Cedar and James Hardie can both work well on a Western Washington home, but I would not choose between them based only on appearance. I want to know how much maintenance the homeowner is willing to do, how exposed the house is to moisture, and what condition the wall is in behind the existing siding. If water is already getting into the assembly, changing the siding material without fixing that problem will not solve it.
I’m Mark Kovalevich, co-founder of GotRot and a third-generation carpenter. We repair siding, framing, and moisture-related exterior damage throughout Greater Seattle, and I usually recommend James Hardie fiber cement when a homeowner wants less maintenance and better resistance to decay. Cedar still has something manufactured siding cannot fully reproduce because it is real wood with natural grain and variation. If that appearance matters enough to justify the additional upkeep, cedar can still be the right choice.
Siding is only one part of the exterior wall. The wall still depends on proper flashing, drainage, and a weather-resistive barrier to move water back outside. Hardie does not rot like wood, but the sheathing, framing, and trim behind it still can. Cedar has natural decay resistance, but persistent moisture will eventually damage it too. If the wall cannot drain and dry, neither material fixes the underlying problem.
This is why we do not install new siding over a wall without understanding why the old siding failed. If we remove cedar and find damaged sheathing or framing, those materials need to be repaired before the exterior is closed again. One soft board does not automatically mean the whole house needs new siding, but replacing only what is visible can also miss damage that extends farther into the wall.
The main reason homeowners choose cedar is the appearance. Western red cedar can be painted, stained, or allowed to weather, and no two boards look exactly the same. That natural variation is difficult to reproduce with manufactured siding.
The tradeoff is maintenance. Cedar is still wood, so finish condition, exposed cuts, joints, and areas around windows and doors need attention. Real Cedar gives roughly three to six years as an approximate reapplication range for properly applied solvent-borne, oil-based semi-transparent stains, but exposure varies enough that I would rather inspect the siding regularly than rely on a fixed schedule. At GotRot, we recommend checking cedar every year for finish deterioration, soft spots, or recurring moisture. That does not mean refinishing the entire house annually. It means catching problems before they become larger repairs.
If somebody tells me they love real cedar and are comfortable maintaining it, I have no problem with cedar. If they want an exterior that requires less ongoing attention, I start talking about fiber cement. We break down the differences in more detail, including appearance, maintenance, pricing, and installation considerations, in our full guide to cedar siding versus Hardie board.
James Hardie fiber cement is usually the direction we prefer in Western Washington because the material does not decay the way wood does. It still needs proper installation, cleaning, and finish care. James Hardie recommends cleaning the siding every six to twelve months with a low-pressure garden hose and a soft, nonmetal brush rather than aggressive pressure washing.
Finish matters too. ColorPlus products come with a factory-applied finish, while primed Hardie needs painting after installation. GotRot installs the siding, but painting is handled by a separate specialist, so that responsibility should be clear before the project begins. If a Hardie board cracks, I would rather replace the damaged section and find out why it failed than cover the crack with caulk and move on.
The same principle applies to both materials. Fastening matters, clearances matter, flashing around windows and doors matters, and roof-to-wall connections matter. If those details are wrong, changing the siding product does not correct the wall.
In our recent Greater Seattle quotes, fiber cement has been around $18 per square foot, while cedar has been around $21 per square foot. On 1,000 square feet of siding, that is roughly a $3,000 difference before other project costs are added. These are reference numbers, not fixed rates. Access, siding profile, removal, trim, and concealed damage can all change the final price.
The bigger mistake is comparing two estimates by the total alone. One contractor may quote only siding removal and installation, while another includes more trim work, flashing, wall repairs, or other parts of the scope. Painting may also be separate. I would want every proposal to explain what happens if the crew removes the siding and finds rot underneath, how that work will be documented, and how any additional cost will be approved.
We start with a free estimate based on visible and accessible conditions. If we need to cut into the exterior to see concealed sheathing or framing, GotRot currently charges $950 for that destructive inspection. The point is not to assume that every small area of rot hides major structural damage. The point is to stop guessing when the wall itself is not visible.
We also use clarification meetings before construction so the homeowner understands the proposed materials and responsibilities before the crew arrives. Approximately a week before the start date, the project manager meets with the homeowner and then becomes the primary contact through completion. That communication matters on siding repairs because the scope can change after the exterior is opened.
A Woodinville project for Michelle is a good example of why I do not treat cedar versus Hardie as a simple either-or decision. She called because of an active leak near the chimney and soft siding. Once the affected area was opened, we found about 12 soaked siding boards, rotted sheathing, damaged joists, and around four affected framing members. The water was getting in because of inadequate flashing around the chimney and exterior assembly.
We removed the damaged siding, sheathing, and framing, rebuilt the affected areas, and corrected the flashing and weather protection. The finish work used both cedar and Hardie lap siding because each material matched a different part of the existing exterior. The project ran from February 10 through February 20, 2026, and the final cost was $26,820.16. That number should not be treated as a standard siding price because the project also included structural repairs and leak correction.
That project shows how I think about siding in general. The material matters, but the water path comes first. Cedar can be the right choice when the homeowner values natural wood and accepts the maintenance. Hardie usually makes more sense when lower maintenance and resistance to decay are higher priorities. Neither is a good choice if the wall behind it is still wet.
Homeowners comparing cedar, fiber cement, or repairs involving concealed moisture damage can see more of our exterior repair work at GotRot.
The Stone Magazine (TSM): Mark, which material do you usually recommend in Western Washington?
Mark Kovalevich (MK): Usually Hardie. It does not decay like wood, and most homeowners like having less maintenance. Cedar still makes sense if somebody really wants natural wood and understands what comes with taking care of it.
TSM: Is Hardie actually cheaper than cedar right now?
MK: In our recent quotes, yes. We have been around $18 per square foot for fiber cement and around $21 for cedar. That is only a reference because the real project price depends on the house and what we find behind the siding.
TSM: What usually changes the scope once the old siding comes off?
MK: Sheathing and framing damage. If water has been getting behind the siding, you may find more than what was visible from outside. We repair that before we put new siding over it.
TSM: Can homeowners tell in advance whether the damage is deeper?
MK: Sometimes there are clues, like soft siding, visible deterioration, or moisture showing up inside. Other times, you cannot know until the wall is opened. That is when we do the separate inspection.
TSM: Why not just replace one rotten cedar board?
MK: You can if the damage is truly limited to that board and the moisture source is fixed. The problem is replacing the visible board without checking whether the water reached the sheathing or framing behind it.
TSM: How much maintenance does cedar realistically need?
MK: I would inspect it every year. The finish schedule depends on exposure and what kind of coating is on it. You do not necessarily need to refinish the whole house every year, but you should catch deterioration early.
TSM: Is Hardie maintenance-free?
MK: No. It still needs cleaning and finish care. It just does not rot the way cedar does.
TSM: What should homeowners compare when they have two siding quotes?
MK: The scope. Find out what is included, who is painting, what happens if they uncover rot, and how flashing and wall repairs are handled. The lowest number does not tell you much if the scopes are different.
TSM: What matters most before choosing cedar or Hardie?
MK: The condition of the wall. I want to know whether the wall is dry and whether the water-management details are working before we cover it with anything new.
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