Wood and cedar siding covers clapboard, shingles, board-and-batten and shiplap, installed over a weather barrier and nailed or fastened so each board can move with the seasons. In Leesburg, where humid summers and freeze-thaw winters are normal, how the boards are sealed and ventilated matters as much as the species.
What to look for
Ask whether all six sides of each board, including cut ends, get primed or stained before they go up. Look for stainless or hot-dipped galvanized nails, a rainscreen gap or at least solid flashing around windows and rooflines, and clear clearance from the ground. Ask for the grade of cedar (clear vertical grain costs more and lasts longer than knotty) and a written maintenance schedule.
How our scoring helps
We list 8 Leesburg businesses in this category and score them on the same criteria, so you can compare them side by side. Start with the ranked siding contractors guide for the current order, then read how we score to see what each rating does and does not measure. Get at least two written quotes and compare materials, finish and flashing details, not just the bottom-line price.