Marvel-Works

Siding fails behind the boards. That's where we work.

Fiber cement, rot remediation, and flashing done right for Houston humidity — because the moisture barrier you can't see is what keeps the wall dry.

Get a free on-site estimate

Houston is hard on siding. Heat, relentless humidity, wind-driven rain, and storms find every gap in a wall and put water where it doesn’t belong. Wood and old hardboard absorb it and rot; the sheathing and framing behind them go soft, and mold follows. By the time you see it on the surface, the problem has usually been living in the wall for a while.

That’s why siding work is really wall work. New boards over a bad moisture barrier or failed flashing just hide the leak until it comes back. We pull the failed siding, fix the sheathing and framing, correct the flashing and the weather-resistive barrier, and only then re-side — in fiber cement, the same material we match when we tie an addition into an existing house.

What siding work involves

Every line below shows up as a discrete item in your scope and quote — including the rot remediation and flashing that a board-over bid leaves out.

Fiber cement siding
James Hardie / HardiePlank — the regional standard, factory-finished or field-painted
Rot remediation
rotted sheathing and framing cut out and replaced, not covered over
Repair & partial replacement
failed sections blended into sound existing siding
Full replacement
whole-house re-side when the existing siding is at end of life
Trim & corners
matched profiles, clean lines, detailed for the warranty
Flashing
windows, doors, penetrations, and transitions done right
Moisture barrier
weather-resistive barrier lapped shingle-style so water sheds
Painting
primed and finished to match, built to hold up in Houston UV and humidity

Changing color or material? Most communities around The Woodlands require architectural approval first — see our guide to Woodlands HOA exterior approval before the first board comes off.

Process

  1. 1

    On-site visit (about 45 minutes, free)

    We walk the exterior, probe for soft spots and hidden rot, check the flashing at windows and doors, and look at the existing trim and color. You'll get a written scope and an honest budget range — including a realistic allowance for rot we expect to find once the wall is open.
  2. 2

    Scope, material & HOA

    Repair vs replacement decided honestly, material and finish chosen (factory-finished or field-painted), trim profile matched. If your community requires architectural approval for a color or material change, we get that in motion before demolition.
  3. 3

    Tear-off & rot remediation

    Failed siding removed, then the real inspection: rotted sheathing and framing cut out and replaced, and any wall that's been holding water dried and corrected. This is the step that decides whether the repair lasts.
  4. 4

    Moisture barrier & flashing

    Weather-resistive barrier installed and lapped correctly — shingle-style so water sheds — and flashing detailed at every window, door, penetration, and transition. The layer behind the siding is where leaks are won or lost.
  5. 5

    Siding & trim install

    Fiber cement hung to the manufacturer's exposure, fastening, and clearance spec — proper gap above grade and at roof lines, correct nailing, trim and corners detailed for clean lines and a valid warranty.
  6. 6

    Caulk, paint & walk-through

    Joints caulked with the right sealant, field-painted work primed and finished to match, and the whole exterior inspected with you. We don't sign off until you do.

Timeline & Investment

  • Siding repair & rot remediation
    3 to 7 days
    $2,500 to $9,000
  • Full fiber-cement (James Hardie) replacement
    2 to 4 weeks
    $18,000 to $50,000

Roughly $10 to $18per square foot installed for fiber cement. The honest variable is rot: we scope a realistic allowance for what’s behind the siding, and you see any change before we proceed — no surprise mid-project add-ons.

For the technical homeowner

The standards our crews work to on every exterior — the details behind the boards that decide whether the wall stays dry and the warranty holds.

Standards we hold our crews to on siding

Tear-off & substrate

  • Failed siding removed back to sound material so the actual condition of the wall is seen, not assumed
  • Rotted sheathing and framing cut out and replaced; wet cavities dried before they’re closed
  • Sheathing re-fastened and the wall verified flat and sound before anything new goes on

Moisture barrier & flashing

  • Weather-resistive barrier lapped shingle-style — upper course over lower — so water always sheds outward
  • Window, door, and penetration flashing integrated with the barrier in the correct order, not caulked as an afterthought
  • Kick-out and step flashing at roof-to-wall transitions, the spot wall leaks most often start

Fiber cement install

  • Installed to the manufacturer’s exposure, fastening, and clearance spec so the product warranty stays valid
  • Minimum clearance held above grade, roofs, and decks; proper gap and flashing at horizontal joints
  • Cut and fastened to limit dust and edge damage; factory edges kept where they show

Caulk, trim & paint

  • Correct sealant at the right joints — and deliberately not at the laps that are designed to drain
  • Trim and corners detailed for clean lines and proper end-grain protection
  • Field-painted work primed and given a minimum two finish coats rated for the exposure

Sign-off

  • Project complete only when you sign off on the exterior — not when we’re tired

Frequently asked questions

How much does siding cost in Houston?
A repair and rot-remediation job — replacing damaged boards, trim, and the moisture barrier behind them — runs $2,500 to $9,000. A full fiber-cement (James Hardie) replacement on a typical home runs $18,000 to $50,000 depending on square footage, trim detail, and how much rot is found once the old siding comes off. As a per-foot check, fiber cement runs roughly $10 to $18 per square foot installed. We give you a real number after we see the house.
Why is fiber cement the standard in Houston?
Because it stands up to what this climate does to siding. Fiber cement — James Hardie and HardiePlank are the names most people know — doesn't rot, doesn't feed mold, won't be eaten by termites, and holds paint far longer than wood in our humidity and UV. Wood siding and older hardboard absorb moisture and fail; vinyl warps and fades in the heat. Fiber cement is the material built for hot, humid, storm-prone Gulf Coast walls, which is why it's the regional norm.
What causes siding rot, and how do you fix it?
Water getting behind the siding — usually at failed caulk, bad flashing around windows and doors, or a moisture barrier that was never lapped correctly. Once water sits in the wall, the sheathing and framing rot and mold follows. The fix isn't just new boards over the problem: we pull the affected siding, cut out and replace rotted sheathing and framing, correct the flashing and the moisture barrier, then re-side. Skipping the layer behind the siding is how the rot comes back in two years.
Do I have to replace all my siding, or can you repair part of it?
Often we can repair just the failed areas — a rotted section under a window, a wall that took storm damage, a few boards at grade. The judgment call is whether the rest of the siding has life left and whether a new section can be blended in cleanly. When the existing siding is original hardboard at the end of its life, or the damage is widespread, replacement is the honest call — patching a failing wall just spends money twice. We'll tell you which situation you're in.
Will new siding need HOA approval?
If you're changing the color or material, almost certainly. Most master-planned communities around The Woodlands require architectural review for any visible exterior change, and siding is about as visible as it gets. We've handled that approval process and can walk you through it — our guide to the Woodlands HOA exterior color and approval requirements covers how it works. Keeping the same color on a like-for-like replacement is usually simpler, but always confirm before the first board comes off.
Does fiber cement come pre-finished or do you paint it?
Both are options. Factory-finished fiber cement comes with a baked-on color and the longest-lasting finish; field-painted Hardie is primed and painted on site, which gives you any color you want and an easier match to existing trim. For repairs and partial replacements we typically field-paint so the new work matches the rest of the house. Either way the exposure, fastening, and caulk joints are detailed to the manufacturer's spec so the warranty holds and the paint lasts.

Service areas

We side and repair homes across The Woodlands, Spring, Magnolia, Conroe, Montgomery, Tomball, Cypress, Sugar Land, Pearland, and the rest of greater Houston.

  • The Woodlands, TX
  • Magnolia, TX
  • Spring, TX
  • Conroe, TX
  • Montgomery, TX
  • Tomball, TX
  • Cypress, TX
  • Sugar Land, TX
  • Pearland, TX
  • Houston, TX

Related work

Room Additions

New square footage sided to match the existing house — same fiber cement, same lines, so the seam disappears.

Learn more →

Covered Patios

Patio covers and pergolas tied into the wall with flashing that keeps water out of the siding.

Learn more →

HOA Exterior Approval

How color and material approval works in Woodlands-area communities before you change a visible exterior.

Learn more →

Schedule an on-site visit.

We'll walk the exterior, find the rot before it spreads, and give you a written scope and a real number — barrier and flashing included, not bid around.

Get a free estimateCall 832-390-8685

Free in-home estimates in The Woodlands area. For projects outside that area, a travel fee applies.