To prepare for siding installation, clear the walls, trim anything touching the house and leave room for deliveries. A siding crew means a few days of noise, ladders and open walls. Your part is short, and the skilled work, including tear-off, repairs and flashing, belongs to the crew.
The short answer
- Move furniture, grills and planters away from walls and trim shrubs before the crew arrives.
- Leave tear-off, repairs and flashing to the crew, because old painted trim may contain lead paint.
- Take pictures and mirrors off exterior walls inside the house, since hammering shakes them loose.
- Ask your installer how bare sheathing and wrap stay dry if the weather turns.
- Walk every wall with the crew lead at the end and ask for any fixes in writing.
The best prep for a siding job is a short list done well, and a long list left to the crew. You do not need to touch a tool. Most of what helps is moving things, trimming things and answering a few questions before day one. Here is what we would do if it were our own house.
What should you do before the siding crew arrives?
Clear the walls and the ground around them, trim anything touching the house, and plan where a truck, a dumpster and a stack of panels can sit. A crew works faster and safer when the walls are open and the yard is not full. Do the easy things first, a few days ahead.
Outside the house
- Move grills, patio furniture, planters, bikes and the hose reel away from the walls.
- Cut back shrubs and low branches that touch siding or block ladders.
- Take down items fixed to the wall, such as wreaths, house numbers and decor. Leave lights and fixtures to the crew.
- Tell the crew where sprinkler heads and lines run, and turn off sprinklers that spray the walls.
- Clear the driveway edge and a spot near the house for deliveries and waste.
Inside the house
- Take pictures, mirrors and shelves off exterior walls. Hammering shakes them loose.
- Move fragile items away from windows on the work side.
- Plan for noise, especially if you work from home. Consider a quiet room on the opposite side.
- Keep pets away from the work area. Open doors and ladders are a risk.
What should you leave to the crew?
Leave the tear-off, any repair of sheathing, wiring at lights, and anything near the gas meter or electrical panel. Do not pull off old siding yourself, even a section. You cannot see what is behind it, and old painted trim on an older house can contain lead paint that is unsafe to disturb without the right method.
American Eagle Builders is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm, and the EPA’s lead renovation program explains why firms working on older housing follow set steps. If your home is older and you plan any work on painted trim, ask about that before you scrape or sand anything.
| Task | You | The crew |
|---|---|---|
| Move furniture, grills and planters | Yes | |
| Trim shrubs and branches near walls | Yes | |
| Turn off sprinklers | Yes | |
| Remove old siding and trim | Yes | |
| Inspect and repair sheathing | Yes | |
| House wrap, flashing and panels | Yes | |
| Remove and refit light fixtures | Yes | |
| Final walkthrough | Yes | Yes |
What should you ask your installer before day one?
Ask for the plan in plain terms. You want to know who will be on site, when they arrive and leave, where they will park and store panels, and how the open walls stay dry overnight. A good installer answers each one without hedging, and puts it in writing.
- What is the work window, and what happens if weather delays it?
- Where will materials and waste go, and where should my vehicles be?
- How will you protect bare sheathing and wrap if rain moves in?
- Will the work need a permit, and who files it?
- Who do I call on site if something looks wrong?
Permit rules differ by city, so check with yours. Plano, for example, posts its residential permit information online, and our free in-home estimate is a good time to ask us what your city expects. If your neighborhood has an association, get its approval for the color and material before the work begins.
How does weather change your prep?
Weather decides how long open walls sit exposed, so it is worth watching. A hard freeze like December 2022 or a spring storm can stop work for a few days. Check the National Weather Service Fort Worth forecast in the days before the start date, and tell your installer what you see.
While the walls are open, keep sprinklers off and keep kids and pets away from the ladders and the debris. Overnight, the crew should leave the wrap and flashing sealed. If you ever see loose wrap flapping in a storm, call the crew lead that night and send a photo.
Should you install insulated siding yourself?
We would not. Siding looks simple from the driveway, but the parts that keep a wall dry are hidden: the wrap, the flashing at every opening and the fastening that lets panels move. Mistakes there do not show for a year or two, then show as stains and soft trim. Work at height on ladders adds a real risk of its own.
DIY prep is a different story, and it is the part this post covers. If you like to be hands-on, do the clearing, the trimming, the photographing of each wall and the list of questions. Those steps save the crew time and make your estimate more accurate.
What should you do each day while the work goes on?
Walk the yard at the end of each day with the crew lead. Look for stray nails, scraps and tools, and point out anything near a driveway or path. On the last day, walk every wall together and note anything you want fixed, then ask for that list in writing.
For more, read the mistakes to avoid when installing insulated siding and the best time of year for siding installation. You can also see how we run an insulated siding project. The goal is simple. You move what needs moving, the crew does the skilled work, and you both check the wall together at the end.
Questions we get asked about this
Move furniture, grills and planters away from the walls, trim shrubs and branches, take decor off exterior walls, and clear space for deliveries and waste. Inside, remove pictures and mirrors on exterior walls. Then confirm the schedule, parking and weather plan with your installer.
No. Leave the tear-off to the crew. You cannot see what is behind the panels, and on older homes painted trim may contain lead paint that needs a lead-safe method. A trained crew inspects and repairs the sheathing as the wall opens.
You do not have to be, but it helps to be reachable. The crew may need a gate opened, a question answered or a decision on trim. Plan to be there at the start and the end of the job for the walkthrough.
Cover or move small plants near the walls, cut back shrubs that touch the siding, and turn off sprinklers that spray the house. Tell the crew where lines and heads run so ladders do not crush them. Ask what protection they use.
American Eagle Builders is a family company based in Arlington and has served Dallas-Fort Worth since 1984. We walk your house at the free in-home estimate, tell you what to move, and clear the site of debris and nails at the end of the job.
