Vinyl siding cost in Duluth, MN

Climate in Duluth: timing your vinyl siding job

We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Duluth (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.

April through October is the stretch where exterior installation runs into the fewest weather problems in Duluth (7 of 12 months). January, February, March, November and December have an average daytime high under 45°F.

In January, February, March, November and December the average high stays below 45°F. Sealants, adhesives and some materials, such as vinyl, are harder to install well in the cold, and short daylight cuts the working day.

Duluth gets about 31 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 90 inches of snow. The wettest months are June, July and August (4.4 inches in June). Inside the workable window, April and October are the driest, at 2.5 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 2 days a year at 90°F or above.

Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.

Is Duluth cheap or dear? The local comparison

Of the five closest metros, 4 are cheaper than Duluth. Wausau is the lowest at about $15,900 (midpoint, 2,100 sq ft of wall), 210 miles away.

Across 300 US metros, Duluth comes in at #63 from the top. The priciest is Honolulu, HI at $22,700; the cheapest is Brownsville, TX at $13,500 (midpoints, 2,100 sq ft of wall). Statewide, Duluth is 3% below the Minnesota figure.

Other Minnesota metros

Cities with a workforce like Duluth's

Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Duluth against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.

Why two Duluth quotes can differ

• Wall area is not floor area

  A 2,000 sq ft house usually has more wall area than floor area once you count gables and two stories. Measure the wall, not the floor.

• Style

  Clapboard vinyl siding runs $4-$7 per sq ft installed; board-and-batten is $5-$9 (HomeGuide).

• Old siding removal

  Taking the old siding off costs $0.70-$2.00 per sq ft. Check that disposal is included.

Duluth: what basic, standard and premium work costs

Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Duluth wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.

What nearby projects cost in Duluth

Because every project leans on different trades, Duluth's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, roof replacement runs +17% and window replacement −1%.

Duluth labor market for vinyl siding

Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Duluth is 1.13 times the national level.

For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 60%) the local median is $29.10 an hour, which is in line with the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.05 and $36.50 an hour. BLS counts 620 of them working in the area, 49.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is deeper than average.

Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $29.49 an hour, 30% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.29 and $37.00 an hour. About 1,390 work in the metro. That is 111.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.

For sheet metal workers (47-2211, weighted 10%) the local median is $41.65 an hour, which is 40% above the national $29.71. The middle half of them earn between $27.89 and $46.28 an hour. BLS counts 110 of them working in the area, 8.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 7.7), so the local bench is about average.

Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the carpenters on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($36.50 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $1,300. At the 25th percentile ($23.05) it shrinks by about $1,050. The total moves by 7.3% or 6.0%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.

For context on the local economy, BLS counts 124,710 jobs in the Duluth area. That makes it the 173rd largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.08% of US employment.