Short answers to the questions that come up most when planning a deck and siding project — the guides go deeper on each.
Typical Columbus installed prices run about $900 to $1,400 per square (100 square feet of wall) for vinyl and $1,400 to $2,000 for fiber cement, with engineered wood close to fiber cement and cedar above. A one-storey ranch with 1,400 square feet of wall is roughly $12,600 to $19,600 in vinyl. Tear-off, sheathing repair, trim and soffit, wall height and lead-safe work on pre-1978 houses move the total. Siding Cost in Columbus explains each driver.
Typical Columbus installed prices run about $45 to $70 per square foot for pressure-treated pine, $60 to $90 for capped composite and $65 to $100 for PVC, for a deck two to six feet high with footings, a standard railing, one stair and a permit. A 12-by-16 treated deck is roughly $10,000 to $15,000. Height, railing length, stairs and removing an old deck move the number; Deck Cost in Columbus walks through them.
Almost always. The City of Columbus requires plan approval and a building permit for decks. The only exception is a deck of 200 square feet or less, no more than 30 inches above grade, not attached to the house and not serving the required exit door — and any deck over 169 square feet needs zoning approval regardless. Suburbs such as Upper Arlington, Hilliard and Westerville require deck permits through their own departments.
In the City of Columbus, yes: replacing exterior siding requires a building permit, though not plan review, and one exterior inspection at the end of the job. Suburbs set their own rules — Upper Arlington, for example, requires a building permit when sheathing or framing is replaced along with the siding, and Hilliard lists siding among projects that need a permit. Houses in historic districts such as German Village also need a Certificate of Appropriateness before exterior work begins.
Columbus sets the frost depth at 32 inches, so deck footings must bear below that line, and they cannot be poured on frozen soil. Franklin County's deck guide, for example, calls for 38-inch post holes with the post bearing on at least six inches of concrete. Footing size depends on how much deck each post carries, and the holes are inspected before any concrete is placed.
It depends on how long the deck will be owned and how much upkeep is acceptable. In Columbus a composite deck typically costs roughly 20 to 35 percent more installed than pressure-treated pine, but it needs washing rather than staining, and leading brands carry 30- to 50-year limited fade and stain warranties. Nationally, the 2025 Cost vs Value report found wood decks recouped about 95 percent at resale and composite about 89 percent.
Columbus rates its weathering exposure as severe, with hard freeze-thaw cycles and humid summers. Fiber cement made for freezing climates, factory-finished engineered wood and well-installed vinyl all perform well here; cedar looks best but needs regular refinishing. Installation matters as much as material: a continuous barrier, flashing at every opening and the manufacturer's clearances decide how any siding ages. Siding Materials Compared covers the trade-offs.
Sometimes — vinyl can go over a flat, sound layer of old siding. It saves the tear-off cost but hides any rot or leaks underneath, thickens the wall so window and door trim must be built out, and makes the next re-side more expensive. Most Columbus projects price a full tear-off so the sheathing and flashing can be inspected and repaired while the wall is open.
Rigid, brittle shingles with a dimpled or wavy face on a house built between the 1920s and 1970s may be asbestos-cement siding. Leave it undisturbed and have it tested. If it contains asbestos, removal belongs to a licensed asbestos hazard abatement contractor — Ohio EPA licenses them — and happens before any siding work starts. The siding ranges on this site do not include abatement — it is its own contract and its own line in the budget.
Spring through fall, planned in winter. Deck footings wait until the ground has thawed below the 32-inch frost line, and spring schedules fill early, so design and permits are best handled in January through March. Siding can go up in cooler weather with larger expansion gaps for vinyl. Fall is a strong second window for both. Planning and Seasonality has a month-by-month timeline.
No. Every figure here is a typical Columbus installed range for an average house in average condition, checked against national surveys such as the Cost vs Value report, with what the range includes and excludes stated beside it. A real price depends on measurements, the condition of the walls or the yard, and a design, which only an on-site assessment can settle.
The site is published by iSpec LLC, a licensed general contractor based in Columbus, Ohio, as a free educational resource on deck and siding costs. The guides cite their sources, including manufacturers, industry associations and city and state code documents, and every price on the site is a typical Columbus installed range rather than a quote.
