There's a difference between a contractor who "also does siding" and a siding contractor. Alpine Exteriors is licensed in Florida (RB29003900) and works New Tampa as a specialty siding installer. We don't bounce between roofing, gutters, and siding crews on the same week — our installers know one product system, James Hardie fiber cement, and they install it the way Hardie's engineering actually calls for, not the way it's fastest to get off the schedule.
This page isn't a general overview of siding materials. If you want that, our other pages cover specific products and services. This one is about what it's actually like to hire us: how the job runs from first call to final walkthrough, what our warranty covers, where we work around New Tampa, and what to expect on your property during installation.
We install James Hardie fiber cement exclusively. We don't offer vinyl, LP SmartSide, or other engineered wood siding — not because those products don't have a place in the market, but because they don't match the standard we hold ourselves to for a Tampa Bay area home. Vinyl softens, warps, and fades under sustained Florida sun and heat, and it flexes visibly in high wind events instead of staying rigid against the wall. Engineered wood products carry moisture-sensitivity concerns that we're not comfortable installing in a climate this humid, where a compromised seal can turn into a hidden problem behind the wall.
James Hardie fiber cement is cement, sand, and cellulose fiber — it doesn't burn, doesn't attract termites, and doesn't expand and contract the way wood-based products do when humidity swings from a muggy August afternoon to a dry cold front in January. Narrowing to one product line also means our crews aren't relearning a new install system every other week. They know Hardie's fastening patterns, clearances, and caulking specs cold, and that consistency is where a lot of long-term siding failures actually get prevented.
We come to your property, walk the exterior, and look at your current siding condition, trim details, and any moisture or rot issues around windows, doors, and the foundation line. We measure, talk through product and color options, and give you a written estimate — not a verbal ballpark that changes once we're on site.
Most New Tampa homeowners choose between HardiePlank lap siding for a traditional look, HardiePanel for a more modern vertical profile, or HardieShingle for accent areas like gables and dormers. We'll walk you through ColorPlus factory-finished options versus field painting, and how each holds up under Florida sun exposure.
We schedule around Florida's weather patterns, not just our calendar — that means being realistic about summer's daily afternoon storm window and building in buffer days during active tropical weather. Before crews arrive, we walk you through what to move or clear near the work area: patio furniture, hose reels, anything hanging on exterior walls.
Old siding comes off and we inspect the sheathing underneath before anything new goes up. This step matters more in Florida than almost anywhere — hidden moisture damage behind old siding is common in homes that have gone through a few humid summers and rainy seasons without anyone looking behind the wall. If we find soft or damaged sheathing, we stop and talk to you before covering it back up.
House wrap or weather-resistant barrier goes on correctly, with proper overlaps and flashing at every window, door, and penetration. Hardie boards are installed per manufacturer fastening and clearance specs — including the 6-inch minimum clearance from grade and proper caulking at seams — because those details are exactly what separates siding that lasts 30+ years from siding that starts failing at year eight.
We walk the finished job with you, point out details, and make sure everything matches what was in the estimate before we consider the job closed.
New Tampa sits inland in northern Hillsborough County — no direct coastal salt exposure like you'd see in Clearwater or Sarasota, but that doesn't mean the climate is easy on siding. Neighborhoods like Tampa Palms, Pebble Creek, Live Oak Preserve, and K-Bar Ranch all deal with the same core challenge: long, humid summers with near-daily afternoon thunderstorms from June through September, followed by active hurricane season stretches that can bring sustained wind and wind-driven rain.
That combination — heat, humidity, and wind-driven rain — is hard on siding that isn't installed with the right flashing and clearances. Wind-driven rain finds any gap in the water barrier, and Florida's humidity means whatever gets behind the wall doesn't dry out quickly. That's why our installation process treats the house wrap, flashing, and caulking details as seriously as the visible siding itself. It's also why fiber cement, which doesn't absorb and swell the way wood-based siding does, holds up better through a New Tampa summer.
Being inland doesn't mean storm season is a non-issue — New Tampa still sees real wind events during Florida's June-through-November hurricane season, and properly fastened Hardie siding is built to stay put through sustained wind loads that would flex or pop off a lighter material.
| Coverage | What It Includes | Term |
|---|---|---|
| James Hardie Product Warranty | Manufacturer defect coverage on the fiber cement material itself | Non-prorated, manufacturer-defined term (30 years on most Hardie board products) |
| ColorPlus Finish Warranty | Covers factory finish against peeling, cracking, and fading when ColorPlus finish is selected | Manufacturer-defined term, separate from the board warranty |
| Alpine Exteriors Labor Warranty | Covers our installation workmanship — flashing, fastening, and sealing | Provided in writing with your estimate; ask for specifics for your project |
We give you the warranty terms in writing before work starts, not after, so you know exactly what's covered by the manufacturer versus what's covered by us as the installer.
| Factor | How It Affects Cost |
|---|---|
| Home size and story count | More square footage and second-story work increase material and labor time |
| Tear-off scope | Full removal of old siding versus installing over existing sheathing changes labor hours |
| Substrate repair | Rotted or damaged sheathing found during tear-off adds repair cost before new siding goes on |
| Product line | HardiePlank, HardiePanel, and HardieShingle carry different material and install costs |
| Finish choice | Factory-applied ColorPlus finish versus field painting after installation |
| Trim and detail work | Gables, dormers, and accent areas with HardieShingle add labor beyond flat wall runs |
We don't quote a number without seeing the house — every New Tampa property has different access, trim complexity, and substrate condition, and those details change the real cost more than the base material price does.
We work throughout New Tampa and the surrounding Hillsborough County communities, including Tampa Palms, Pebble Creek, Live Oak Preserve, K-Bar Ranch, Cory Lake Isles, and neighborhoods along Bruce B. Downs Boulevard out toward Wesley Chapel. If you're just outside these areas, reach out — we cover a broader stretch of the greater Tampa area and can confirm scheduling for your address.
If your siding is aging, damaged, or you're just planning ahead for a New Tampa summer and storm season, we're happy to come take a look. Request a free, no-pressure estimate using the form below — we'll walk the property, answer your questions honestly, and give you a written number, not a sales pitch.
A specialty siding contractor works one system daily and knows its fastening, flashing, and clearance details in depth, while a general contractor often subcontracts siding out or splits crew attention across trades. For a material like fiber cement, where installation detail directly affects long-term performance, that specialization matters.
Ask for their Florida license number, proof of insurance, a written warranty covering both materials and labor, and references from recent local jobs. Also ask how they handle substrate repair if they find damage during tear-off — a contractor who has a clear answer for that has done this before.
Focusing on one manufacturer's product line lets our crews install to a single, well-understood spec instead of relearning different systems for different brands. We also don't offer vinyl or engineered wood because we don't think they hold up to Florida heat, humidity, and storm conditions the way fiber cement does.
HardiePlank is horizontal lap siding used for the main walls of most homes and gives a traditional clean look. HardieShingle mimics a shingle-style texture and is typically used as an accent on gables, dormers, or feature walls rather than the whole house.
New Tampa isn't coastal, so salt exposure isn't a major factor, but the area's humidity and near-daily summer storms mean flashing and sealing details around windows and doors matter just as much as anywhere in Tampa Bay. Proper installation keeps wind-driven rain from getting behind the wall during hurricane season, which is the real risk here rather than salt corrosion.