Siding Replacement in Cumberland, Maine

Census estimates for 2020 to 2024 put Cumberland at about 3,300 housing units, with a median year built of 1984. About 15 percent predate 1940, roughly 24 percent were built between 1960 and 1979, about 26 percent in the 1980s and 1990s, and about 29 percent in 2000 or later. Around 91 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, and about 82 percent of units are single-family detached houses; only about 60 are held for seasonal use. The town's 2025 draft comprehensive plan counts 27 houses built before 1800 and another 190 built during the 1800s, about 7 percent of the stock. Most recent building has come as conservation or cluster subdivisions, such as the 72 homes of Mineral Springs in West Cumberland, plus condominiums and apartments near Route 1.

Cumberland has no official weather station; the long-term record for the area comes from Portland International Jetport, where 1991 to 2020 normals put average snowfall at about 69 inches a year and February lows around 17 degrees. The town rises from sea level on the Foreside to about 184 feet at Cumberland Center, so the inland villages see similar snow but little salt. Houses on the Foreside, between Route 1 and the bay, take wind and salt spray from northeast storms, and the draft comprehensive plan lists storm surge and rising seas as coastal concerns. Inland, freeze and thaw cycles and shade from woods do most of the damage to roofs and wood.

The Cumberland Code Enforcement Office handles building permits and inspections, which it schedules Monday through Thursday, and applications can be sent by email. Construction must meet the 2021 International Residential Code, the 2021 International Building Code and the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code under the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code. The Shoreland Overlay District generally reaches 250 feet from rivers, streams, saltwater and associated wetlands, and 75 feet from certain streams; any building permit there needs a Shoreland Zoning Permit first or alongside it. The town has no historic preservation ordinance, though the draft comprehensive plan asks the council to consider one.

Siding replacement is more than new cladding. The old siding comes off, the sheathing underneath is inspected and repaired where it has gone soft, a new weather-resistive barrier and flashing go on around every opening, and the new siding and trim are installed as one system. In Maine, where wind-driven rain, freeze-thaw cycles and long winters test every seam, the layers you never see decide how long the wall lasts.

• An owner walks the house, measures every wall, and notes rot, past leaks, and how many layers of old siding are on it.
• Old siding and trim are stripped to the sheathing, and damaged boards are cut out and replaced before anything new goes on.
• A house wrap or other weather-resistive barrier is lapped shingle-style, with flashing tape and head flashing at windows and doors.
• New corner boards, window and door casing, and frieze trim go up, then the siding itself, fastened to the manufacturer's spacing.
• Debris is hauled away, magnetic sweeps pick up nails, and the job is walked with you before the last crew leaves.

• Clapboards or shingles that are cupped, split, or soft when pressed
• Paint that peels within a few seasons of being painted
• Stains, mold, or bubbling paint on interior walls after storms
• Dated aluminum, asbestos-cement or 1970s metal siding you want gone
• Rooms that feel drafty along exterior walls

• Wall area and how many stories need staging or lifts
• How many layers of old siding come off, and whether any need special handling
• Sheathing repairs found once the old siding is off
• The siding material chosen: vinyl, fiber cement, cedar or composite
• Trim detail: corner boards, window casing, frieze boards and brackets
• Whether windows or the roof are replaced in the same visit

Every job is priced from a free on-site visit. Typical ranges for the trade are on our siding page, and the details of this service are on the siding replacement overview.

For a deeper walkthrough of materials, code details and photos, see our full Siding Replacement in Maine: What's Underneath Decides How Long It Lasts guide.

Back to the Cumberland exterior services overview, or see every town on our service areas page.