Spring is the ideal time to tackle renovation projects that you can’t do in the rain-soaked Pacific Northwest winter. The weather is cooperative, contractors are booking up fast for summer, and material prices tend to be more stable before the peak season demand hits. Here’s a project that delivers outsized value for the investment: replacing your exterior trim.
Why Exterior Trim Matters More Than You Think
Most homeowners focus on big-ticket items — roofs, siding, windows. Those are important, but exterior trim is what frames everything. It’s the visual border around your windows and doors, the fascia along your roofline, and the corner boards that define your home’s shape. When trim deteriorates, the whole house looks tired even if the siding and roof are fine.
In the Pacific Northwest, trim takes a beating. Our wet winters, followed by dry summers, create a constant cycle of swelling and shrinking that breaks down wood faster than in more stable climates. Cedar trim, which is standard on most PNW homes, typically lasts 15-20 years before it starts showing serious wear. If your home was built or last updated in the mid-2000s, you’re right in that replacement window.
Material Options in 2026
You’ve got three main choices: new cedar, fiber cement, and cellular PVC. Each has tradeoffs.
Cedar looks great and matches the character of Pacific Northwest homes. It’s easy to work with and takes paint beautifully. The downside is maintenance — it needs repainting every 5-7 years, and if water gets behind it, rot follows quickly. Cost runs about $3-5 per linear foot for clear-grade material.
Fiber cement (like HardieTrim) is more durable and resistant to rot and insects. It holds paint longer than wood and costs roughly the same as cedar. The downsides are weight — it’s heavy and harder to install — and it can crack if not handled carefully. It also doesn’t have the natural look of real wood at close range.
Cellular PVC (brands like Azek and Versatex) is the premium option at $5-10 per linear foot, but it never rots, never needs painting (though you can paint it), and lasts essentially forever. For homeowners who want to install trim once and forget about it, PVC is increasingly the go-to choice in the PNW. The material works with standard woodworking tools and can be glued, nailed, and shaped like wood.
DIY or Hire Out?
Trim replacement is one of those projects that straddles the DIY line. If you’re comfortable on a ladder, own a miter saw, and have patience for caulking and painting, you can handle window and door trim yourself. The work isn’t technically complex — it’s mostly measuring, cutting, nailing, and sealing.
Fascia and soffit work is a different story. It requires working at the roofline, often on scaffolding, and mistakes with flashing and drip edges can cause water intrusion problems that cost far more to fix than the original trim job. For anything above the first floor, hiring a contractor is worth the money.
In the Seattle and Portland markets, expect to pay $8-15 per linear foot installed for professional trim replacement, depending on the material and complexity. A typical 2,000 square foot home has 200-400 linear feet of exterior trim, putting the total project cost between $2,000 and $6,000.
Timing Your Project
Book your contractor now if you want work done in April or May. The good crews are already filling their schedules. If you’re doing it yourself, order materials this week and plan your first work weekend for a dry stretch. Check the extended forecast — you need at least two consecutive dry days for installation and painting.
One pro tip for PNW renovators: prime all six sides of wood trim before installation, including the back and cut ends. Our moisture levels are high enough that water vapor can penetrate from behind if the back face is bare. This one step doubles the life of cedar trim in our climate.
Spring renovation projects are about playing offense instead of defense. Fix things when the weather cooperates, and you won’t be scrambling when the fall rains return.
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