and doors | Each opening needs flashing and trim; more openings mean more work. |
| Trim, soffit, fascia | Wrapping trim and replacing soffit and fascia add to the scope. |
| Access | Tight lot lines, decks and landscaping slow the job. |
Know your house
The age and style of your house say a lot about what’s behind the siding.
| Home type | Where you find it | Siding issues to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s–1950s bungalows and Cape Cods | Royal Oak, Ferndale, Berkley, Hazel Park, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge | Old wood siding under aluminum, little wall insulation, rot at sills |
| 1950s–1970s brick ranches and colonials | Southfield, Troy, Madison Heights, Farmington Hills, Waterford | Aluminum on upper floors and gables, chalking and dents |
| 1980s–1990s subdivisions | Troy, Rochester Hills, West Bloomfield, Novi | First-generation vinyl, faded and brittle, loose at corners |
| 2000s and newer builds | Novi, Rochester Hills, South Lyon, Lake Orion | Builder-grade vinyl, waviness, HOA color rules |
| Custom and luxury homes | Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Franklin | Fiber cement, cedar and stone accents, precise detailing |
| Lake cottages and year-round lake homes | Waterford, White Lake, Keego Harbor, Highland | Wind off the water, moisture, mixed old and new materials |
Oakland County covers a lot of ground. There’s the walkable downtown in Birmingham and the Woodward Dream Cruise rumbling past every August; the Somerset Collection and the office towers along Big Beaver in Troy; Oakland University in Rochester Hills; Twelve Oaks in Novi; the Detroit Zoo at the edge of Royal Oak; Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills; and hundreds of lakes from Waterford and White Lake up to Lake Orion. Under all of it are houses built in every decade of the last hundred years, and each era came with its own siding. A contractor who works here knows what’s likely under the aluminum on a 1958 ranch before the first panel comes off.
Service area
Each city has its own housing stock, and its own most common siding problems.
Colonials and ranches from the 1960s through the 1990s, many on their second round of siding. See siding contractors in Troy.
Larger subdivision homes, HOA color rules and lots of first-generation vinyl. Read about siding in Rochester Hills.
Postwar brick ranches with aluminum gables and trim. Visit Southfield siding.
Bungalows and Cape Cods with old wood siding under aluminum or vinyl. See Royal Oak siding contractors.
1990s and 2000s builds with builder-grade vinyl and HOA approvals. Read siding in Novi.
Older homes, new builds and luxury exteriors with fiber cement and cedar. See Birmingham siding.
Mid-century homes and condo communities with aging aluminum and vinyl. Visit Farmington Hills siding.
Lake homes, cottages and ranches exposed to wind off the water. Read Waterford siding.
Ferndale, Berkley, Clawson, Madison Heights, Auburn Hills, Pontiac, Lake Orion, Clarkston, Oxford, Milford, Wixom and more can call too. Contact details.
Transparency
Clear about who we are, and what to check before anyone takes off a single panel.
Oakland County Siding Pros is a referral service, not a siding contractor. When you call, we connect you with an independent siding contractor that serves your area. That company inspects the house, gives you an estimate, does the work and stands behind it. The call is free and you’re never obligated to hire anyone. We may be paid by participating companies for referrals.
Because the contractor is a separate business, check them the way you’d check anyone working on your home: a Michigan license, proof of liability and workers’ compensation insurance, references from nearby jobs, and a written contract that lists the materials and the scope. Our about page explains how the referral works.
Before and after
A little attention between Michigan winters catches most problems while they’re small.
Planning a full replacement? Have a rough idea of the color and material you like. If you’re in an HOA, check its exterior rules first.
FAQ
Look for a Michigan license, proof of insurance, a local address, photos of recent jobs nearby and a written estimate that lists materials, wrap, flashing and trim. Calling us connects you with an independent local contractor; you can still ask all of these questions before you hire.
The best siding company for you is one that’s licensed and insured, explains what’s behind your old siding, puts the scope in writing and stands behind the work. We don’t rank companies; we connect you with an independent local contractor, and you’re always free to compare.
Quality vinyl often lasts 25 to 40 years, fiber cement 40 years or more with repainting, and aluminum can last decades but chalks and fades. Freeze-thaw, sun exposure and how well it was installed make a big difference.
For many 1950s–70s Oakland County homes, yes. New vinyl or insulated vinyl won’t chalk, doesn’t need paint, and replacing it is a chance to add new house wrap, flashing and insulation. Fiber cement is another option if you want a heavier, paintable siding.
Sometimes it can, but most contractors recommend tearing off so they can inspect the sheathing, fix rot, and install new wrap and flashing. Covering old siding can hide water damage.
Many policies cover sudden wind and hail damage, minus your deductible. They usually don’t cover wear and age. Matching discontinued siding is handled differently by different insurers, so ask your agent.
Many communities in the county require a building permit for re-siding. Requirements vary by city and township, so ask your contractor to check with your local building department and pull the permit.
It can be on older homes with little insulation in the walls. The foam backer makes the panels stiffer and straighter and adds some insulation. How much you save on heating depends on the rest of the house.
Spring through fall is easiest, but vinyl can be installed in cold weather by an experienced crew that knows how to handle cold panels. Schedules fill up after storms and in late summer, so plan ahead.
No. The referral call is free and there’s no obligation. Any inspection, estimate and work are offered and priced by the independent siding contractor you’re connected with.
Talk to a local siding contractor
One free call connects you with an independent siding contractor that serves Oakland County, Michigan.
How the referral works