Siding Contractor in Levittown, NY

When Bill Levitt built Levittown between 1947 and 1951, he built 17,000 near-identical cape cod houses on a standard template: 750 square foot original footprint, steep gable roof, one-window-each on the front elevation, a central chimney, wood clapboard exterior, and a tiny detached garage. Most of them were sold to returning GIs for $7,990 on a VA loan with nothing down.

77 years later, almost every single one of those houses has been expanded, added on to, dormered up, or bumped out. The original 750 sqft footprint is now usually 1,100-1,800. The original clapboard is usually buried under two or three generations of overlay: asbestos shingle in the 1960s, aluminum in the 1970s, vinyl in the 1990s. The walls themselves are still the original 2x4 framing with no insulation in the exterior walls.

If you own a Levittown cape and you are thinking about new siding, you are dealing with a very specific set of problems that a crew without Levittown experience will miss.

1. Tear-off everything. Do not install over the existing layers. We pull the vinyl, we pull the aluminum or asbestos underneath, and we get down to the original wall wrap or bare sheathing. This is the only way to properly inspect the wall and correct decades of accumulated errors.

2. Asbestos abatement, if it is there. Any Levittown cape from the late 1950s or 1960s era that had an asbestos shingle overlay (very common) needs licensed abatement. The asbestos is not dangerous while it is sitting there undisturbed, but the moment a saw or a nail gun hits it, the fibers go airborne. We use a licensed asbestos abatement subcontractor. Cost: typically $3,500-$6,500 on a Levittown cape footprint. We test first if we are not sure.

3. Add wall insulation during the reside. Since the walls have to be opened anyway, this is the perfect chance to blow cellulose or foam into the wall cavities from the outside. We work with a local insulation contractor who can do this in a morning. Cost: $1,800-$3,200 on a typical cape. Benefit: R-13 to R-15 walls where there used to be R-3 (just the dead air). Most customers who do this see their heating bills drop $80-$150 per month in winter.

4. Use insulated vinyl or Hardie. Since Levittown capes have limited wall thickness and modest budgets, insulated vinyl (CertainTeed CedarBoards) is usually the sweet spot. Hardie works for customers who want the premium look and have the budget. Real cedar is rare on Levittown capes because it looks overdressed on the scale of these houses.

5. Respect the scale. A Levittown cape is a small house with low eaves. Oversized corner boards, heavy trim, or aggressive colors look strange on them. We recommend 3.5" to 4" corner boards, standard trim, and mid-tone colors. White, gray, cream, light blue, and sage green all look right. Dark navy or black tends to feel too heavy.

Rotted sheathing at the bottom courses. The original 1947 plywood sheathing at the bottom plate is often rotted from 77 years of sprinkler and snowbank contact. We replace any rotted sheathing during tear-off. Budget: add $400-$1,200 depending on extent.

Rotted window sills. The original 1947 windows are usually gone, but the wood bucks around the newer windows are often rotted where the siding meets them. We rebuild as needed.

Old lead paint on wood trim. If you still have original wood fascia or soffit, it is almost certainly painted with lead-based paint. We handle this per EPA RRP rules (Renovation, Repair and Painting program), which adds some cost but keeps you and our crew safe.

Bad electrical penetrations. 1960s-era electrical mast installations through the wall often have improper flashing. We reflash during the reside. Free.

Undersized original J-channel at windows. The 1990s vinyl job usually reused the 1970s aluminum J-channel, which was not sized for modern insulated panels. We replace all J-channel with new material sized to the new siding.

Cape on Dawnwood Lane, 2024. Full tear-off including licensed asbestos abatement. New CertainTeed CedarBoards insulated vinyl in Colonial White, black shutters, insulated wall blown during the reside. 1,400 sqft exterior. 11 working days. $32,500 total including abatement and insulation. Customer's heating bill dropped $110/month that winter.

Cape on Rose Lane, 2023. Standard Monogram 46 vinyl in Flagstone (medium gray). No asbestos present. 1,200 sqft exterior. 8 working days. $18,500.

Expanded cape (1.5 to 2 story bump-up) on Starboard Lane, 2025. Full reside in Monogram 46 vinyl in Heritage Cream with board and batten vinyl in the new second-floor gable. 1,700 sqft exterior (expanded). 11 working days. $26,000.

Cape on Gardener Avenue, 2023. Full James Hardie Plank in Arctic White with HardieShingle gable accent. 1,400 sqft exterior. 13 working days. $38,000. Customer wanted the best material and was willing to pay for it. Result was exceptional.

Asbestos emergency on Bluejay Lane, 2024. Customer had started a DIY siding removal, hit the asbestos layer, panicked. We stopped the work, had abatement on-site the next day, handled the disposal paperwork, and had new siding on the house two weeks later. $31,000 total, customer was grateful to not be sued by the town.

Levittown is mostly in the Town of Hempstead building department, with a small section in the Town of Oyster Bay. We pull in both. Turnaround is typically 7-12 business days. Levittown building inspectors are used to residing jobs and move quickly through inspections.

Note on asbestos: Licensed asbestos abatement on a Levittown cape requires additional filing with Nassau County Department of Health. We handle this automatically when abatement is part of the job.

Review 1: "Our cape cod was built in 1949 and had asbestos shingle siding that needed to come off before anything new could go on. Mike brought in a licensed abatement crew, handled the disposal paperwork, and had Hardie up in 16 days. The quote was firm, the cleanup was immaculate, and the house looks like a brand-new build. Highest compliment I can give." — Eileen R., Levittown · Hardie Plank · 2023

Review 2: "Our cape had three layers of old siding, none of them looking good. Mike quoted the job honestly and told us the insulation upgrade would pay for itself in gas savings over 4 years. He was right. We paid for it in three. The crew was respectful, on time, and cleaned up every day before leaving." — Frank and Lois D., Levittown · CedarBoards + insulation · 2024

Review 3: "I am a first-time homeowner and did not know what I was doing. Mike walked me through the whole process, explained every line item on the estimate, and never made me feel dumb for asking basic questions. The finished house looks like the Levittown model home my parents took me to see in 1960." — Michael K., Levittown · Monogram 46 · 2023