Last reviewed October 31, 2026.
The vinyl quote fits the budget. The fiber cement quote is the one the contractor keeps nudging you toward, and the neighbor who just re-sided swears by it.
So put them head to head on what actually wears siding down out here: fire, wind, salt, cold and paint. And judge them by what the manufacturers were willing to put in writing.
Two more Long Island price lists
Our siding cost guide already lines up seven local companies. Two more Long Island firms post prices for both:
| Company | Vinyl, installed | Fiber cement, installed |
|---|---|---|
| North Shore Roofing & Siding, Port Washington (May 2026) | $5 to $10 per sq ft | $10 to $15 per sq ft |
| J&M Gutter Tech Inc., Nassau and Suffolk (Mar 2026) | $4 to $12 per sq ft | $9 to $25+ per sq ft |
At the low end, both put fiber cement at roughly double vinyl.
Fire, by the test each maker cites
James Hardie says its siding complies with ASTM E136 as a noncombustible cladding. Read the caveat that comes with it: the fire resistance does not extend to paints or coatings, which may char when flames reach them.
Vinyl makes no such claim. A January 2016 version of CertainTeed’s vinyl warranty states that rigid vinyl siding will melt or burn when exposed to a significant source of flame or heat. It asks owners to keep barbecues, dry leaves, mulch and trash away from it.
The Polymeric Exterior Products Association, a vinyl trade group, pushes back. Citing ASTM E162 results, it argues PVC does not release much energy when it burns and will not readily spread flames on its own. Both statements can be true at once: vinyl is slow to carry a fire but still deforms near a grill.
The same trade group cites a November 2020 NFPA report: fewer than 3 percent of fires spread beyond where they started, and fewer than 2 percent of those are related to the exterior wall surface.
Wind numbers and what they mean
CertainTeed says the RigidForm 210 technology in its Monogram vinyl has been tested to withstand wind load pressures up to 210 mph. That number belongs to one premium product line, not to vinyl in general. Check which line your quote actually names.
James Hardie’s lap siding page gives no wind rating at all. It says only that its products help protect against hurricanes and winter storms.
Long Island Windows and Siding describes fiber cement as stable in 100 mph gusts and says poorly installed vinyl can rattle in a nor’easter (August 2026).
Salt spray, hail and deep cold
No manufacturer we read publishes a salt resistance rating for either material. Local installers still lean one way. J&M Gutter Tech calls fiber cement tough against salt, wind and moisture, and North Shore Roofing & Siding recommends it near the water.
James Hardie also sells an HZ10 board it describes as engineered for the salty sea air of the coast, and our James Hardie page covers which one Long Island installers actually order.
Cold is where vinyl’s reputation gets tested. J&M Gutter Tech says vinyl stands up to moisture and salt but can get brittle in deep cold, and an unexpected impact can crack a standard panel. Insulated vinyl, it says, can take a stray baseball or hail without denting. We found no impact rating on James Hardie’s lap siding page.
Upkeep across the years
Fiber cement is a painted product, and paint comes due. Long Island Windows and Siding says it generally needs a fresh coat every 10 to 15 years. Vinyl gets by on a yearly power washing. CertainTeed calls Monogram virtually maintenance free and says it never needs painting. Our vinyl siding page covers how colors hold up over time.
Warranty fine print, side by side
James Hardie describes its warranty as a 30-year non-prorated limited, transferable substrate warranty. Non-prorated means the coverage does not shrink as the years go by.
CertainTeed lists a lifetime limited warranty on Monogram. The January 2016 version of its vinyl warranty is titled limited, non-prorated and transferable, prorated if transferred. It also says the fade protection does not transfer to a buyer. Pull the current document for the line on your quote before you sign.
Questions that decide it for your house
- Which product line is on each quote? The Monogram wind figure and lifetime warranty belong to that line, not every vinyl panel CertainTeed makes.
- Is the fiber cement prefinished or primed? Ask who warrants the paint and when the first repaint comes due.
- How close is the grill, and how close is the bay? A deck barbecue against the wall argues for fiber cement, and so does a house that takes salt spray.
- How long will you stay? Weigh the 10 to 15 year repaint cycle Long Island Windows and Siding gives for fiber cement against how many of those cycles you expect to pay for.
Weighing a third quote? LP’s engineered wood siding carries a 50-year warranty that pays labor only in the first five years. Our LP SmartSide page walks through it.
