Vinyl siding cost in La Crosse, WI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (2,100 sq ft of wall)
- $8,500 – $25,400
- Per sq ft of wall
- $4.05 – $12
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +1%
- US $16,800
- Rank of 300 metros
- #96
- 1 = most expensive
La Crosse homeowners pay roughly $8,500 to $25,400 to install vinyl siding at 2,100 sq ft of wall, or $4.05 to $12 per sq ft of wall (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, La Crosse is almost level. Carpenters earn a median of $28.34 an hour in the La Crosse area, 3% below the US median of $29.12.
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Estimated cost for 2,100 sq ft of wall in La Crosse, WI, standard level
$13,600 to $20,300
About $6.45 to $9.70 per sq ft of wall before permits. Labor is about 54% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $6,300 | $9,450 |
| Labor | $7,250 | $10,900 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $13,600 | $20,300 |
Cost breakdown for 2,100 sq ft of wall in La Crosse, WI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $3,950 | $7,900 | $11,800 | 46% |
| Labor | $4,550 | $9,100 | $13,600 | 54% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $8,500 | $17,000 | $25,400 | 100% |
Where the La Crosse price comes from
The wage side of the estimate leans on carpenters, who do 60% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $28.34 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for La Crosse is 1.08 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 54% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the La Crosse metro is 93.8 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 2,100 sq ft of wall comes to $7,900, compared with $8,400 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (91.8) and land at $0 to $0.
How La Crosse compares
Of the five closest metros, 3 are cheaper than La Crosse. Waterloo is the lowest at about $16,100 (midpoint, 2,100 sq ft of wall), 105 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse, WIthis page | $8,500 – $25,400 | $17,000 | |
| Rochester, MN65 miles | $8,750 – $26,200 | $17,500 | +3% |
| Dubuque, IA85 miles | $8,200 – $24,600 | $16,400 | −3% |
| Eau Claire, WI85 miles | $8,450 – $25,400 | $16,900 | level |
| Madison, WI85 miles | $8,600 – $25,800 | $17,200 | +2% |
| Waterloo, IA105 miles | $8,050 – $24,100 | $16,100 | −5% |
| Wisconsin (statewide) | $8,550 – $25,700 | $17,100 | +1% |
| United States | $8,400 – $25,200 | $16,800 | −1% |
Across 300 US metros, La Crosse comes in at #96 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, La Crosse is 1% below the Wisconsin figure.
Other Wisconsin metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $8,650 – $26,000 | $17,300 | +2% |
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $8,600 – $25,800 | $17,200 | +2% |
| Green Bay, WI | 174,550 jobs | $8,450 – $25,300 | $16,900 | level |
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $8,700 – $26,000 | $17,400 | +2% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $9,250 – $27,700 | $18,500 | +9% |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $8,450 – $25,400 | $16,900 | level |
Cities with a workforce like La Crosse's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is La Crosse against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, TN | 84,530 jobs | $7,650 – $23,000 | $15,300 | −10% |
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $8,050 – $24,100 | $16,100 | −5% |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $8,450 – $25,400 | $16,900 | level |
| Houma, LA | 83,440 jobs | $7,300 – $21,900 | $14,600 | −14% |
Vinyl siding: what moves the price in La Crosse
Labor and season
Siding labor is $40-$80 an hour or $2-$6 per sq ft, and it is highest in warm months.
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).
When to schedule vinyl siding in La Crosse
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for La Crosse Wfo (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 La Crosse (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.
La Crosse gets about 37 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 54 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and August (5.3 inches in June). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 4.0 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 3 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.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 8 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Feb | 29 | 13 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 1.9 | Cold |
| Apr | 55 | 36 | 4.0 | Workable |
| May | 67 | 48 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 76 | 58 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 80 | 62 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Aug | 78 | 60 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Sep | 71 | 52 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 58 | 40 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 42 | 28 | 1.9 | Cold |
| Dec | 29 | 15 | 1.5 | Cold |
Cost by quality level and size in La Crosse
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for La Crosse 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.
Basic
$8,500 to $15,300
Basic clapboard siding, simple house
Standard
$13,600 to $20,300
Mid-grade panels, standard trim and corners
Premium
$18,700 to $25,400
Premium or board-and-batten, many corners and gables
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small house (1,200 sq ft of wall) | $4,850 – $8,700 | $7,750 – $11,600 | $10,700 – $14,500 |
| average house (2,100 sq ft of wall) | $8,500 – $15,300 | $13,600 – $20,300 | $18,700 – $25,400 |
| large house (3,000 sq ft of wall) | $12,100 – $21,800 | $19,400 – $29,100 | $26,600 – $36,300 |
Local wages behind the labor line
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 La Crosse is 1.08 times the national level.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 60%) the local median is $28.34 an hour, which is in line with the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.93 and $36.95 an hour. BLS counts 450 of them working in the area, 53.3 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 $28.32 an hour, 25% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.49 and $35.41 an hour. About 610 work in the metro. That is 72.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For sheet metal workers (47-2211, weighted 10%) the local median is $36.15 an hour, which is 22% above the national $29.71. The middle half of them earn between $23.33 and $45.29 an hour. BLS counts 60 of them working in the area, 7.1 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 ($36.95 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $1,500. At the 25th percentile ($23.93) it shrinks by about $760. The total moves by 8.8% or 4.5%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 84,380 jobs in the La Crosse-Onalaska area. That makes it the 228th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.05% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 60% | $23.93 | $28.34 | $36.95 | $29.12 | 0.97 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $22.49 | $28.32 | $35.41 | $22.66 | 1.25 | metro |
| Sheet metal workers (47-2211) | 10% | $23.33 | $36.15 | $45.29 | $29.71 | 1.22 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.08 | |||||
Planning more than one job in La Crosse?
Because every project leans on different trades, La Crosse's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, metal roof runs +4% and window replacement −3%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $6,400 – $12,800 | +4% |
| Gutters | 160 linear ft | $1,350 – $4,300 | +3% |
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $4,400 – $14,500 | −3% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $1,000 – $3,900 | −2% |
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $11,000 – $33,400 | +4% |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $13,600 to $20,300 for La Crosse, WI is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
The report lays out the vinyl siding numbers for La Crosse, WI line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Vinyl siding in La Crosse: your questions
+How much does it cost to install vinyl siding in La Crosse?
For 2,100 sq ft of wall, expect $8,500 to $25,400 in the La Crosse area. A standard-spec job lands at $13,600 to $20,300. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft of wall and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft of wall for vinyl siding in La Crosse?
About $4.05 to $12 per sq ft of wall for materials and labor, plus $0 to $0 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $4 to $12.
+Is vinyl siding cheaper in La Crosse or Rochester?
Rochester is 65 miles away. The midpoint for 2,100 sq ft of wall there is $17,500, which is 3% more than La Crosse ($17,000). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in La Crosse?
About 54% at the midpoint, or $9,100 out of $17,000. Materials are 46% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 50%.
+What would average house (2,100 sq ft of wall) cost in La Crosse?
$8,500 to $25,400. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does vinyl siding need a permit in La Crosse?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $0 for fees in the La Crosse area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is La Crosse expensive for vinyl siding compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
La Crosse is 1% below the Wisconsin statewide estimate ($17,100 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Wisconsin; see the state page to compare them.
+What do carpenters earn in La Crosse?
The BLS median is $28.34 an hour in the La Crosse area, compared with $29.12 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.93 to $36.95.
+What do basic and premium vinyl siding work cost in La Crosse?
For 2,100 sq ft of wall, basic work runs $8,500 to $15,300 and premium work $18,700 to $25,400. Basic means: basic clapboard siding, simple house. Premium means: premium or board-and-batten, many corners and gables.
+When is the best time to install vinyl siding in La Crosse?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. September and October are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Vinyl siding near La Crosse
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Vinyl Siding Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = installed price minus HomeGuide's $2-$6 per sq ft labor figure, which it says is around half the project cost.