Every cedar installation we do is a full wall system, not just boards nailed to sheathing. Here is what is in the scope, and what we treat as an add-on so there are no surprises on the invoice.
We remove the existing siding, bag it, and haul it to the dump. Sheathing gets inspected board by board and any rotted sections are replaced with like-thickness material. This is included on every full installation, not billed as extra labor.
New weather-resistive house wrap goes over the sheathing, then flashing at every window head, sill, corner, and penetration. This is the layer that keeps water out of your framing. We do not reuse old wrap, even if it looks intact.
Kiln-dried western red cedar in the profile and grade you choose: bevel, board and batten, or shakes, in clear or knotty. Boards are back-primed before they go up. We keep a 1/8-inch expansion gap and fasten with stainless or hot-dip galvanized nails.
First coat goes on within 72 hours of installation, second coat after the cedar acclimates. We use penetrating oil stain, not film-forming paint, because it moves with the wood instead of cracking. You pick the color from our sample deck.
Aluminum or cedar trim at corners, windows, and doors, caulked with a paintable elastomeric sealant. We magnet-sweep the yard for nails, haul off every scrap, and leave the site clean enough to walk barefoot. Final walk-around happens with you before we pack the truck.
Cedar Siding Installation in Oklahoma City is the process of fastening kiln-dried western red cedar boards, shakes, or bevel planks to your home's sheathing over a weather-resistive barrier, then sealing every penetration so water never reaches the framing. We pull the old material, inspect the sheathing for rot, replace any soft spots, and run new house wrap and flashing before a single cedar board goes up. Boards get back-primed, face-nailed with stainless or hot-dip galvanized nails, and cut with a circular saw fitted with a fine-tooth blade to limit tear-out.
Oklahoma City homes take a beating that cedar is uniquely suited to handle. Summer surface temps on south-facing walls push past 140 degrees, winter brings freeze-thaw cycles that split cheap composites, and hail season runs April through June. Cedar moves with that expansion instead of cracking. If you are weighing cedar siding replacement Oklahoma City options against fiber cement, cedar wins on repairability: a damaged board comes out with a pry bar and a new one goes in the same afternoon. Homeowners in Midtown and the Paseo Arts District call us most often after a storm strips a wall or when 20-year-old cedar has gone gray and checked.
Five steps, no surprises. Here is exactly what happens from the first phone call to the final walk-around, and how long each stage takes on a typical Oklahoma City home.
Schedule
Call or book online — a real human picks up and confirms a 2-hour arrival window.
Diagnose
Licensed tech inspects on-site, then walks you through the cause and your options.
Fix
The job is completed to code and done right the first time — no shortcuts, no surprises.
Guarantee
Every job backed by a written workmanship warranty — and we stand behind it.
Siding Nailer
Drives stainless or hot-dip galvanized nails to a consistent depth without over-driving. Over-driven nails tear the cedar face and create a water pocket. We set the regulator so every nail sits flush.
Circular Saw with Fine-Tooth Blade
Cuts cedar cleanly with minimal tear-out. A coarse blade splinters the end grain, which opens the board to water. We swap blades every few hundred cuts to keep the edge sharp.
Chalk Line and Level
Sets the first course dead level and keeps every course after it on line. Cedar moves, so we check level every three or four courses instead of trusting the first one.
Caulk Gun with Elastomeric Sealant
Seals every joint, corner, and penetration with a paintable elastomeric caulk that flexes with the wood. Cheap caulk cracks in one Oklahoma summer and lets water in.
Pry Bar and Siding Gauge
Removes damaged boards without tearing up the boards around them and sets the correct overlap on each course. The gauge keeps our reveal consistent across the whole wall.
Tin Snips and Utility Knife
Cuts flashing, house wrap, and trim to fit. Sharp snips matter on aluminum trim because a ragged edge shows through the finish.
Back-Priming Every Board
We prime all six sides of every cedar board before installation. This seals the end grain and back face, which is where water gets in first. It adds a day to the job and it is the single biggest reason our cedar outlasts the competition's.
IRC-Compliant Fastening
We fasten to the wind-speed and nail-spacing requirements in the International Residential Code for this zone. Nails go into framing, not just sheathing, and we keep the correct edge distance so boards do not split.
Two-Coat Penetrating Stain System
First coat within 72 hours of installation, second coat after the cedar acclimates to Oklahoma humidity. Penetrating oil stain soaks into the grain instead of forming a film, so it moves with the wood and does not peel.
Flashing at Every Penetration
Window heads, sills, corners, and any pipe or vent that passes through the wall gets flashed before the cedar goes over it. This is the step that keeps water out of your framing, and it is the step most crews skip.
EPA Lead-Safe Work Practices
On pre-1978 homes, we follow EPA Lead-Safe renovation rules: containment, HEPA vacuuming, and proper disposal. Many Oklahoma City homes in Midtown and the Paseo Arts District fall into this category, and we handle it without extra hassle.
01
What we do: We tear off all the layers, inspect the original sheathing, replace the rotted sections, and install new clear-grade cedar in a period-correct bevel profile. We match the original trim width and stain to a color that fits the neighborhood.
→ The house looks like it did in 1925, the walls are dry, and the homeowner has a 25-year exterior instead of another 10-year vinyl cycle.
02
What we do: We install cedar shakes on the gables and bevel boards on the long walls, flashing the transition so water never gets behind either material. Both get back-primed and two coats of stain in the same color.
→ A custom look that matches the arts-district character, installed in six working days, with a single stain color across both profiles.
03
What we do: We install vertical cedar boards with batten strips over new house wrap and insulation board. The battens are fastened with a siding nailer set to the correct depth, and every penetration is caulked.
→ A modern, tall elevation that stands out on the block, with an R-value boost from the insulation board behind it.
04
What we do: We document the damage for insurance, tear off the damaged vinyl, and install cedar on that elevation. We match the profile and stain to the rest of the house so the repair is invisible.
→ A hail-resistant west wall, an insurance claim that covered most of the cost, and a house that looks better than before the storm.
05
What we do: We inspect the existing cedar, replace the boards that have failed, and switch them to a higher-solids penetrating stain that holds up longer. We also set them up on an annual maintenance visit.
→ The cedar gets another 15 years of life, and the homeowner stops guessing about when to restain.
Oklahoma City sits in a climate zone that swings from single digits in January to 105 degrees in July, with 30 to 40 inches of rain and a hail season that runs April through June. Cedar handles all of it, but the installation has to account for the swing. We leave a wider expansion gap than a contractor in a mild climate would, and we back-prime every board because our humidity moves the wood. Building stock matters too: the 1920s bungalows in Historic Capitol Hill and the Paseo Arts District have original sheathing that often needs repair once the old siding comes off, and we plan for that in the assessment. New builds in Deep Deuce and Automobile Alley usually have modern sheathing and go faster. Oklahoma County inspectors check flashing and fastening at rough-in, so we schedule the inspection before the final courses go up. If you are pricing cedar siding installation Oklahoma City OK cost, the biggest variable is how much sheathing repair your walls need, and we find that out on day one, not day five.
Historic Capitol Hill
Mostly 1920s bungalows with original wood sheathing. We plan for sheathing repair on nearly every job here, and we match the original bevel profile so the house keeps its period look.
Paseo Arts District
Stucco and cedar mix on many homes. The transition between the two materials is where water gets in, so we detail the flashing carefully and match the cedar stain to the stucco color.
Deep Deuce
Newer construction with modern sheathing and tight lots. Staging is the challenge here, not the wall itself. We run a small crew and keep the street clear.
Uptown 23rd
A mix of renovated craftsmans and new builds. Hail damage is common on the west-facing walls, and many homeowners here upgrade to cedar after a storm instead of replacing vinyl.
Bricktown
Loft conversions and commercial-residential mixes. Cedar accents on brick are common, and we flash the cedar-to-brick transition so water never gets behind either material.
Hail season April through June
Cedar survives most hail that destroys vinyl, but direct strikes from large stones still crack boards. We document damage for insurance and replace only what is broken, which keeps the repair cost down.
Summer surface temps above 140 degrees
South and west walls bake. We use a penetrating stain that resists UV breakdown, and we recommend a maintenance coat at year three on those elevations specifically.
Freeze-thaw cycles in winter
Water gets into unchecked joints, freezes, and opens them wider. We caulk with elastomeric sealant that flexes through the freeze-thaw range instead of cracking.
30 to 40 inches of annual rain
Water management is the whole game. House wrap, flashing, and a proper drip edge at the base keep the rain off your sheathing. We do not skip any of the three.
Cedar fails in predictable ways here, and most of them trace back to installation shortcuts or skipped maintenance. Here is what we see on Oklahoma City walls and how we fix it.
Problem
Water wicks up from splash-back and failed caulk, softening the bottom two courses. Left alone, rot reaches the sill plate and you are looking at framing repair, not siding repair.
Our Fix
We cut out the rotted boards, treat the sheathing, and install a new bottom course with a proper drip edge and clearance above grade. We also check the grading and downspouts, because the water has to go somewhere. Most base repairs are done in one day.
Problem
UV breaks down unstained cedar within 18 months in Oklahoma sun. Once the grain checks open, water gets in and the board fails from the inside. Restaining a checked board does not fix it.
Our Fix
We replace the failed boards with matching stock and stain the whole wall so the repair blends. Then we put you on a three-to-five-year restain schedule so it does not happen again. A full restain on 1,500 square feet takes two to three days.
Problem
Cedar survives most hail that destroys vinyl, but a direct strike from a two-inch stone will crack a board. Cracked boards let water behind the wall, and that is where mold and mildew start.
Our Fix
We document every strike with photos, replace the damaged boards, and match the stain. If the damage is widespread, we scope the job for your insurance claim. Most hail repairs are a single-visit job and cost a fraction of a full wall.
Problem
Failed flashing and caulk joints let water behind the cedar, where it sits against the sheathing. You will not see it until the interior drywall stains or the trim softens. By then the damage is behind the wall.
Our Fix
We pull the siding back at the affected area, replace the flashing, re-wrap the sheathing, and reinstall the cedar. Then we caulk every joint with elastomeric sealant. This is the repair most other contractors miss because they only look at the surface.
Cedar is not the cheapest siding on the shelf, and it is not supposed to be. Here is what you actually get for the money when a cedar siding contractor Oklahoma City OK installs it correctly the first time.
R-Value and Thermal Performance
Cedar has a natural R-value near 1.4 per inch, roughly double that of vinyl siding panels. On a 2,000-square-foot Oklahoma City home, that translates to a measurable difference in summer cooling load. We install over insulation board where the budget allows, which pushes the wall assembly closer to R-5 and cuts heat gain through west-facing walls.
Stands Up to Hail and Wind
Cedar shakes absorb impact that shatters vinyl and dents aluminum coils. After the last major hail event in Oklahoma County, we replaced cracked vinyl on dozens of homes while cedar walls two streets over needed only stain touch-ups. We fasten to IRC wind-speed requirements for this zone and set nails at the correct depth so boards never cup or pull.
Repairable Board by Board
When a limb punches through cedar wood siding Oklahoma City homeowners can call us and we swap that one board. No full-wall tear-off, no color-matching a discontinued panel run. We keep cedar stock on the truck and match the existing stain, so the repair disappears. That is a repair bill in the hundreds, not thousands.
Takes Stain, Not Just Paint
Cedar accepts penetrating oil stains that soak into the grain instead of sitting on top. That means no peeling film, which is the number-one failure we see on painted composite walls around here. A quality stain job lasts three to five years in Oklahoma sun, and each recoat adds protection rather than building up a shell that eventually flakes.
Google ★★★★★4.9
Elite Siding OKC installed cedar on our 1920s home in Midtown. They found rotted sheathing the other bidders missed and fixed it without changing the price. The stain work is beautiful. Five days, clean crew, no surprises on the invoice.
Yelp ★★★★★4.8
We had hail damage on our west wall and wanted cedar instead of vinyl. They documented everything for insurance and matched the stain to the rest of the house. You cannot tell where the repair starts. Three days and done.
BBB ★★★★★5.0
Got three bids for cedar siding replacement Oklahoma City. Elite was the only one that included staining in the quote and the only one that caught a flashing problem at our kitchen window. Fair price, on time, and the wall looks great.
Google ★★★★★4.9
Board and batten cedar on our new build in Deep Deuce. They handled the permit, passed inspection first time, and the elevation looks exactly like the rendering. Crew was respectful of the neighbors and cleaned up every day.
Elite Siding OKC has been installing cedar siding since 2021, and in that time we have hung cedar on bungalows in Historic Capitol Hill, new builds in Deep Deuce, and 1920s craftsmans in Uptown 23rd. We hold a State of Oklahoma Contractor License and carry OSHA-compliant fall protection on every job. Our crews train on James Hardie and LP SmartSide systems, and we apply the same flashing and moisture-management standards to cedar that those manufacturers require. We have pulled permits in Oklahoma County for every major installation we have done, and we know what the local inspectors look for at rough-in and final.
Real experiences from customers who chose our Cedar Siding Installation services.
“Our 1925 bungalow had cedar under three layers of vinyl. Elite Siding OKC pulled it all, found rotted sheathing at the back wall, replaced it, and hung new clear cedar. The crew was here five days. They back-primed every board and stained it twice. Two summers later it still looks new. The price was exactly what they quoted.”
Marcus T.
Homeowner, Historic Capitol Hill
“We got three bids for cedar siding replacement Oklahoma City and Elite was the only one that included staining in the price. The others wanted to hand us a bare wall. They also caught a flashing problem at our kitchen window that two other contractors missed. That alone saved us a future repair. Crew was clean and on time every day.”
Danielle R.
Homeowner, Paseo Arts District
“Hail took out our vinyl on the west wall. We decided to switch to cedar on that elevation. Elite matched the profile to the rest of the house, stained it to blend, and you cannot tell where the old siding ends. They documented everything for our insurance claim. Took three days start to finish. Fair price and no surprises.”
Kevin O.
Homeowner, Uptown 23rd
Real answers to the questions we hear most often from local homeowners and property managers.
Vinyl is the budget-friendly alternative when cedar is out of range. We install premium vinyl siding panels with the same house wrap and flashing detail we use on cedar, so the wall stays dry either way. Many Oklahoma City homeowners use vinyl on the back of the house and cedar on the front.
View Vinyl SidingFiber cement boards give you cedar's look with less maintenance and a 30-year paint cycle. We install James Hardie and CertainTeed fiber cement with the same moisture-management approach. If you want the cedar profile without the restaining schedule, this is the conversation to have.
View Fiber Cement SidingCedar is one species in a broader wood siding category that includes pine, cypress, and engineered options. We help you compare rot resistance, cost per square foot, and how each takes stain in Oklahoma humidity. Cedar usually wins on longevity, but cypress is worth pricing on shaded walls.
View Wood SidingAluminum coils wrap fascia, soffit, and trim, and they pair well with cedar field siding. We bend and install aluminum trim on the same job so your cedar walls have finished edges that will not rot. This is common on Historic Capitol Hill homes where the original trim profile needs to be matched.
View Aluminum SidingSteel siding panels are the hail-proof option if you are done with impact damage. We install them on garages, shops, and full exteriors. Some Oklahoma City homeowners run steel on the north wall and cedar on the visible elevations to balance cost and curb appeal.
View Metal / Steel SidingStone veneer on the lower third of a wall with cedar above is one of the strongest looks we install. The stone takes the abuse from lawn equipment and splash-back, and the cedar handles the upper elevations. We flash the transition so water never gets behind either material.
View Stone Veneer SidingCall (405) 931-0174 or send us a note and we will get back to you the same business day. We answer the phone from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and we check messages on weekends. Free estimates across Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County.
Phone
(405) 931-0174Address
3150 W Memorial Rd Suite 210-186, Oklahoma City, OK 73134
Hours
Mon–Fri: 7AM – 7PM
Sat: 8AM – 4PM
Sun: Emergency Only
24/7 Emergency Available
