Dover sits in the eastern stretch of Hillsborough County, wedged between Plant City's farmland and the growth pushing out from Tampa and Brandon. It's a community of strawberry fields, larger rural lots, and a steady wave of newer subdivisions built over the last decade. That mix means we see everything from 1970s block homes with tired original siding to brand-new construction where the siding was value-engineered to hit a builder's budget. Whatever the starting point, Alpine Exteriors is a licensed Florida contractor (RB29003900) that installs one product category: James Hardie fiber cement siding. We don't sell vinyl, we don't sell LP SmartSide or other engineered wood panels, and we're not going to pitch you on whichever brand happens to be on sale this month. That focus is deliberate, and it shapes everything from how we quote a job to how we back it up afterward.
This page is about us as a contractor — how we work, what our warranty actually covers, where we operate around Dover, and what a project with us looks like from first call to final walkthrough.
Central Florida is hard on exterior building materials. Between the summer humidity, intense UV exposure, wind-driven rain during storm season, and the freeze-thaw swings we occasionally get on winter mornings, siding here has to handle a wider range of stress than it would in a milder climate. Fiber cement is cement, sand, and cellulose fiber pressed and cured into a dense board — it doesn't soften in heat, doesn't get brittle in a cold snap, and it holds paint and color far more consistently over time than vinyl, which can warp or fade under sustained Florida sun.
We made the decision years ago to stop installing vinyl and engineered wood products entirely. It's not that every alternative product is unusable everywhere — it's that we didn't want to stand behind two different warranty conversations, two different maintenance conversations, and two different installation standards depending on what a homeowner's budget looked like that week. One product, installed the same disciplined way every time, backed by one warranty structure we understand completely. That's the standard we hold ourselves to.
Every project follows the same sequence, whether it's a single-wall repair after storm damage or a full re-side of a two-story home off Sydney Road.
We walk the exterior with you, check the condition of the existing wall assembly, note any moisture damage, rot, or prior repair work hiding under the current siding, and measure for material takeoff. You get a written estimate that spells out product, profile, color, and scope — not a vague square-footage number.
We go over the James Hardie lineup relevant to your home — lap siding, panel siding, trim, and soffit — and help you land on a profile and color that fits the house and the neighborhood, whether that's a newer subdivision with an HOA color palette or a standalone rural property with more flexibility.
Old siding comes off, and we inspect the sheathing and house wrap underneath before anything new goes up. If we find water intrusion, soft wood, or termite damage — not uncommon in this part of the county — we flag it and address it before installation continues. Covering up a compromised wall assembly with new siding just hides the problem.
Proper house wrap, seam taping, and flashing around windows, doors, and penetrations go in before siding installation starts. This is the step that determines whether a siding job holds up through ten Florida summers or starts showing moisture problems in three.
We install to the manufacturer's published fastening patterns, gap tolerances, and ground clearance requirements. This isn't just best practice — installing outside of Hardie's specifications can void the manufacturer's product warranty, so we treat it as non-negotiable.
Trim gets caulked, factory-primed edges get field-painted where cut, and we do a full detail pass before walking the job with you.
We go around the house together, you get your warranty paperwork, and you get a straight answer to any question about maintenance going forward.
Florida license RB29003900 means we're held to the state's building code and licensing requirements, and it means you have recourse through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation if something ever goes wrong. Beyond the license itself, here's what we'd tell any Dover homeowner to check before hiring a siding contractor:
A contractor who hesitates on any of these is telling you something. We'd rather you ask hard questions upfront than find out the answers after the crew has left.
We install the core of the James Hardie residential lineup, matched to the house and the look you're after:
| Product | Typical Use |
|---|---|
| HardiePlank lap siding | Traditional horizontal siding, the most common choice for both rural and subdivision homes in the Dover area |
| HardiePanel vertical siding | Board-and-batten or modern vertical looks, often paired with lap siding as an accent |
| HardieTrim boards | Corner boards, window and door trim, fascia detailing |
| HardieSoffit panels | Vented and non-vented soffit, matched to the home's roofline |
Every board is either factory ColorPlus finished or field-primed for paint, and we'll walk you through the trade-offs of each during your estimate.
Two separate warranties apply to every job, and it's worth understanding the difference:
| Coverage | Who Backs It | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Product warranty | James Hardie | Manufacturing defects in the siding material itself, per Hardie's published warranty terms for the specific product installed |
| ColorPlus finish warranty | James Hardie | Fade and finish performance on factory-finished boards, separate from the base product warranty |
| Workmanship warranty | Alpine Exteriors | Our installation labor — flashing, fastening, sealing, and general installation quality |
We'll give you the exact terms and duration for your specific product and installation in writing before work starts, so there's no ambiguity about what's covered and by whom if an issue ever comes up down the road.
Dover itself is unincorporated, so our crews are already moving through the surrounding roads regularly — Sydney Road, Sam Allen Road (SR 574), County Road 579, and the pockets of newer development off I-4 near the Plant City line. We also cover the broader eastern Hillsborough County area, including Plant City, Seffner, Thonotosassa, Valrico, and out toward Brandon and Lakeland. If you're not sure whether your address falls inside our normal radius, ask — we'd rather confirm than guess.
Every home is different, but these are the variables that move the needle most on both price and schedule:
| Factor | Impact |
|---|---|
| Total square footage | Primary driver of material and labor cost |
| Removal of existing siding | Adds labor and disposal cost, plus time for substrate repair if needed |
| Home height and access | Two-story sections and steep rooflines require additional staging and time |
| Trim and detail complexity | Dormers, multiple gables, and heavy trim work add labor hours |
| Substrate repair | Rot, water damage, or termite damage found during tear-off extends timeline |
| Factory finish vs. field paint | ColorPlus factory finish reduces on-site painting time but affects material cost |
Most single-story Dover-area homes run in the range of one to two weeks for a full re-side, weather permitting — storm season can push that out, and we'll be upfront about it if a forecast affects your schedule.
If you're weighing siding contractors in Dover or the surrounding Hillsborough County area, we're happy to walk your property, look at what you're currently working with, and give you a straight, written estimate — no pressure, no upsell to a product we don't install. Fill out the form below to get started.
A licensed contractor like Alpine Exteriors (FL license RB29003900) carries the insurance, code compliance, and manufacturer accountability that a handyman typically doesn't. If a warranty claim ever comes up, you need a documented, licensed installer behind the job for either the manufacturer or the workmanship warranty to mean anything.
Ask to see their active state license, request proof of liability and workers' comp insurance, and get a written estimate that names the specific product and profile, not just a total price. Also ask directly who handles warranty claims after the job is done and how that process works.
HardiePlank is horizontal lap siding, the traditional look most homes in the Dover area already have. HardiePanel is a vertical sheet product used for board-and-batten styling or modern accents, often paired with lap siding on the same home rather than used alone.
Factory-finished ColorPlus boards are designed to hold their color for many years without repainting under normal conditions. Field-painted siding follows a normal exterior paint schedule, generally repainted every seven to ten years depending on sun exposure and the quality of paint used.
Homes near active farmland can pick up more dust and airborne debris than homes in denser subdivisions, so exterior surfaces may need a simple rinse-down more often to keep them looking clean. It doesn't affect the siding's durability, but it's worth factoring into a regular maintenance routine.