How to install vinyl siding: the wall, the trim, the panels, and the nailing
Put up house wrap or felt, flash the openings, then the starter strip at the bottom, the corner posts and J-channel around the windows and doors. Lock each panel into the one below and nail it in the center of the slots, up to 16 inches apart, with a dime's thickness of space under the nail head so the vinyl can move. Leave 1/4 inch at every opening and stop.
Anthony Hicks30+ years in construction. Updated November 5, 2026.
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What the code says
- The siding: vinyl siding is certified and labeled to ASTM D3679 (IRC R703.11), and it’s installed by the maker’s instructions (R703.11.1).
- Behind it: at least one layer of water-resistive barrier over the studs or sheathing, continuous to the top of the walls, such as No. 15 felt or house wrap; felt and house wrap go on horizontally, the upper layer lapped over the lower at least 2 inches (R703.2).
- Fasteners, unless the maker says otherwise: a 0.120 inch nail with a 0.313 inch head, or a 16 gauge staple (R703.11.1.1), reaching at least 1 1/4 inches into sheathing, framing or other nailable material (R703.11.1.2), no more than 16 inches apart on horizontal siding and 12 inches on vertical siding (R703.11.1.3).
Step by step
- Prepare the wall. It has to be flat: siding is only as straight as what’s under it. On a re-side, the old uneven siding may need to come off or be furred out.
- Put up the water-resistive barrier and flash the windows and doors: the bottom flashing first, then the sides over it, then the top, each reaching past the window’s nail flange.
- Snap a level line and put up the starter strip along the bottom of the walls.
- Hang the outside corner posts and the J-channel around windows and doors, as receivers for the panel ends.
- Lock each panel into the one below by pushing up lightly along its bottom, without stretching it up tight.
- Nail from the center out: fasteners in the center of the nailing slots, driven straight, with about 1/32 inch, the thickness of a dime, between the head and the vinyl.
- Leave room at the ends: at least 1/4 inch at every opening and stop, 3/8 inch below 40°F.
- Check level every few rows, and the line of the panels at the corners and over the doors and windows.
- Fit the panels under the windows with undersill trim, and finish the top of each gable.
Why vinyl siding is hung loose
Vinyl grows and shrinks with the temperature, 1/2 inch or more over a 12’ 6” panel, the Vinyl Siding Institute says. Nailed tight, it buckles in the heat. That’s why the nails go in the center of the slots, the heads stand off the vinyl, the ends stop short of the trim, and nothing is face-nailed except the one nail that finishes the top of a gable.
Fasteners the institute calls for
| Use | Fastener |
|---|---|
| General siding | Corrosion-resistant nail, 1 1/2 inches long, 5/16 inch head, 1/8 inch shank |
| Re-siding over old siding | 2 inch nail |
| Trim | 1 to 1 1/2 inch nail |
| Aluminum trim | Aluminum or stainless fasteners |
| Accessories | Every 8 to 12 inches |
Cutting vinyl
A circular saw with a fine-tooth blade put on backwards, cut slowly (for vinyl only), tin snips, or a utility knife: score the face and snap it. Wear safety glasses for every cut.
Common questions
How far apart do you nail vinyl siding?
No more than 16 inches on horizontal siding and 12 inches on vertical, unless the maker’s instructions allow more (IRC R703.11.1.3).
Can vinyl siding go over old siding?
Yes, when the wall under it is flat and sound; uneven old siding is furred out or taken off. Re-siding takes longer nails, 2 inches.
Do you need house wrap under vinyl siding?
The code calls for a water-resistive barrier behind siding, such as house wrap or No. 15 felt (IRC R703.2).
How much vinyl siding do I need?
The siding calculator works out the squares, starter strip, J-channel, corners and house wrap for a house, and the vinyl siding cost guide prices it installed.