Exterior Remodeling

Exterior work is where United General Construction started, and it is still the core of the business. Siding replacement is the big one in North Idaho: fiber cement and engineered wood hold up to the freeze-thaw cycles that crack vinyl and rot untreated wood. Igor is a certified installer for James Hardie, LP SmartSide, and CertainTeed systems, and that certification matters for more than the label — manufacturers only honor their warranties when the installation follows spec. Correct clearances at grade and roofline, flashed penetrations, staggered seams, and the right fastener schedule for the product.

A typical exterior remodel starts with a walk-around. We look at what the siding is hiding: soft sheathing at the bottom courses, water staining under window corners, fascia that has been wicking water off a short gutter run for years. Tear-off is where the real condition of the house shows up. About half the siding jobs we open have some rot the owner never saw, and the honest move is to price the repair before anything gets covered back up — not after.

“Half the siding jobs we open up have rot the owner never saw — we price the fix honestly before we cover it back up.”

Window and door replacement usually rides along with a siding project because the flashing details tie together. Doing them at the same time means the window flanges, flashing pans, and weather barrier all integrate the way the manufacturers drew it, instead of caulk bridging two different eras of construction. New units are sized to current energy code, set plumb and square, foamed and air-sealed, and trimmed to match the house.

Fascia, soffit, and exterior trim round out the scope. Ventilated soffit matters in our climate — attics that cannot breathe grow ice dams in January and cook shingles in July. We replace rotted fascia boards, sort out gutter transitions, and finish trim in materials that take paint and hold it.

United General Construction pulls the permits, coordinates inspections with the city or county building department, and schedules the work inside the weather window. Igor bids every exterior project in person, and the crew that starts your house finishes it.