7 Best Siding Contractors in Forest Lake, MN

Forest Lake siding work is its own animal. The lakefront homes around the actual lake — many built between 1955 and 1985 — were sided with cedar shake or T1-11 plywood that’s now 40+ years old, warped, and in some cases hiding water damage that goes back decades. The post-2000 subdivisions east and north of town were almost universally clad in builder-grade vinyl that’s now fading, cracking at the J-channel, and pulling away at the corners. And the wind exposure off the lake means that cheap siding installs — the ones that skip housewrap detailing, use staples instead of nails, or run panels too tight — fail visibly within five years.

This is the seven companies we’d call if a Forest Lake neighbor asked us who to trust with a siding job. We compared them on Forest Lake project history, lakefront install experience, the underlayment and flashing detail they actually deliver, James Hardie and LP SmartSide credentials, warranty terms after a company changes hands, and how they handle the trim package on older lake cabins. Pricing transparency was a tiebreaker — Forest Lake homeowners get burned by lowballed estimates often enough that we pay attention to it.

For the broader Forest Lake exterior contractor landscape, see our guide to roofing companies in Forest Lake — the same crews often work both trades.

What Makes Forest Lake Siding Jobs Different

Three Forest Lake-specific issues come up on almost every estimate. First, the cedar question: a lot of older lakefront homes still have original cedar shake or board-and-batten that’s structurally sound but cosmetically gone. Replacing cedar with cedar requires a contractor with carpentry depth that not every siding crew has. Second, the rot finds: pulling 40-year-old siding off a lakefront wall almost always uncovers some sheathing rot, especially around windows and at the corners where wind-driven rain has hammered the building for decades. The contractors who handle this transparently — and the ones who hide it — sort themselves out fast. Third, color and exposure: lake-facing walls in Forest Lake bake under summer sun and freeze under winter ice, and siding products perform very differently across that range. Engineered wood (LP SmartSide) and fiber cement (James Hardie) outperform vinyl on lakefront walls; vinyl works fine on tree-shaded sides.

1. Lindus Construction

Lindus is the Forest Lake siding shop most likely to show up on a quality-tier short list. Based in Baldwin, Wisconsin, they’ve been working the I-35 corridor for decades and have probably done more LP SmartSide and James Hardie installs in Forest Lake than any other contractor. Their carpentry crew will pull cedar, replace rot honestly, and re-detail the trim package without fighting you on cost. Their warranty is meaningful and they’re financially stable enough to honor it.

Best for: Hardie or LP installs on older lakefront homes where rot is likely. Worst for: budget vinyl jobs — that’s not their lane.

2. Capitol Exteriors

Capitol does heavy siding volume in the post-2000 Forest Lake subdivisions. They run as a James Hardie Preferred contractor, which means their installers have completed the manufacturer’s training and the warranty terms are stronger than non-preferred installs. Their pricing on combined siding-and-window jobs is competitive, and they’ve earned a reputation for cleaning up after themselves — a small thing that matters more than people realize on a four-day siding job.

The downside: their crews vary in tenure. Ask which lead carpenter is on your job and how many Forest Lake jobs they’ve personally run. Best for: Hardie installs in the newer subdivisions. Worst for: cedar-to-cedar restorations.

3. Twin Cities Siding Professionals

Twin Cities Siding Pros has done a lot of Forest Lake work over the past 15 years, particularly LP SmartSide. They’re a James Hardie Elite Preferred contractor — the highest tier in Hardie’s installer program — and their warranty work is generally responsive. Their estimating process is detailed and slow, which homeowners either appreciate or don’t depending on their personality.

Pricing tends to land in the upper-mid tier. They’re particularly strong on the housewrap-and-flashing detail that determines whether a Forest Lake siding job lasts 30 years or 12. Best for: homeowners who want a slow, careful, well-documented project.

4. Krech Exteriors

Krech is based in Inver Grove Heights but services Forest Lake on larger jobs. They’re known for high-end work — slate-look fiber cement, custom trim packages, lakefront restorations — and their crews are direct employees, not subs. Their pricing reflects all of this; expect 15–25% above the regional average for comparable scope.

The reason to hire Krech in Forest Lake is when you want the siding to look right on a million-dollar lakefront home. The reason not to is if you’re trying to maximize value on a 1990s vinyl-rambler. Best for: high-end lakefront restorations. Worst for: cost-conscious replacements.

5. New Look Exteriors

New Look has done substantial Forest Lake business in the LP SmartSide and vinyl categories. They’re a mid-tier shop — not the cheapest, not the most expensive — and their work in the Forest Lake subdivisions has held up well over the past decade. They handle insurance restoration jobs after hail well, which matters in this market because Forest Lake gets hammered by hail roughly every 3–5 years.

Their warranty is standard, their crew tenure is reasonable, and their estimates are clear. Best for: hail-restoration siding jobs and mid-tier replacements.

6. Owl Roofing & Exteriors

We do clean siding work in Forest Lake — particularly on the southern end of town closer to Hugo, where our crews are already running roof and gutter projects. We’re not the most active siding-only contractor in Forest Lake; that’s Lindus or Capitol. Where we earn our spot in this list is on full-exterior bundles where siding is part of a roof-and-gutter scope, and on hail-restoration jobs where we coordinate the whole envelope through the insurance claim.

If your Forest Lake siding job is purely a re-side with no other trades involved, we’ll be honest: we may not be the fastest scheduler in your market. If it’s part of a larger exterior project, we’re a strong call. Best for: full-envelope bundles and storm restoration. Worst for: tight-timeline siding-only jobs in northern Forest Lake.

7. Custom Exteriors of Minnesota

Custom Exteriors is a smaller shop that does Forest Lake work on referral. They’re particularly strong on cedar restoration and custom trim — the kind of detail-heavy work that the volume installers don’t always have patience for. Their pricing is mid-tier and their crews are tight, but their availability fluctuates depending on what season and what their backlog looks like.

Best for: cedar-to-cedar restorations and detail-heavy historic work. Worst for: large-scope production-style installs.

Forest Lake Siding Comparison Grid

Company	Specialty	Price Tier	Best For
Lindus Construction	Hardie / LP SmartSide	Mid-Premium	Older lakefront rot repair
Capitol Exteriors	Hardie Preferred	Mid	Post-2000 subdivision re-sides
Twin Cities Siding Pros	Hardie Elite Preferred	Upper-Mid	Slow, well-documented projects
Krech Exteriors	High-end fiber cement	Premium	Lakefront restorations
New Look Exteriors	LP / Vinyl	Mid	Hail-restoration claims
Owl Roofing	Full-envelope bundles	Mid	Roof + siding combined
Custom Exteriors	Cedar / Custom trim	Mid-Premium	Historic restoration

How To Choose A Siding Contractor In Forest Lake

Step 1: Match the product to the wall exposure

Lake-facing walls in Forest Lake need durable products — engineered wood (LP SmartSide) or fiber cement (James Hardie). Tree-shaded walls can use vinyl economically. Don’t let a contractor talk you into one product for the whole house if the exposures vary.

Step 2: Get the rot-discovery clause in writing

On any pre-1990 Forest Lake home, expect to find sheathing rot. The contract should specify a per-sheet replacement price (typical: $80–$140 per 4×8 sheet of OSB or plywood) so there are no surprise upcharges mid-project.

Step 3: Confirm the housewrap and flashing details

Ask: what brand of housewrap? Are window flashings replaced or reused? Is the kick-out flashing at the roof-wall junction included? These three details determine whether the siding job lasts 30 years or 10.

Step 4: Verify Hardie or LP installer status

James Hardie has Preferred and Elite Preferred installer tiers. LP SmartSide has Premier installer status. These tiers carry meaningful warranty advantages and they’re verifiable on the manufacturer’s site.

Step 5: Check Forest Lake references that are 5+ years old

Anyone can show you a one-year-old install that looks great. Ask for two Forest Lake jobs the contractor did 5+ years ago and drive past them. The seams, color fade, caulk lines, and corner detail tell the real story.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does siding cost in Forest Lake, MN?

Vinyl re-sides in Forest Lake run $9–$14 per square foot installed. LP SmartSide runs $12–$17. James Hardie fiber cement runs $14–$20. Cedar restoration runs $18–$28+. A typical 2,000 sq ft Forest Lake rambler with LP SmartSide totals $28,000–$36,000 in late 2025.

Do I need a permit for siding replacement in Forest Lake?

Yes. Washington County requires permits for full siding replacement. Cost runs $150–$300 depending on project value. Confirm permit cost is in the contract — and confirm the contractor (not you) pulls it.

What’s the best siding for a Forest Lake lakefront home?

For lake-side exposures, James Hardie fiber cement and LP SmartSide engineered wood are the two strongest options. Both handle the wind and freeze-thaw cycles better than vinyl, and both carry meaningful manufacturer warranties (15+ years on finish, 30+ years on substrate).

How long does a Forest Lake siding project take?

A typical 2,000 sq ft Forest Lake home runs 5–8 working days for a Hardie or LP install, longer if there’s significant rot to address. Cedar restorations run 10–15 days. Lead times from contract signing to project start run 4–10 weeks depending on season.

Get A Free Siding Quote In Forest Lake, MN

If your Forest Lake siding project is part of a larger exterior scope — roof, gutters, windows in the same season — give Owl a call. We’ll be honest about whether we’re the right fit. For siding-only jobs in northern Forest Lake, we’ll often point you to Lindus or Capitol first. We’d rather you get great work than a mediocre quote from us.

Sources: James Hardie installer directory, LP Building Solutions Premier program, Washington County permitting (washingtoncountymn.gov), manufacturer warranty terms current as of late 2025.