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Cheswold has seen its median home value climb from $37,500 in 2000 to over $337,000 today. That kind of appreciation means your home is worth protecting — and failing siding is one of the fastest ways to undercut it.
Cracked panels, warped seams, or siding that’s just tired and faded don’t just look bad. They let moisture in, and in Kent County’s humid summers, that moisture becomes mold, rot, and repair costs that dwarf what a siding replacement would have run.
When new siding goes up correctly — with a proper moisture barrier, tight seams, and material matched to this climate — you stop that cycle entirely. Delaware’s humidity, the freeze-thaw swings in winter, and the summer storm seasons that roll through Kent County every year are no longer working against your walls. They’re just weather.
For Cheswold homeowners specifically, there’s another layer to this. The town is growing fast — 49 active new home communities, new neighbors moving in, and a neighborhood that’s actively changing around you. Your exterior is the first thing people see. New siding doesn’t just protect the structure; it keeps your home competitive in a market that’s moving.
First State Roofing & Exteriors Co. is based in Smyrna — about seven miles north of Cheswold on US Route 13. That’s not a coincidence. Kent County is the core of what we do, and has been for over 22 years. We know the housing stock along the US 13 and DE 42 corridors, we know what Delaware’s climate does to siding over time, and we’ve been navigating local permit offices — including Cheswold’s own municipal building permit system — long before it became a talking point.
This isn’t a franchise operation or a multi-state company that added Cheswold to a landing page. Melissa and Richard McCain own and operate the business. Every project is handled by our in-house crew — no subcontractors, no day-labor crews showing up unannounced. We hold a BBB accreditation with an A+ rating and carry a 5.0 out of 5 across more than 63 verified reviews from homeowners in Cheswold and the surrounding area.
It starts with a free consultation and a thorough inspection of your existing siding. Before a single panel comes off, you’ll know exactly what’s there, what’s failing, and what the full scope of work looks like. If there’s moisture damage or rot underneath — which is common in older Cheswold homes that have been through decades of Delaware’s wet summers and freeze-thaw winters — you’ll hear about it upfront, not halfway through the job.
From there, we handle the permitting. Cheswold operates its own municipal building permit system separate from Kent County’s general process, and navigating that is part of our service. You don’t have to figure out which office to call or which forms apply to your property. That gets handled.
Installation typically runs two to five days depending on the size of your home and the material you’re working with. Our crew installs the moisture barrier, secures every panel to handle Delaware’s wind loads, and seals the seams. When the job is done, the site is cleaned — completely. Homeowners consistently mention it: people come home and it looks like a crew was never there, except the siding is new.
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We install both vinyl siding and fiber cement siding — and the recommendation you get will be based on your home’s actual situation, not on which product is easier to move. For most homes in and around Cheswold, vinyl is the practical choice: it’s moisture-resistant, it doesn’t rot, it holds up well through Kent County’s storm seasons, and it carries a lifespan of 20 to 40 years with minimal maintenance.
If you’re looking at a longer investment horizon or your home has specific exposure concerns, fiber cement — which can last up to 50 years and is virtually immune to moisture problems — is worth the conversation.
Every installation includes full removal of the old siding, which matters more than people realize. Taking the old material off first lets our crew inspect the underlying structure for rot, pest damage, or moisture infiltration that’s been building quietly for years. In Cheswold’s older housing stock — homes built in the 1970s and 1980s that are now 40-plus years old — that step has saved more than a few homeowners from a much bigger problem down the road.
If storm damage is part of the picture, we also assist with insurance claims. Kent County sees significant wind and hail activity every year, and homeowners insurance often covers more of that damage than people expect. That process gets navigated for you alongside the installation itself.
Yes, and it’s worth understanding how Cheswold’s permitting works before you start. The Town of Cheswold operates its own municipal building permit system with its own fee schedule — separate from Kent County’s general permitting process. That means a contractor who’s familiar with the county but hasn’t worked within Cheswold’s town limits may not know exactly which forms apply or which office to contact.
We manage all permitting as part of every siding project. You don’t have to research the process, call the town office, or track down the right paperwork. It’s handled from the start, and every installation is completed to meet Cheswold’s local building code requirements. This also matters at resale — unpermitted exterior work can create real complications when a buyer’s inspector starts asking questions, so getting it done right the first time protects you on both ends.
The honest answer is that it depends on how far the damage has gone and how old the material is. If your siding is cracked or dented in a few spots but is otherwise intact and under 20 years old, targeted repairs can make sense. But if the siding is warping, if panels are pulling away from the wall, if you’re seeing mold or discoloration that keeps coming back, or if the material is 30 or more years old, repair is usually just delaying the inevitable — and sometimes making it worse by masking moisture that’s already gotten in.
For homes in Cheswold that were built in the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s, the original siding is almost certainly past its useful life. Vinyl siding lasts 20 to 40 years under normal conditions, and Delaware’s humidity and storm exposure push that timeline toward the shorter end. A free inspection from us will tell you exactly what you’re working with — no pressure, no obligation, just a straight answer about what the siding actually needs.
Most siding installations run two to five days from start to finish. The range depends on the size of your home, the material being installed, and whether the inspection uncovers anything underneath the old siding that needs to be addressed — like rot or moisture damage — before the new material goes on.
In Delaware, the timing of your project can also matter seasonally. Spring and early fall tend to be the busiest windows for exterior work, so if you’re planning a replacement before the next storm season hits Kent County, scheduling earlier in the season gives you more flexibility. Summer installations are also common and generally go smoothly, though the heat can extend workdays slightly. We manage the full timeline and keep you informed throughout — you’re not left guessing where the project stands or when we’re coming back.
It often can, and more homeowners are surprised by this than you’d expect. If wind, hail, or a severe storm event caused the damage — which is a real and recurring situation in Kent County, where documented storm events include dozens of wind and hail occurrences every year — your homeowners insurance policy may cover some or all of the replacement cost, depending on your coverage and the nature of the damage.
The tricky part is navigating the claim process. Insurers have specific documentation requirements, and the difference between an approved claim and a denied one often comes down to how the damage is documented and presented. We assist with insurance claims for storm-damaged siding as part of our service — not as an add-on, but because it’s a practical need for a lot of Kent County homeowners. If you’ve had wind damage, hail damage, or you’re just not sure whether what you’re looking at qualifies, the free inspection is the right first step.
Both materials work well in Delaware’s climate, but they serve different priorities. Vinyl siding is the more common choice across Kent County — it’s moisture-resistant, doesn’t rot, requires very little maintenance, and holds up well through the freeze-thaw cycles and humid summers that define the region. It’s also the more affordable option upfront, and it carries a lifespan of 20 to 40 years when installed correctly.
Fiber cement — James Hardie being the most recognized name in the category — goes further on durability. It can last up to 50 years, it’s virtually immune to moisture problems, and it holds paint better over time. The tradeoff is cost: it runs higher than vinyl, both in material and labor. For a Cheswold homeowner who’s planning to stay in the home long-term and wants a product that’s as close to maintenance-free as exterior siding gets, fiber cement is worth the difference. For someone who wants a clean, durable result at a more accessible price point, vinyl delivers. The right answer depends on your home, your timeline, and your budget — and that’s exactly what the free consultation is for.
Start with the basics: verify that the contractor is registered with Delaware’s Department of Labor as required under the Delaware Contractor Registration Act, confirm they carry liability insurance and workers’ compensation, and check that they have a real local address — not just a phone number and a website. Delaware doesn’t issue a state contractor license the way some states do, so registration and insurance are the primary legal benchmarks.
Beyond the paperwork, look at the reviews — not just the star rating, but the actual language people use. Consistent mentions of communication, on-time completion, and clean job sites tell you more than a five-star average alone. Ask whether the contractor uses their own crew or subcontracts the work out, because that affects accountability directly. And get a written, itemized estimate before agreeing to anything. A vague quote is a red flag regardless of how low the number looks. We check every one of those boxes — local Smyrna address, fully registered and insured, in-house crew only, and a 5.0 rating across 63-plus verified reviews from Kent County homeowners who’ve been through the process themselves.
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