By Omer Okic, owner of Ultimate Exteriors · 28 years on Des Moines roofsUpdated October 2026
For Iowa homes, vinyl is the most affordable and lowest-maintenance siding, fiber cement is the most durable and fire-resistant, and LP engineered wood gives a real wood look with strong impact resistance.
- Vinyl: lowest cost, little upkeep
- Fiber cement: heavy, durable, needs painting over time
- LP SmartSide: wood look, resists hail impacts
- Installation quality matters as much as material
The right siding depends on your budget, how much maintenance you're willing to do and the look you want. Here's a plain comparison of the three materials we install.
Vinyl siding
Vinyl is the most affordable option and needs very little maintenance. Modern vinyl comes in many colors and profiles. It can crack in very cold temperatures if it's hit hard, and lighter-weight panels can show hail damage, so panel thickness matters.
Fiber cement siding
Fiber cement is heavy, rigid and resists fire, rot and insects. It holds paint well and gives a crisp, painted-wood look. It costs more than vinyl and takes more labor to install, but it stands up well to hail and wind.
Engineered wood siding
Engineered wood, like LP's siding products, gives you the look of real wood with treated strands that resist rot and moisture. It's lighter than fiber cement and handles impacts well. It needs to be painted and maintained like other painted siding.
What matters as much as the material
No siding performs well without the layers behind it: a weather-resistant barrier, flashing around windows and doors and proper fastening. That's where most siding problems actually start. We'll walk you through samples and pricing for all three at your free estimate.
Pricing it out? See our siding cost guide for Des Moines.