What to expect during a siding replacement consultation with Southwest Exteriors

You’ve finally decided it’s time to replace your home siding and scheduled a consultation with Southwest Exteriors. 

Meeting with a sales representative might not sound like the most fun thing, and letting a stranger into your home can be nerve-racking. 

When going into a consultation with any home remodeling contractor, it’s helpful to know what to expect so you can feel prepared and plan ahead of time.

Video: "What to expect from a siding consultation" linked below

With Southwest Exteriors, our number one priority during a consultation is to understand your goals for your project and educate you on who we are, our products and services, and best practices in the industry. 

We know that the details are important and want you to have all the information you need to make a confident decision for your project. 

In this article, we will outline what happens step by step during a siding consultation with Southwest Exteriors so you know exactly what to expect and can feel more comfortable inviting us into your home. 

After reading, you will know all that goes into a siding consultation and why we go through all the steps that we do. 

1. We’ll establish your goals and needs for your project

The first step during a consultation is to identify your problem and needs for your project. 

We’ll ask you questions to get to the bottom of the problem you are facing with your siding so that we can provide the right solution.

The approach we always take to a project is solutions-based. We understand that you have a problem with your siding, and we are here to provide a solution. 

Our number one goal is to educate you on all your options and understand what goes into a siding replacement so that you can make the best decision for you, whether that includes Southwest Exteriors or not. 

We ask that you set aside 60-90 minutes of your time for this consultation. We want to make sure you receive all the information you need for your project and want to be able to answer any questions you have.

2. We’ll assess the entire exterior of your home 

Once we have identified your problem and needs for a siding project, we will take a walk around the exterior of your home.

While doing this, we will not only look at the areas you think need repair or special attention but will look at all areas of the exterior. Looking through a professional eye, we may identify problem areas you may not have noticed.

During this time, we will also educate you on all the different parts of the exterior of your home like the soffit, fascia, gable, rake, drip edge, frieze board, and flashing. 

• Soffit is the underneath part of the roof that reaches from the edge of the roof to the siding. 

• Fascia is the front-facing part of the edge of the roof. 

• Gable is an area of your home that extends from the original, rectangular frame.

• Rake is a part of siding that intersects with roofing, or the roof of a gable.

• Flashing is a thin, usually metal material placed on the edges of the roof to keep water from getting into cracks. 

• A drip edge is an L-shaped type of flashing that sits at the edge of a roof tucked underneath the shingles to expel water from the fascia. 

• A frieze board is a type of trim installed between the top of the siding and soffit to add protection and give a finished look between the seams.

As we look at all these areas and identify any additional problems, we will talk with you about what we can offer with the James Hardie products we carry to give you the best solution. 

Again, we want to emphasize that we approach your project with a solution. We want to educate and inform you on the possible and probable solutions to your problems so that you can get the most out of your investment. 

3. We’ll look deeper into your goals, desires, and concerns for your project

While the first step of the consultation is to identify your problem, we need to dive deeper into what you want to get out of your project.

What are your main goals for the project? What are you looking to get out of it? What are your concerns for the project or with us? Do you have any fears?

It is important to talk through all these questions so we can understand what all you are thinking surrounding your project.

We want to answer all your questions to reduce any doubts or concerns you may have with choosing Southwest Exteriors or replacing your siding in general. Then, we can offer the best possible solution for you.

By establishing and addressing your needs, concerns, and desires for your project, we can know where to go from here and create expectations for one another. 

One of the most important principles we incorporate throughout the entire process is communication. We value our relationship with you and want to have open communication from beginning to end. 

4. We’ll go over the details of the products we offer, installation process, and warranties

After talking through all of your desires, goals, and concerns surrounding your project, we can get into the details. We will go over what we do at Southwest Exteriors, the products and warranty we offer, and the siding installation process. 

First, we want to assure you of our expertise in the siding industry. Southwest Exteriors has been locally established for over 30 years, and we have crafted our siding process with you in mind from beginning to end.

We share descriptions and picture examples of all products offered for siding and narrow down which board profiles you are most interested in. 

Along with the options for your siding, we will educate you on the warranty we offer and the warranty offered with James Hardie products. 

Southwest Exteriors offers a lifetime warranty which covers the product and installation for your siding for as long as you live in your home. 

James Hardie offers a 30-year product warranty. 

Once we have educated you on the products, processes, and warranty, we can show you samples of the siding to start building your dream. 

5. We’ll show you real sample pieces of the product

Each design consultant carries a mobile showroom with them. Once you have narrowed down the type of board profile you are interested in, we can show you real pieces of siding so you can see what it looks like. 

We’ll show you samples of the actual Hardie siding, the drip edge, frieze board, corner trim, and window trim. We will also show you samples of the soffit and fascia if you choose to include them in your project.

You will be able to see the style and quality of the siding board profiles to give you confidence in choosing the right product. 

A siding replacement is a big investment. If you are not able to see the real product before putting it on your house, you could be blindsided with a product that is not what you were expecting. 

6. We’ll present you with the exact price of your project

The final step of your siding consultation is to present you with an exact penny price of your project. 

You will be given a seven-day and 30-day price for your project. This price will include everything from the actual product, installation, and warranty. 

We will also educate you on all the payment plans we have to offer, and while the decision is yours, we want to help provide you with the right solution. 

What can I prepare before my consultation?

The biggest thing you can do before your consultation is research. 

Finding pictures of the type of siding you like will help the design consultant better find the right style of siding for you. 

Researching different types and styles of siding will also help you to prepare questions beforehand. Asking questions is important to ensure you get all the information you need to avoid a possible blindside in the future. 

We ask that you give us your time and attention for the 60-90 minutes we have together so that we can help you get the most out of the consultation and your project.

Ready to schedule a siding consultation?

Now that you know what all to expect from a siding consultation with Southwest Exteriors, you can feel more comfortable in allowing us into your home and trusting us with your project.

We work under a principle we call the Four C’s: compassion, communication, cleanliness, and craftsmanship. Everything we do we filter under these four ideals. 

We want you to be educated on all our company, products, and services so that you can make a confident decision in choosing us for your project.

Ready to schedule your siding consultation? Fill out the form on our webpage to schedule a free in-home consultation. Virtual consultations are available for your safety and convenience.