Two-Story Siding Replacement — Staging, Lifts and Upper Windows
A two-story colonial or four-square with twenty feet of wall and a row of second-floor windows that nobody wants to do off a ladder.
Two-story siding replacement is mostly a staging job: pump-jack planks or a lift along every tall wall so the second-floor windows get flashed and trimmed from a stable deck instead of a ladder. JMB Builders strips, wraps and re-sides two-story houses across the Twin Cities metro, gables included. Licensed Minnesota contractor BC809005, priced per project with the staging in the quote. Send photos and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
- Pump-jack staging or lift on every tall wall
- Upper windows flashed and trimmed from the plank
- Gables done with the wall under them
- Free in-home estimate
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Send photos and hear back within one business day — or book a free in-home estimate.
A two-story house has roughly the same footprint as a rambler and twice the wall. The second story is where the time goes. Every piece of siding above about ten feet is cut on the ground, carried up and set from a plank, and every upper window is flashed, trimmed and sealed with somebody standing on staging rather than leaning off a ladder. Staging is not optional on this job; it is the difference between upper-floor windows that are flashed right and ones that were reached.
We set pump-jack staging along each tall wall: aluminum poles braced to the house, a plank that cranks up as the courses rise, and guardrails. On a walk-out back wall, where the grade drops and the wall gets to be three stories, a lift sometimes beats the poles. Gables are done from the same staging as the wall under them, so the shakes or the board and batten in the peak go on at the same time, and the rake trim is set while we are up there.
The upper windows get the same treatment as the lower ones: flange exposed, flashed into the wrap in order, head flashing, trim, sealant where it belongs. Many two-story houses in the metro have a roof dying into the second-story wall over a garage or a porch, and that is the spot that leaks. A kick-out flashing at the bottom of that roof-to-wall line, directing water into the gutter instead of behind the siding, goes in on every one we touch.
What you supply
- Photos of every elevation from far enough back to see the whole wall and the gable
- A note on grade changes: walk-out basements, decks and anything that makes a wall taller on one side
- Material and color choice from the samples at the free in-home estimate
- Vehicles out of the driveway where staging or a lift has to set up, and room for the dumpster
What JMB supplies
- Pump-jack staging or a lift along every tall wall, set and taken down by the crew
- Tear-off of all siding and trim on both floors and the gables, with disposal
- Sheathing repair, house wrap and flashing at every window and door on both floors
- Kick-out flashing where a lower roof meets the second-story wall, step flashing checked
- Siding and trim on the tall walls, gables and rakes, with every upper piece set from the plank
- Band board or frieze between floors where the design calls for it, flashed
- Upper-floor light fixtures, vents and the cable or dish line remounted on blocks
- Photos of the wrapped upper walls and the flashing before the siding covers them
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Total squares, with the upper story costing more per square because of staging time
- How many walls need staging and whether a walk-out or deck forces a lift on one side
- Number of second-floor windows, which are slower to flash and trim than first-floor ones
- Gable count and whether the gables get a different texture
- Roof-to-wall intersections needing kick-outs and step flashing
- Material and profile, trim boards vs. channel at the openings
- Soffit, fascia and gutters at a two-story eave height, if done in the same job
A photo of each wall from across the yard, showing the full height and the ground under it, tells us how we will stage it.
How long it takes
Most two-story houses: one to two weeks with one crew. Staging setup and teardown is part of each wall. Add days for gables in a second texture or for new upper windows.
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
Colonial and four-square
Plain tall walls with a row of windows on each floor. Pump-jack staging on every side, lap siding with a band board or frieze, wide trim at the windows. The most efficient two-story to re-side.
Two-story with a one-story wing
A garage or family room roof dying into the tall wall. Kick-out flashing at the bottom of the roof-to-wall line and step flashing checked under the siding are the details that stop the leak inside that corner.
Walk-out three-story back wall
The back of a two-story on a sloped lot is often a full three stories at the walk-out. A lift or taller staging, more time per square, and extra care at the deck ledger where the siding meets it.
Gable accents
Shakes or board and batten in the peaks over lap on the walls, with a band board at the change. Done from the same staging as the wall, with the rake and frieze trim set at the same time.
Two-Story Siding Replacement — Staging, Lifts and Upper Windows: questions, answered
How do you reach the second story to replace siding?
Pump-jack staging: aluminum poles braced to the house with a plank that cranks up as the courses rise, with guardrails. The crew works from the plank, so the upper windows are flashed and trimmed from a stable deck. On a walk-out wall or where poles cannot set, a lift does the job. Ladders are for getting up to the staging, not for hanging siding.
Does a two-story house cost more to side than a rambler with the same floor area?
Yes. It has about twice the wall area, and the upper half takes longer per square because everything is cut on the ground, carried up and set from staging. Second-floor windows are slower to flash and trim than first-floor ones. The staging itself is in the quote. The trade-off is that the roof and the eave work are smaller on a two-story than on a sprawling rambler.
Where does a two-story house leak behind the siding?
Where a lower roof dies into the second-story wall, over a garage or a porch. Water runs down the roof-to-wall line and, without a kick-out flashing at the bottom, goes behind the siding and into the wall above the first-floor ceiling. Also under second-floor windows that were never flashed. We open every one of those spots on a tear-off and flash them before the new siding goes on.
Can the second-floor windows be replaced during siding?
Yes, and it is the best time. The staging is already up, the siding is off, and the new window is flashed straight into the new wrap from the plank. Replacing upper windows later means staging again and cutting back the new siding. We install the windows as part of the same job.
Will the staging damage the lawn or landscaping?
Pump-jack poles stand on pads and are braced to the wall, so the ground under them takes little load. Shrubs against the house get tied back or protected with plywood; anything that cannot be worked around is discussed before we start. A lift leaves tire marks on a soft lawn, so we use one only where poles cannot set.
How long does it take to re-side a two-story house?
One to two weeks with one crew. Each wall is staged, stripped, wrapped, sided and un-staged in turn, and the wall is wrapped before the end of each day. Gables in a second texture, new upper windows or a walk-out back wall add days. A plain colonial on a flat lot is at the short end.
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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