# Fiber Cement Siding Fort Collins | Hardie Board Siding > Fiber cement lap, panel and shingle siding, factory-finished or painted. The material many call Hardie board. $15,000 to $30,000 for a whole house. URL: https://fortcollinssidingcontractors.com/fiber-cement-siding/ # Fiber cement siding in Fort Collins comes in lap, panel and shingle styles Fiber cement is a heavy, stiff board made from cement, sand and wood fiber, and it's one of the main sidings we put on houses at Fort Collins Siding Contractors [/ →](/) . Many people call it Hardie board, which is one maker's name for fiber cement. We install it in lap, vertical panel and shingle styles, either factory-finished or painted after it goes up. Get Your FREE Estimate [#estimate →](#estimate) See the price range [#pricing →](#pricing) - Free estimates - Over 10 years in business - Licensed - Insured ![Two-story house with sage green fiber cement lap siding and white trim under a blue sky](/images/misc/two-story-house-in-fort-collins-with-new-sage-gree.webp) ## What's included in our fiber cement siding - Lap siding - Vertical panel, including a board-and-batten look - Shingle style for gables and accents - Factory-finished or painted - Cut ends and joints sealed ## What is fiber cement siding? Ever searched for siding and run into Hardie board, Hardie plank and James Hardie siding all at once? Those are all one maker’s names for the same material: fiber cement. Here’s the quick version of what fiber cement siding in Fort Collins really is. It’s a board made from cement, sand and wood fiber, pressed and cured into lap boards, panels and shingles. It’s heavy and stiff, so long runs of lap siding stay straight on the wall. That’s a big reason we like it. On this page we just call it fiber cement, because the material is what matters. ## Which fiber cement styles do we install? ### Lap siding Lap siding is the classic look: long horizontal boards, each one overlapping the board below it. Fiber cement lap boards come smooth or with a wood-grain face. They also come in different exposures, which is how much of each board shows. A narrower exposure gives you more lines on the wall, and a wider one gives a cleaner, bolder look. ### Vertical panel and board and batten Vertical panels go up in large sheets. Add battens over the seams and you get a board-and-batten look that suits farmhouse and modern styles. They work well on gables and bump-outs, where a change in direction adds interest without a lot of fuss. ### Shingle siding Fiber cement shingles come in straight or staggered edges. Most people use them on a gable, a dormer or a porch wall to set it apart from the lap siding below. ![Fiber cement lap boards with a sealed butt joint and flashing behind it](/images/content/close-view-of-fiber-cement-lap-boards-with-a-seale.webp) ## Factory-finished or painted? You can get fiber cement factory-finished, with the color put on before it ships. You can also get it primed and paint it after it goes up. Factory-finished boards go up already colored. We touch up the cut ends and nail heads with matching paint. Primed boards give you any color you want, and the whole wall gets painted once the siding is on. | Finish | How it’s done | Good to know | | --- | --- | --- | | Factory-finished | Color applied before install | Touch-up paint on cuts and nails; color choices are set by what’s made | | Primed and painted | Painted after it’s on the wall | Any color you like; painted boards need repainting over time | Warranty terms can tip the decision. James Hardie covers its siding with a 30-year non-prorated limited warranty, and its factory-applied ColorPlus finish carries a 15-year warranty. Ask us for the current paperwork on the exact product you’re considering, since terms vary by line. ## How fiber cement goes on the wall Good fiber cement work is in the details you won’t see once it’s done. Here’s what we do on every wall: - **Wrap the wall first.** Water-resistive barrier goes on before any board. - **Blind nail the lap boards.** Each nail is hidden by the board above it. - **Flash every butt joint.** That’s where two boards meet end to end. - **Seal the cut ends.** Raw edges soak up water if you skip this. - **Leave clearance.** Boards stop short of the roof and the ground so they don’t sit in water. James Hardie’s installation instructions call for about 6 inches above the ground. - **Frame it with trim.** Trim boards go around windows, doors and corners. Those details matter here because Fort Collins freezes at night and thaws by afternoon for a good part of the year. Water that gets into an unsealed cut end or an open joint can freeze and open it further. Cutting fiber cement makes fine silica dust. OSHA’s 2016 silica rule set a limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air over an eight-hour shift, and it lists vacuum dust collection on a handheld saw as an approved way to stay under it when cutting outdoors. We cut with dust control and clean up the work area, so the dust doesn’t end up in your yard or your neighbor’s. ## Where fiber cement fits Fiber cement is a common choice on a full siding replacement [/siding-replacement/ →](/siding-replacement/) . If you’re weighing a lighter wood-based board, see our engineered wood siding [/engineered-wood-siding/ →](/engineered-wood-siding/) page. Northern Colorado sits in what NOAA calls Hail Alley, with peak hail season running May through July. Chipped fiber cement after a storm is handled through our hail damage siding repair [/hail-damage-siding-repair/ →](/hail-damage-siding-repair/) work. Ready to talk through fiber cement siding in Fort Collins for your home or building? Reach out and we’ll look at your walls, go over styles and finishes with you, and give you a straight answer on what makes sense. ## What does fiber cement siding cost? This range covers a whole house, roughly 1,250 to 2,000 square feet of wall, with tear-off and new trim included. ### Fiber cement, whole house $15,000 to $30,000 Get Your FREE Estimate [#estimate →](#estimate) ## How our fiber cement siding works Every job follows the same order, from the estimate form to clean-up. 1. 01 ### Step 1: Send the estimate form Tell us the style you like, lap, panel or shingle, and whether you want factory color or paint. 2. 02 ### Step 2: We look at the house We check the walls, trim and openings, and talk through where each style would go. 3. 03 ### Step 3: You get a written estimate It covers tear-off, wrap, trim, the fiber cement profile you chose and the finish. 4. 04 ### Step 4: Install, seal and clean up Boards go up over a wrapped wall, cut ends and butt joints are sealed and flashed, and the cutting dust is controlled and cleaned up. ## What fiber cement work looks like up close Example photos of the problems and details described on this page. Click any image to see it larger. Vertical panel with a board-and-batten look Shingle style used on a gable Primed boards ready to go up Lap siding finished against trim boards ## Fiber Cement Siding questions ### What is the average cost to install Hardie Board siding? Fiber cement siding, the material many people call Hardie board, typically costs $15,000 to $30,000 for a whole house. That's for roughly 1,250 to 2,000 square feet of wall, with tear-off and new trim included. ### Is Hardie Board siding worth it? Fiber cement is worth it if you want a heavy, straight board that holds paint well and gives a painted wood look, and you're comfortable with one of the higher price ranges. If budget comes first, vinyl or engineered wood may fit better. Hardie board is one maker's name for fiber cement; the material is what matters. ### What are the downsides of fiber cement siding? Fiber cement is heavy, it costs more than most other siding, cutting it makes fine dust that has to be controlled, and painted boards need repainting over time. Cut ends and butt joints have to be sealed and flashed well or water gets in during freeze-thaw weather. Hail can chip it, and chips need touch-up or a new board. ## Related siding services ![Two-story house partway through a re-side, with new lap siding on one wall and old siding on the next](/images/misc/two-story-frame-house-in-fort-collins-partly-re-si.webp) ### Siding Replacement Old siding off, the wall behind it checked and wrapped, new siding on. Learn about replacement [Siding Replacement →](/siding-replacement/) ![Two-story home with engineered wood lap siding painted warm gray and white trim](/images/misc/newer-two-story-fort-collins-home-with-engineered-.webp) ### Engineered Wood Siding Wood-look lap and panel siding made from wood strands and resin. Learn about engineered wood [Engineered Wood Siding →](/engineered-wood-siding/) ![Vinyl siding wall with small hail holes and cracks on a clear morning after a storm](/images/misc/white-vinyl-siding-wall-with-several-small-hail-ho.webp) ### Hail Damage Siding Repair Cracked and holed vinyl, dented panels and chipped fiber cement repaired after a hailstorm. Learn about hail damage [Hail Damage Siding Repair →](/hail-damage-siding-repair/) ## Get Your FREE Estimate Tell us about the house and what you're seeing. We'll look at it and send a written estimate for your fiber cement siding. - Free estimates - Over 10 years in business - Licensed - Insured We take estimate requests through this form only. Add the street address so we can find the house, and a few words about what you see. Thanks, we got your request. We'll reply by email with the next steps for your free estimate.