Alpine Exteriors is a licensed Florida contractor (RB29003900) that installs siding for homeowners in Largo and the surrounding Pinellas County communities. We made a deliberate decision early on to specialize in one material — James Hardie fiber cement — rather than offer a menu of vinyl, LP SmartSide, engineered wood, and fiber cement and hope our crews get good at all of them. Largo sits in a demanding climate: high humidity nearly year-round, intense UV exposure, wind-driven rain off the Gulf, and a hurricane season that runs every June through November. We'd rather be excellent at installing the one siding material that's actually built for those conditions than average at several that aren't.
This page covers what our siding service actually looks like — our process from first call to final walkthrough, what our warranty covers, which Largo neighborhoods we serve, and what a homeowner should expect working with us. If you're looking for a general primer on siding materials or styles, that's covered elsewhere on our site; this page is about the company and the service itself.
Every job starts with a site visit, not a phone quote. We walk the exterior, check for moisture intrusion, soft spots, existing damage behind the current siding, and note anything unusual about the home's exposure — corner lots, tree cover, proximity to the water, west-facing walls that take the brunt of Florida's afternoon sun. You get a written estimate broken out by material, labor, and any prep or repair work, not a single lump number.
We walk you through the relevant James Hardie profiles and ColorPlus finish options for your home's style, and we're upfront about which choices make sense for a Largo exterior versus which ones look better in a catalog than they perform in a coastal-adjacent, high-humidity climate.
Pinellas County and the City of Largo both require permits for siding replacement, and we pull them — this isn't optional paperwork we skip to save time. A permitted job means a county inspector signs off on the work, which protects you if there's ever a dispute or an insurance claim down the road.
We remove the existing siding down to the sheathing and actually look at what's underneath before we cover it back up. Largo has plenty of homes from the 1970s and 80s where old siding has been hiding water damage, rotted sheathing, or prior repairs done without proper flashing. If we find something concerning, we stop and talk to you about it before proceeding — we don't install new siding over a problem and let it become someone else's problem in five years.
This step matters more than most homeowners realize and it's invisible once the job is done. We install a code-compliant weather-resistant barrier and proper flashing at every window, door, and penetration. Fiber cement siding is only as good as the water management system behind it — this is where a rushed installer creates problems that don't show up for two or three years.
Hardie siding is installed following James Hardie's published fastening and clearance specifications — correct nail placement, proper gaps at butt joints, ground clearance to keep the bottom edge away from irrigation and standing water. We factor in expansion behavior for Florida's heat swings, which is part of why sloppy installation shows up as buckling or cracking faster here than in milder climates.
Once installation and caulking are complete, we walk the exterior with you, point out anything you should know for maintenance, and address any punch-list items before we consider the job finished — not before we collect final payment.
We get asked regularly why we don't offer vinyl or engineered wood siding as a lower-cost option. It's a fair question, and the honest answer is that it's a standard we hold ourselves to, not a claim that every other product is worthless.
None of this means other materials can't work anywhere — it means we've chosen to be a specialist rather than a generalist, and we think that's the better trade for a Largo homeowner making a purchase meant to last decades.
James Hardie makes several siding profiles, and we install the full range depending on the home's architecture:
| Product | Best For | Look |
|---|---|---|
| HardiePlank Lap Siding | Traditional ranch and colonial-style Largo homes | Classic horizontal lap, smooth or woodgrain texture |
| HardieShingle | Accent gables, dormers, coastal cottage styles | Staggered or straight-edge shingle profile |
| HardiePanel | Modern builds, garage walls, board-and-batten accents | Vertical panel with a clean, contemporary line |
| HardieTrim | Fascia, corner boards, window/door trim | Matches and complements the main siding profile |
Most of our Largo jobs use ColorPlus factory-applied finishes rather than field paint. The finish is baked on under controlled conditions, resists fading better than a job-site paint job, and comes with its own finish warranty — one less maintenance item for you down the line.
Largo sits inland of the barrier islands but close enough to the Gulf that salt-laden air, high humidity, and wind-driven rain are part of daily exterior exposure. Neighborhoods near Belleair, Indian Rocks Beach, and the Intracoastal side of town feel it more directly, but even homes further from the water deal with Tampa Bay's near-daily summer thunderstorms and the long, humid stretch from May through October.
A few Largo-specific factors we account for on every job:
Siding is a decades-long investment, so we're specific about what's covered and by whom.
| Coverage | Provided By | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Product warranty | James Hardie | Material defects in the fiber cement product itself |
| ColorPlus finish warranty | James Hardie | Finish integrity — fading, chipping, peeling of factory finish |
| Workmanship warranty | Alpine Exteriors | Our labor and installation — flashing, fastening, sealing |
We explain both warranties in plain language before you sign anything, including what voids them (typically improper maintenance or unauthorized modification) and how a claim actually gets filed if you ever need one.
We serve Largo proper and the surrounding Pinellas County communities, including Belleair, Belleair Bluffs, Seminole, Ridgecrest, Bardmoor, Clearwater, Indian Rocks Beach, and neighboring parts of unincorporated Pinellas. If you're near Largo and unsure whether you're in our service radius, it's easiest to just ask when you request an estimate.
| Factor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Home size and wall complexity | More corners, gables, and dormers mean more cutting and trim work |
| Substrate condition | Rotted sheathing found during tear-off adds repair scope before siding goes on |
| Product selection | Panel, plank, and shingle profiles, plus ColorPlus vs. field-painted finish, price differently |
| Removal of existing siding | Full tear-off of old material affects labor time versus a bare-wall new build |
| Trim and accessory work | New fascia, corner boards, and soffit work add scope beyond the field siding itself |
We don't publish blanket per-square-foot pricing because these factors vary enough house to house that a generic number isn't honest. What we will do is give you a clear, itemized estimate after we've actually seen your home.
If you're weighing a siding project in Largo and want a straight answer on scope, timeline, and cost, we're happy to take a look. Use the form below to request a free, no-pressure estimate — there's no obligation, and no pressure sales pitch.
Verify the contractor holds an active Florida state license, which you can look up on the Florida DBPR license portal, and confirm they carry general liability and workers' compensation insurance. Ask for proof of both in writing before signing a contract. A licensed, insured contractor protects you if something goes wrong on the job or someone is hurt on your property.
If you choose a ColorPlus factory finish, the color is baked on and typically doesn't need repainting for many years — it's designed to outlast standard field paint. If you choose primed Hardie siding and have it field-painted instead, it follows a normal exterior repaint schedule like any painted surface, generally every 7-10 years depending on sun exposure.
HardiePlank is a horizontal lap board used for the main field of a wall, giving a traditional clapboard look. HardieShingle mimics individual cedar shingles and is more commonly used as an accent on gables, dormers, or a cottage-style facade. Many Largo homes mix the two — plank on the main walls and shingle as an accent.
We can install siding during hurricane season, but we plan around active storm forecasts and won't leave a wall partially open ahead of a named storm. Many homeowners prefer scheduling major siding work outside of peak hurricane months (August-October) simply for fewer weather-related delays, though it isn't a strict requirement.
Yes — both Pinellas County and the City of Largo require a permit for siding replacement, and the work needs to pass inspection. Skipping permits can create problems later with insurance claims or when you sell the home, so it's worth confirming any contractor you hire pulls permits as a standard part of the job.