Forest Hills is one of Tampa's older inland neighborhoods, tucked between Nebraska Avenue, Sligh Avenue, and the bends of the Hillsborough River, just east of Tampa International Airport. The housing stock here is a real mix: post-war concrete block ranch homes from the 1940s through 1960s, a scattering of older wood-frame bungalows closer to the river, and newer infill construction on lots that have been rebuilt or renovated in the last decade. That mix matters, because the right siding for a 1955 CBS ranch is not automatically the right siding for a wood-frame cottage two streets over. This guide walks through what actually performs well in this specific pocket of Hillsborough County, and what to steer clear of.
For most Forest Hills homes, fiber cement siding is the strongest all-around choice. It handles Tampa's humidity, resists the termites that are common throughout this part of Hillsborough County, and carries wind ratings that satisfy Florida Building Code requirements for this wind zone. Where budget is the deciding factor, a heavier-gauge, impact-rated insulated vinyl product is a reasonable second choice, especially on wood-frame homes that were never built with masonry walls. And for the concrete block homes that make up a large share of this neighborhood, a properly detailed stucco system is often the most sensible option of all, since it works with the wall assembly these homes already have rather than against it. There is no single universal answer — the honest answer depends on whether your home is block or wood-frame, how close you are to the river's flood zone, and how much ongoing maintenance you're willing to do.
We didn't rank these products on national buying-guide criteria. We looked specifically at what Forest Hills and the broader Tampa Bay area throw at exterior materials:
Fiber cement (the category that includes HardiePlank and similar products) is a blend of cement, sand, and cellulose fibers pressed into planks or panels. It has become the default recommendation for a lot of Tampa Bay exterior work, and for good reason in this neighborhood.
Pros: It doesn't rot, and termites can't eat it, which removes two of the biggest long-term risks for wood-frame homes near the Hillsborough River corridor. It holds paint well in Florida's UV and humidity, meaning repaints happen on a normal cycle rather than an accelerated one. Most manufacturers offer versions engineered specifically for high-humidity, high-wind climates, with documented wind ratings that make the City of Tampa permit process more straightforward. It also gives older homes in Forest Hills a clean, modern look without losing the traditional lap-siding profile that fits the neighborhood's character.
Cons: It's heavier and more labor-intensive to install than vinyl, which shows up in the labor portion of the cost. It has to be painted (factory-finished options exist but cost more up front), and while it resists moisture well, poor flashing or caulking at seams and trim will eventually cause problems regardless of the material. It's also a poor DIY candidate — proper installation, especially around windows and at the base of the wall where flood-prone areas near the river see occasional standing water, really does matter here.
This is the option Alpine Exteriors installs most often on wood-frame homes in this part of Hillsborough County, largely because it holds up to the two biggest local threats — moisture and termites — better than almost anything else in its price range.
Vinyl has a reputation problem in Florida that's partly earned and partly outdated. Cheap, thin-gauge vinyl genuinely does struggle here — it can warp under direct west-facing sun exposure and crack in high wind. But thicker, insulated, impact-rated vinyl products are a different story.
Pros: Cost is the obvious draw — it's typically the least expensive of the options covered here, both in materials and installation labor. It never needs painting, and the foam-backed insulated versions add a modest amount of thermal performance, which is worth something given Tampa's cooling season runs most of the year. The better products carry wind ratings that meet Hillsborough County's wind-borne debris requirements.
Cons: Even the good stuff has a lower ceiling than fiber cement or stucco for wind and impact performance, so it's a better fit for interior-lot homes than for anything with unusually high wind exposure. Color choices are baked in at the factory — you're not repainting it later if your taste changes. And on some older Forest Hills wood-frame homes with uneven wall lines from decades of settling, vinyl is less forgiving to install cleanly than fiber cement, which can be scribed and fitted more precisely.
A large share of the concrete block homes in Forest Hills already have stucco exteriors, and for that construction type, a well-executed stucco system — rather than switching to a different siding material entirely — is often the most sensible path.
Pros: Stucco applied over concrete block is inherently well-suited to Florida's wind and moisture conditions, since it's bonded directly to a masonry substrate rather than fastened over a wood frame. It's also the material that matches the architectural character of most mid-century Tampa ranch homes, so a stucco repair or refresh doesn't change the look of the house the way switching to lap siding would. Done correctly, it resists termites entirely, since there's no cellulose involved.
Cons: Stucco is unforgiving of bad workmanship — hairline cracking from house settling or moisture intrusion behind the surface is the most common complaint we see on older Tampa homes, and it's almost always a symptom of a prior installation that skipped proper lath, control joints, or drainage details. It's also not a great fit for wood-frame construction; stucco over wood framing needs a different, more moisture-sensitive assembly than stucco over block, and mistakes there tend to be expensive to fix. If your home already has significant stucco cracking or staining, that's a repair-and-reseal conversation, not always a full tear-off.
You'll still see aluminum siding on some older retrofits in Forest Hills, usually installed in the 1970s or 1980s over original wood siding. It's worth mentioning mainly to explain why it's not on the recommended list anymore. Aluminum doesn't rot or attract termites, but it dents easily, the factory finish chalks and fades over time in Florida's UV exposure, and repairs are hard to color-match once a panel is a few decades old. It's not dangerous or code-non-compliant, but if you're replacing siding today, there are better options at similar or only slightly higher cost.
Traditional wood lap siding (untreated or minimally treated). Between Tampa's humidity, the afternoon storm pattern, and termite pressure that's common throughout Hillsborough County, exposed wood siding without rigorous maintenance is a recurring repair bill. It can be done right with the correct treatment, sealing, and paint schedule, but it demands more upkeep than most homeowners want to commit to.
Thin, non-impact-rated vinyl. The lightweight vinyl sold at the bottom of the price range often isn't rated for this area's wind-borne debris requirements, and it shows — you'll see it bowed, cracked at the bottom edge, or blown loose after a bad summer storm season. If you're going with vinyl, insist on seeing the wind rating and impact documentation before it goes on the house.
Uncapped or unfinished composite/OSB-based siding. Older OSB-based lap siding products had well-documented moisture failure issues, and in a climate like Tampa's, any product that swells or delaminates when it gets wet is a bad long-term bet, regardless of the up-front price.
Skipping the permit. Full siding replacement in the City of Tampa generally requires a permit and inspection. Doing the work without one isn't just a compliance risk — it can complicate a future home sale or insurance claim, since insurers increasingly ask for documentation of wind-mitigation-relevant work like siding and roofing replacement.
Hillsborough County sits within Florida's wind-borne debris region, and the City of Tampa's permit review checks that new siding meets the wind-load requirements tied to your specific wind speed zone and building type. It's not the same strict standard as the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone counties further south, but it's a real code threshold, not a suggestion. The safest approach is to confirm the product's documented wind rating before installation rather than assuming it qualifies.
Generally, a full siding replacement requires a building permit, and the work needs to pass inspection before it's considered complete. Minor patch repairs to a small area sometimes fall under different rules, but a full re-side almost always needs to go through the permit process. A contractor familiar with City of Tampa and Hillsborough County permitting can tell you which category your project falls into before work starts.
Not necessarily — the issue is usually the grade of vinyl, not vinyl as a category. Thin, budget-grade panels do struggle with heat warping and wind performance here. Thicker, insulated, impact-rated vinyl products perform reasonably well and cost less than fiber cement or stucco. The honest trade-off is that even good vinyl has a lower ceiling for wind and impact performance than fiber cement or a properly built stucco system.
Yes, significantly. Concrete block (CBS) construction, which makes up a large share of Forest Hills homes, is usually already finished in stucco, and repairing or refinishing that stucco is often more appropriate than switching to an entirely different siding material. Fiber cement and vinyl are designed to be installed over a wood-framed wall with sheathing, so using them over block requires furring strips and additional detailing that add cost and complexity. A contractor should evaluate your specific wall assembly before recommending a material, rather than defaulting to whatever's easiest to sell.
The right siding choice here really does come down to your home's construction type, its distance from the river's flood-prone areas, and how much maintenance you want to take on. Alpine Exteriors works throughout Tampa Bay, including Forest Hills, South Tampa, Hyde Park, Seminole Heights, Carrollwood, Brandon, and Riverview, and we're familiar with City of Tampa and Hillsborough County permitting on exterior work. If you want an honest assessment of what your specific house needs — not a generic recommendation — reach out to Alpine Exteriors for a walk-through and a written estimate before you commit to a material.