Aluminum Siding Replacement — Dented, Chalking Panels Off, New Siding
The aluminum siding has been on since the sixties, the paint rubs off white on your hand, and every panel below shoulder height has a dent in it.
Aluminum siding replacement takes the dented, chalking aluminum panels and the fiberboard backer off, checks the original wall under them, then wraps, flashes and re-sides the house in vinyl, LP SmartSide or steel. JMB Builders does it on sixties and seventies houses across the Twin Cities metro and sends the aluminum to a scrap recycler. Licensed MN contractor BC809005, priced per project. Send photos and we reply within one business day, or get a free in-home estimate.
- Aluminum and backer board off, old wall checked
- Aluminum goes to a scrap recycler
- Replaced with vinyl, LP SmartSide or steel
- Free in-home estimate
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Send photos and hear back within one business day — or book a free in-home estimate.
Aluminum siding went on a lot of Twin Cities ramblers and two-stories in the fifties, sixties and seventies, often over the original wood siding with a thin fiberboard backer behind each panel. It lasts a long time, and that is the problem now: it is still up there, dented from hail and lawn mowers, the factory finish chalked to powder, and painted two or three times since. It also dents again every time hail comes through, which is why a lot of these jobs start with an insurance claim.
Taking it off is straightforward. The panels unlock and come down, the backer board comes with them, and the aluminum goes to a scrap recycler instead of the dumpster. Under it is usually the original siding, lap wood or hardboard, sometimes asbestos-cement shingles on older houses, which an abatement firm removes first. We take the wall to the sheathing so it can be checked and wrapped; the original wood siding under aluminum is often in surprisingly good shape because the aluminum kept the weather off it, but the spots under windows and at the bottom course are where the water went.
The replacement is a normal siding job from there: sheathing repaired, house wrap taped, every window and door flashed, and new siding with real trim. Vinyl is the direct replacement and the lowest cost. LP SmartSide gives a wood look and takes hail. Steel is the one that stops the dent-and-claim cycle for good, and on an open lot in the north or west metro it is what we usually recommend. The windows on a house this age are often original too, and with the wall open they are easy to replace.
What you supply
- Photos of every side, a close-up of the chalking and dents, and a photo of a window from outside
- The age of the house, and whether you know what siding was on it before the aluminum
- Material and color choice from the samples at the free in-home estimate
- Dumpster and material space on the driveway
- A decision on the windows, which are often original on these houses
What JMB supplies
- Removal of the aluminum panels, trim and fiberboard backer, with the aluminum taken to a scrap recycler
- Removal of the original siding under it down to the sheathing, except asbestos-cement, which an abatement firm removes first
- Sheathing repair under windows and at the bottom course where water got behind the aluminum
- House wrap with taped seams, flashing at every window and door, head flashing and kick-outs
- New siding, corners, starter and trim in vinyl, LP SmartSide or steel
- Mounting blocks for lights, hose bibs, vents and the meter box
- Photos of the original wall, the wrapped wall and the finished house in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Squares and stories; most aluminum-sided houses here are ramblers or plain two-stories
- What is under the aluminum: wood lap to remove, hardboard, or asbestos-cement that an abatement firm handles first
- Material for the replacement: vinyl, LP SmartSide or steel
- Trim level at the windows, which were often wrapped in aluminum too
- Sheathing repair found under windows and at the base of the wall
- New windows installed while the wall is open
- Soffit and fascia, often aluminum from the same era, done at the same time
If a corner of the aluminum is loose, a photo behind it tells us what the original siding is. Tell us the year of the house.
How long it takes
Removal of the aluminum and backer is quick; the original siding under it takes another day or two. Whole job: about a week for a rambler, one to two weeks for a two-story.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Aluminum to vinyl
The direct replacement and the lowest cost. Same lap look, never needs paint, lighter than the aluminum was. The weak point is hail, which is also what dented the aluminum.
Aluminum to LP SmartSide
Engineered wood lap with wide trim at the windows. Looks like the wood siding that was probably on the house originally, takes hail better than vinyl and can be repainted later.
Aluminum to steel
Steel lap or seamless steel. Ends the hail dent cycle, does not chalk like the old aluminum did, and does not fade like vinyl. The right answer on an open lot in hail country.
Hail claim replacement
Hail dented the aluminum and the adjuster is involved. We write a line-item scope for the whole house and the soffit and fascia that went with it. Ask your agent what the policy covers; a cosmetic exclusion changes the answer.
Aluminum Siding Replacement — Dented, Chalking Panels Off, New Siding: questions, answered
What is usually under aluminum siding?
The original siding, most often painted wood lap or hardboard, with a thin fiberboard backer between it and the aluminum. On some older houses it is asbestos-cement shingles, which an abatement firm removes before we go further. The wood under aluminum is often in decent shape because the aluminum kept the weather off, except under windows and at the bottom course. We take it all to the sheathing so the wall can be checked and wrapped.
Can you put vinyl siding over aluminum siding?
It is possible and we do not do it. The aluminum is already over the original siding, so you would be three layers deep with no wrap and no way to see the sheathing. Window and door depths get worse with each layer. The aluminum comes off, goes to the recycler, and the new siding goes on a wrapped wall.
Is old aluminum siding worth anything as scrap?
Aluminum is recyclable and scrap yards take it. We separate the aluminum panels and trim from the rest of the debris and take them to a recycler rather than the dumpster. Scrap prices change and the siding is painted, so do not expect it to offset much of the job, but it keeps a few hundred pounds of metal out of the landfill.
Why does my aluminum siding leave white powder on my hand?
That is chalking. The factory finish on aluminum siding breaks down in the sun over decades and turns to a fine powder on the surface. Painting over it works for a while if the chalk is washed off first, but it comes back. Chalking is cosmetic; the dents from hail and the gaps at the trim are what let water behind it. Both together are the usual reason to replace it.
Does insurance cover replacing hail-dented aluminum siding?
Often, when the hail damage is recent and the policy does not exclude cosmetic damage to metal siding. Ask your agent and read the policy for a cosmetic exclusion. We write a line-item scope for the adjuster covering the siding, trim, soffit and fascia. In Minnesota a contractor cannot waive or pay your deductible, and the state's matching rule may apply when only part of the siding is damaged and the rest cannot be matched.
What siding should replace aluminum in Minnesota?
Vinyl if the budget is the deciding factor; it is the direct replacement. LP SmartSide if you want a wood look and better hail resistance. Steel if the house is on an open lot and has been dented by hail more than once; it does not crack, chalk or fade the way the aluminum and vinyl do. We bring samples of each to the estimate and will say which one we would put on your house.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners, builders and dealers. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-333-4066.
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Read morePage reviewed October 2, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All siding pages
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