Removal cost by material
Vinyl is the cheapest siding to remove, at $0.25 to $1.00 per square foot, since panels interlock and pry off in long, clean sections.[1]
Wood runs $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot to remove, since individual boards are pried off one at a time, and aluminum runs $0.50 to $1.25.[1]
Fiber cement runs $0.75 to $1.50 per square foot to remove and isn't recyclable the way aluminum or vinyl scrap often is.[1]
When removal costs jump sharply
Stucco removal runs $3 to $6 per square foot, since it's typically bonded to a lath backing that has to be broken apart rather than pried loose.[1]
Asbestos siding removal runs $7 to $20 per square foot, driven by licensed-abatement labor and hazardous-waste disposal fees rather than the physical difficulty of the work itself.[1]
Multiple layers push the price further
Older homes sometimes carry two or three layers of siding stacked on top of each other from past re-sides that skipped a full tear-off, and each additional layer adds its own removal time on top of the base rate.
A contractor can usually tell how many layers are underneath by checking behind an outlet cover or at a corner trim piece before ever pricing the job.
How this addon is priced in the calculator above
The calculator's removal line uses a $0.25 to $1.50 per square foot range across the non-hazardous materials this site covers, applied against the same wall area entered for the new siding.[1]
If your home has asbestos siding, get a licensed abatement inspection before any tear-off quote; that cost runs well outside this calculator's range and needs its own separate bid.[1]
A house built before the early 1980s with its original siding still on is a reasonable candidate for that test, simply based on when asbestos-containing siding products were most commonly sold.
Skipping the test to save a few days on the schedule is a common shortcut that can turn into a far more expensive delay if the material turns out to be hazardous after tear-off has already started.
Why removal pricing swings by region
Landfill tipping fees and the distance to the nearest transfer station both feed into a removal quote, which is one reason the same tear-off can price differently between two metros at an identical square footage.
A contractor who already runs a regular disposal route for demolition debris often prices removal lower than one who has to arrange a one-off dumpster rental for a single job.
What a positive asbestos test changes
If testing comes back positive, removal shifts from a same-day tear-off to a licensed abatement project with its own containment, air-monitoring, and disposal requirements, running $7 to $20 per square foot instead of the non-hazardous range above.[1]
Getting that test done before signing a full contract avoids a mid-project change order for a cost category the original bid never priced in.
Disposal fees on top of labor
Removal pricing above typically bundles in hauling the material to a landfill or transfer station, but a dumpster rental billed separately is common on larger tear-offs where the contractor doesn't already run their own truck route.
Asking whether disposal is bundled into the per-foot removal price or billed as its own dumpster fee prevents a surprise line item on the final invoice.