Siding in Hanover, Massachusetts

Hanover is in Eversource electric territory, so homeowners qualify for the full Mass Save program. A re-side exposes the wall cavity — the best opportunity to add blown-in insulation and air-sealing, which Mass Save typically covers at 75% or more for investor-owned-utility customers after a free Home Energy Assessment.

Book the assessment before the siding crew starts so weatherization goes in while the walls are open — you pay only the discounted share, with the siding as your cost. Hanover's lightly insulated mid-century homes gain real comfort and energy savings from this on the wind-exposed South Shore. Insulated foam-backed vinyl or continuous insulation under fiber-cement add to the cavity work, and federal weatherization tax credits may apply to qualifying insulation.

Hanover requires a building permit for re-siding through the town Building Department. Homes built before 1978 are presumed to contain lead paint, so siding that disturbs old painted wood must follow the federal Lead RRP rule with an EPA-certified, lead-safe contractor — relevant for the older homes near the historic center. Some mid-century homes carry asbestos-cement shingles requiring licensed abatement before removal. Lots near the North River, Indian Head River, or town wetlands may need Conservation Commission review for staging. Reputable contractors pull the permit and flag lead or asbestos up front.

Hanover siding costs run in the upper-mid tier for the South Shore — below the coastal and Boston-metro markets but above central Massachusetts. A standard vinyl re-side typically runs $12,000–$25,000 depending on size and stories; insulated foam-backed vinyl runs roughly $15,000–$30,000. Fiber-cement (James Hardie) lands around $19,000–$43,000 for a whole house, with cedar higher. Wall area, story count, trim detail, and removal of old aluminum or asbestos-cement siding are the main cost drivers here.

Hanover is a South Shore town of about 14,800 in Plymouth County, with roughly 5,000 housing units and a median home age near 55 years. The stock mixes an older village area and antique homes near the historic center with extensive postwar and later subdivisions — colonials, capes, splits, and ranches — on wooded suburban lots, plus newer construction near the Route 53 commercial corridor.

That mid-century-leaning profile drives the siding work. Many homes wear aging wood, early vinyl, or aluminum nearing end of life, so full re-sides are common, with wood-to-fiber-cement upgrades on older colonials. South Shore weather — coastal wind, wind-driven rain, freeze-thaw — is hard on cladding, and mid-century walls were lightly insulated, making a re-side the natural time to upgrade the wall assembly.