Steel Siding Installation — Steel Lap Siding for Minnesota Homes
Siding that hail dents instead of cracks, woodpeckers give up on and never needs paint — steel lap or board-and-batten hung over fresh housewrap with the flashing done right.
JMB Builders does steel siding installation on homes across the Twin Cities metro and north to St. Cloud: steel lap and board-and-batten panels hung over new housewrap with steel trim, J-channel and window flashing done by the same crew. Seamless (site-run) steel is done with a partner who brings the roll-forming machine; standard-length steel panels we install ourselves. Priced per project, quoted from your photos within one business day.
- Priced per project, whole house or one wall
- Steel lap and board-and-batten, hail and woodpecker proof
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Steel siding is the answer to two Minnesota problems: hail and woodpeckers. A hailstorm that cracks vinyl and chips paint off wood leaves steel with, at most, a few dents on the storm side. A woodpecker that has been working on your cedar for years cannot get a beak into it. The painted finish does not chalk or fade the way vinyl does and it never needs paint. It costs more than vinyl and about the same as fiber cement or engineered wood installed, and once it is on you are done with the wall.
The install is closer to fiber cement than to vinyl. Steel panels are cut with shears or a fine-tooth blade, not snapped; the trim is steel too, and the J-channel, starter strip, corner posts and window trim are set first so the panels lock in behind them. Housewrap goes on fresh with the seams taped, every window and door gets flashing tape and a drip cap or head flashing, and kick-out flashing goes in at every roof-to-wall joint. Steel expands and contracts less than vinyl, but it still needs its fasteners set right so the panels hang straight through a hot August and a cold January.
Standard-length steel lap panels (the common residential product) we hang ourselves. Seamless steel, where the panel is rolled to the full length of the wall on site so there are no end laps, is run through a partner who brings the roll-forming machine; we do the tear-off, housewrap, trim, flashing and window work either way.
What you supply
- Photos of each side of the house from the yard, plus close-ups of the windows, corners and any rot or damage
- Your color and profile choice, or we bring samples to the site visit for a whole house
- Whether you want windows or doors replaced at the same time; the siding job is the cheapest time to do it
What JMB supplies
- Tear-off and disposal of the old siding, or a flat sound layer inspected and left when it can stay
- New housewrap with taped seams, flashing tape at every window and door, and rotted sheathing replaced
- Steel lap or board-and-batten panels in your color, with matching steel starter, J-channel, corner posts and trim
- Drip caps and head flashing at every opening, kick-out flashing at every roof-to-wall joint
- Steel fascia and soffit, or the existing aluminum left when it is sound, quoted as a line
- Light blocks, hose bib blocks and vent blocks in matching steel
- Seamless (site-run) steel through our partner's roll-former when you want no end laps, with JMB doing the rest
- Photos of the flashing before the panels go on, in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Wall square footage and how many corners, windows and doors break it up
- Standard-length lap panels vs. seamless site-run steel, which costs more per wall
- Lap vs. board-and-batten profile, and the finish and gauge of the steel
- Tear-off of one or two layers of old siding vs. going over a flat layer
- Sheathing repair and housewrap where the old siding let water in
- Steel soffit and fascia added to the same job
- Windows or doors replaced during the siding job
- Height and access: two-story walls and walkout sides need staging
Photos of all four sides and a note about which walls take the hail are enough for a firm range. A whole house gets a measured visit before the panel order goes in.
How long it takes
One wall: one to two days. A typical house: one to two weeks once the material is on site, which is usually a few weeks after the measure.
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 quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 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
Steel lap siding (standard length)
The common residential product: painted steel in a lap profile with a wood-grain or smooth face, in factory lengths with staggered end laps. We install it ourselves over new housewrap with steel trim. The best value in steel.
Seamless steel siding
Panels rolled on site to the length of each wall so there are no end laps at all. Run through our partner's roll-forming machine; JMB does the tear-off, housewrap, trim, flashing and any window work. Costs more and looks the cleanest on long walls.
Steel board and batten
Vertical steel panels with a batten profile for a farmhouse or modern look, on a house, a garage or an accent gable. Needs horizontal furring or a flat sheathing surface and a different trim set, which we include.
Steel on the hail side only
Some owners put steel on the west and north walls that take the hail and keep the existing siding elsewhere. We match trim and color as closely as the two products allow and flash the transition at the corners.
Steel Siding Installation — Steel Lap Siding for Minnesota Homes: questions, answered
Is steel siding better than vinyl in Minnesota?
For hail and woodpeckers, yes by a wide margin. Steel dents where vinyl cracks, and a woodpecker cannot get into it. Steel holds its color longer, expands and contracts less, and does not get brittle in the cold. Vinyl costs less to buy and install and is easier to patch a small section of. If hail claims are a regular event on your block, steel is the siding that ends them.
Does steel siding dent from hail?
Large hail can leave small dents on the wall facing the storm, and that is the extent of it; the panel does not crack, split or let water in. A hail claim on steel siding is usually about appearance rather than damage. Heavier gauge steel dents less. Compared with cracked vinyl or chipped paint on wood, a few dents that you have to look for is the trade.
Do you run seamless steel siding yourselves?
No. Seamless steel is rolled to the length of the wall on site with a roll-forming machine, and that part runs through a partner who brings the machine. JMB does everything else on the job: tear-off, sheathing repair, housewrap, flashing, trim, windows and doors, soffit and fascia. If you want standard-length steel lap panels, we install those ourselves start to finish.
Can steel siding go over existing siding?
Over one flat, sound layer of wood lap or hardboard, sometimes, with new housewrap over the old siding and the trim built out to suit. Over vinyl, uneven wood or two layers, no; it comes off so the panels hang flat and the sheathing can be checked. Tear-off is usually the better job because it lets us fix the flashing and the rot the old siding was hiding.
Does steel siding rust?
Painted galvanized or galvalume steel siding does not rust in normal service; the coating protects it. Cut edges are the place to watch, which is why the trim covers every cut end and we seal or touch up field cuts. Deep scratches to bare metal should be touched up with the manufacturer's paint. Steel that has been on a house for decades in Minnesota is usually still sound.
Can you replace windows at the same time as steel siding?
Yes, and it is the right time. With the old siding off, a full-frame window goes in with flashing tape lapped into the new housewrap and a head flashing under the siding, which is the detail a window job on a finished wall cannot fully do. We quote the windows as their own line so you can decide which openings to include.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All siding pages
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Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: