Installing new siding can give your home an immediate makeover and offer a relatively high return on your investment compared with other remodeling jobs. In Remodeling magazine’s Cost vs. Value report for 2020, replacing vinyl siding returns 74.7 percent of your investment, based on average job costs and resale values nationwide. Installing fiber cement siding, a wood-look product that’s less costly than the real thing, returns 77.6 percent. Only two remodeling jobs offer better returns: installing a manufactured stone veneer (95.6 percent) and a replacing a garage door (94.5 percent).

That’s good news, considering how expensive new siding can be. The average vinyl job costs more than $14,000, and the average fiber cement redo tops $17,000, according to Remodeling magazine. So doing your homework before you buy is a must.

At Consumer Reports, our testing shows significant performance differences among siding types and brands. Some siding is far less resistant to cracking from impacts in warm and cold weather, and some is less likely to stay put in a windstorm, based on the simulated 150-mph winds in our testing. We also find that some siding made from vinyl, still the best-selling material, is more prone to color change under ultraviolet light, something to consider, especially if you live in a sunny climate and/or where trees don’t provide much shade.

Use this guide to determine which material—vinyl, wood, or an alternative siding, such as fiber cement or plastic—best suits your taste and budget.

Read more from Consumer Reports,,