This guide explains what matching means for siding, what a written siding scope contains, and how to get bids on one scope. It does not say whether a policy pays to replace undamaged siding so it matches. That is a policy question for your policy and your insurer, so read your policy or ask your insurer.
What does “matching” mean for siding?
Matching means whether new siding looks like the old. A consumer page from the Maryland Insurance Administration asks what happens if siding “does not match the existing siding in color due to the age of the material, or the fact that the original siding is no longer available from the manufacturer”. Profile and texture matter too.
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a nonprofit research organization, says siding contributes to a building’s appearance “by adding style, color, and texture” (IBHS). A February 2000 U.S. Forest Service article says of aluminum siding that “the siding’s color will fade or dull with time,” lists vinyl styles including clapboard, beaded, Dutchlap and shiplap, and says vinyl can be made smooth or textured (U.S. Forest Service).
| Part of the look | Question for a contractor |
|---|---|
| Color | What color is the siding on my house now, and what is the closest color you can supply? |
| Profile | What profile is on my house, and is that profile available? |
| Texture | Is the texture of the new siding the same as the old? |
Does the rest of my siding have to match?
This guide cannot say. Whether a policy pays to replace undamaged siding so it matches the new siding is a policy question, and the policy and your insurer decide it. This guide states no outcome. Read your policy or ask your insurer.
The Maryland page says: “You will need to look at your policy to see what it provides in the case of a mismatch.” That page speaks to Maryland. For your house, read your own policy. What a policy says about matching, and what it pays, is for the policy and your insurer to say.
What you can do is look at the siding, keep photos for your own records, and get written bids on the work. The sections below cover those steps.
How can I look at the siding on my house?
Walk around the house and look at each side and at items around it. IBHS says hail can also cause damage to siding, and that spatter marks or impact indentations on other items around the building are good indicators hail has occurred (IBHS). This guide cannot say whether your siding has hail damage.
- Other items. IBHS lists dents in metal flashing and in air conditioner unit fins. It says spatter is not damage, but occurs when hail “knocks oxidation or dirt off of metal surfaces around buildings.”
- Look-alikes. IBHS says you may find “marks made from installation, man-made damage, or natural weathering that are not caused by hail-impacts.”
- The material. The Forest Service article says “Aluminum siding is soft and can be damaged by hailstones or careless placement of ladders.” It is a 2000 article, so ask a contractor about the product on your house.
- Which sides. Which sides of a house show marks is a question for whoever looks at it. Ask each contractor to say which sides they checked and what they saw on each.
- Photos. Take photos of each side, for your own records.
What does a written scope of work for siding contain?
A written siding scope names the work so every contractor prices the same job. It lists square footage for each side of the house, the siding profile and color, trim and corners, house wrap or weather barrier, and removal of the old siding. With one scope, the bids describe the same job.
| Scope line | What it says | Why it helps when you compare bids |
|---|---|---|
| Each side of the house | Square footage for the front, the back, each side and any gables. | A bid that leaves out a side can look lower. The scope shows which sides each bid priced. |
| Profile and color | The siding profile and the color wanted. | Bids can name different products. The scope says which one is being priced. |
| Trim and corners | Corner posts, J-channel, and window and door trim. | These are easy to leave off a bid. |
| House wrap | The weather barrier behind the siding. | A bid can cover the siding only, or the layer behind it too. |
| Removal of the old siding | Whether the old siding comes off, and who hauls it away. The Polymeric Exterior Products Association, a trade association for polymeric exterior building products, writes in its installation tips: “In residing, strapping, or removal of uneven original siding may be necessary” (installation tips). | Tearing off and covering over are different jobs. The scope says which one is priced. |
Only some sides may be damaged, so you can ask contractors to price one side, several sides or the whole house, each as its own option. Whether a policy pays for any option is a policy question this guide does not answer. Our guide to comparing siding bids has a table to fill in for each bid, and our guide to what affects siding replacement cost explains the lines.
How do I get bids on one written scope?
Give every contractor the same written scope and ask for bids in writing. Contractors who receive the scope can submit bids on that same job, so the differences between bids show up in price, product and warranty rather than in what was priced. Compare the bids line by line before you compare the totals.
You can send the same list to each contractor yourself. On Otter Quotes, we create the written scope and send it to contractors, and you compare the bids online. Either way, ask each bid to name the siding product, profile and color, and to say what it does where new siding meets old.
What can I ask a siding contractor about color match and discontinued products?
Ask each contractor, in writing, what siding is on your house, whether that product is still made, and what the closest available color and profile are. Ask everyone the same questions so you can line up the answers. These questions are for contractors. Questions about your policy go to your insurer.
Questions to copy:
- What brand, product line, color and profile is on my house now, and how did you identify it?
- Is that product still made? If not, what is the closest available, and how does it differ?
- Can you show me a sample of the new siding next to the old siding, outdoors in daylight?
- Does the bid price the damaged sides alone, and the whole house, as separate options?
- Where does new siding meet old siding on my house, and why there?
- If the new siding looks different from the old after installation, what do you do about it, in writing?
- Are trim, corners, house wrap and removal of the old siding in the price?
- What does the manufacturer warranty say, and what does your workmanship warranty say? Can I read both in writing?
Where Otter Quotes fits
Otter Quotes creates a written scope of work for your project and sends it to multiple contractors. Contractors who receive the scope can submit bids on that same scope and the same measurements. You compare the bids online, next to reviews and licensing information, and sign online without a salesperson in your home. Subcontractors bid too, so you may be able to work directly with the crew that does the work. We do not work with your insurance company. We are not a contractor, we do not sell upgrades, and we do not offer inspections or assessments. Contractors pay Otter Quotes a fee on the accepted bid.
Frequently asked questions
Does the rest of my siding have to match the new siding?
This guide cannot say. Whether a policy pays to replace undamaged siding so it matches the new siding is a policy question, and the policy and your insurer decide it. This guide states no outcome. Read your policy or ask your insurer.
What does matching mean for siding?
Matching means whether new siding looks like the siding already on the house. The Maryland Insurance Administration's consumer page on siding damage names two reasons siding may not match in color: the age of the material, and the original siding no longer being available from the manufacturer. Profile and texture are other parts of the look.
How do I get bids on hail-damaged siding?
Give every contractor the same written scope: square footage for each side of the house, profile, color, trim, house wrap and removal of the old siding. Contractors who receive the scope can submit bids on that same job. Otter Quotes creates a written scope and sends it to contractors, who bid online.
What should I ask a siding contractor about color match?
Ask what siding is on your house now, whether that product is still made, and what the closest available color and profile are. Ask to see a sample next to the old siding in daylight, and ask how the bid handles any difference in look. Ask every contractor the same questions in writing.
Does Otter Quotes work with my insurance company?
No. We do not work with your insurance company, we do not offer inspections or assessments, and we are not a contractor. Otter Quotes creates a written scope of work for your project and sends it to multiple contractors, who can submit bids on that same scope. Questions about your policy go to your insurer.
Sources
- Maryland Insurance Administration, “Siding Damage” consumer page, as read in October 2026: siding that does not match in color, and the sentence about your policy.
- Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, “Is It Hail Damage?” brochure: hail can damage siding; marks on other items; spatter; look-alike marks.
- Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, “Pilot Study: Hail Impact Testing of Building Cladding”: cladding, commonly called siding, adds style, color and texture.
- U.S. Forest Service, Technology & Development Center, “Overview of Siding Materials for Forest Service Facilities,” February 2000: aluminum color fades, aluminum is soft, vinyl styles and textures.
- Polymeric Exterior Products Association, “Vinyl Siding Installation Tips & Tricks”: removal of uneven original siding in residing.