McHenry County’s Only James Hardie Certified Contractor
Innovative Home Concepts is the only James Hardie certified contractor in McHenry County. We’re a James Hardie Select Contractor, and we’ve been installing Hardie siding since 2008. Our showroom is at 4410 IL-176, Suite 1, in Crystal Lake. Installed Hardie siding runs $16 to $20 per square foot of wall area in 2026.
James Hardie backs its siding, trim and soffit with a transferable 30-year non-prorated substrate limited warranty. The ColorPlus finish gets its own 15-year limited warranty on paint and labor. Both of those are James Hardie’s warranties, not ours. Ours is 5 years on labor, and we lay all three out below so nobody has to guess.
James Hardie’s team frequently visits our jobsites. We like it that way. According to James Hardie, Hardie products are on more than 10 million homes.
James Hardie Siding Products We Install
James Hardie describes ColorPlus Technology as “a proprietary finish applied to Hardie products in our controlled factories,” cured onto the boards during manufacturing. James Hardie covers it with a 15-year limited warranty on paint and labor against peeling, cracking and chipping.
HardiePlank Lap Siding →
James Hardie calls lap siding “long boards installed horizontally, often overlapped,” with a wood grain or a smooth texture.
About 70% of our Hardie projects are HardiePlank. More on profiles and textures on our HardiePlank page.
✓ About 70% of Our Hardie Jobs
HardieShingle Siding →
James Hardie says Hardie Shingle Siding “is designed to mirror the distinct look of classic cedar shake.” You get the overlapping, staggered pattern of a shake wall in fiber cement.
See the details on our HardieShingle page.
✓ Cedar Shake Look
HardiePanel Vertical Siding →
Per James Hardie, vertical siding “is also known as board and batten,” with planks and trim installed top to bottom instead of side to side. Hardie Panel Vertical Siding is how you get that look in fiber cement.
The black Huntley job further down this page has board and batten across the front. More on our Hardie board and batten page.
✓ Board & Batten Look
HardieTrim Boards
James Hardie calls Hardie Trim Board “the finishing touch for your home’s design.” It’s used to accent exterior corners, columns, fascia, doors and windows.
Trim is where you can tell who hung the siding. Look at the corners before you look at anything else.
✓ Complete the System
ColorPlus Technology: 15-Year Finish Warranty
Here’s the difference in plain terms. Primed Hardie gets painted on site after it’s hung. ColorPlus is cured onto the boards at the factory. James Hardie says that “eliminates debris and the environmental factors mid-project that often lead to chipping, bubbling, or cracking.”
The finish carries James Hardie’s 15-year limited warranty, covering paint and labor against peeling, cracking and chipping.
How many colors? James Hardie’s Dream Collection “features nearly 700 ColorPlus Technology finishes.” That’s an expansion of its Statement Collection. We don’t stock colors. Your siding is ordered for your job through our suppliers.
James Hardie vs. Other Siding Materials
IHC installed prices, 2026, per sq ft of wall area. We only put a row in this table when we can show you where the number came from.
| Feature | James Hardie Fiber Cement | Vinyl Siding | LP SmartSide | Cedar (Real Wood) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installed Cost (per sq ft)1 | $16 – $20 | $6 – $8 | $16 – $20 | $16 – $22 |
| Cost Recouped at Resale (national, 2025)2 | 113.7% (fiber-cement siding replacement) | 96.5% (vinyl siding replacement) | Not in the report | Not in the report |
1 IHC 2026 price book. 2 According to the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com), national averages. © 2025 Zonda Media, a Delaware Corporation. Complete data from the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.
James Hardie fiber cement, in James Hardie’s own words
| Topic | What James Hardie says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What it’s made of | “sand, water, cellulose fibers, and Portland cement” | jameshardie.com/faq |
| Fire | “non-combustible, will not ignite when exposed to a direct flame, and will not contribute fuel to a fire and has a Class A fire rating” (tested to ASTM E84) | jameshardie.com/faq |
| Pests and moisture | “resists damage from moisture and holds no appeal for pests like woodpeckers or termites” | Hardie Plank lap siding page |
| Freezing weather (HZ5) | “HZ5 products resist shrinking, swelling and cracking even after years of wet or freezing conditions” | jameshardie.com/faq |
| Substrate warranty | “a transferable 30-year, non-prorated substrate limited warranty” on siding, trim boards and soffit | James Hardie lifetime value page |
| ColorPlus warranty | “a 15-year limited warranty that covers paint and labor, protecting against peeling, cracking, and chipping” | jameshardie.com/faq |
| Colors | The Dream Collection “features nearly 700 ColorPlus Technology finishes” | jameshardie.com/faq |
Quotes checked against James Hardie’s live pages on October 27, 2026.
Torn between Hardie and LP? I wrote up the honest version of that decision in LP SmartSide vs. James Hardie for McHenry County. We’re certified on both, so I don’t have a horse in that race.
Three Warranties, Three Owners
Every Hardie job comes with three separate warranties from two different companies. Here’s who stands behind what.
| Warranty | Who gives it | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Siding, trim and soffit substrate | James Hardie | 30-year, non-prorated, transferable |
| ColorPlus finish | James Hardie | 15-year limited, paint and labor, against peeling, cracking and chipping |
| Workmanship (labor) | Innovative Home Concepts | 5 years on labor |
Here’s the part a lot of contractors leave out. James Hardie’s contractor locator page says it plainly: “James Hardie does not warrant the installation of its products.” It says certified contractors “may offer a separate installation or workmanship warranty,” and it tells homeowners to discuss installation warranty terms with the contractor before hiring. So ask. Ours is 5 years on labor.
Why does the install matter so much? In my own words:
“Fiber cement siding and Hardie in particular needs to be installed in a very deliberate and specific way. James Hardie published an entire manual that outlines the best practices for installation that Hardie has researched for decades. … We as an alliance contractor attend all of the training, pride ourselves in doing the job right, and welcome Hardie’s technical support team on our installations.”
Rhett Wilborn, Owner, Innovative Home Concepts
Want to check a contractor yourself? Here’s how to verify a certified James Hardie installer in about five minutes.
How a Hardie Job Goes at IHC
- Free estimate and design consultation. You get a price quote, and on jobs like the Huntley house below, renderings so you can see the house before anything gets ordered.
- Scheduling. Most siding jobs are scheduled about 4-6 weeks out. And yes, we install Hardie all winter.
- Tear-off and sheathing. We strip the old siding, then inspect and repair the sheathing underneath.
- Weather barrier. The weather barrier goes on before any siding does.
- Boards and trim. We hang the Hardie boards and trim to James Hardie’s installation instructions.
- Finish and clean-up. Final trim details, then we clean up.
Recent Project: Black James Hardie Siding in Huntley, IL
Black James Hardie lap siding with board and batten on the front, plus black soffit, fascia, 6-inch gutters and window trim. Here is how the job came together, in the words of Skyler Wilborn, the sales consultant and designer on this project:
When the homeowner first reached out to us, his home had a problem that couldn’t wait. The original vinyl siding had taken a beating in a storm, and several sections had blown off entirely. The worst of it was around one of the windows, where the missing siding had left the wall exposed and water was making its way into the sheathing and framing behind it. Left alone, that kind of moisture intrusion only gets worse, so the first priority was simple: stop the water and protect the structure.
But the family saw this as more than a repair. It was a chance to completely rethink the look of their home.
Before any materials were ordered, we put together several renderings so the family could see exactly how different options would look on their house. After reviewing them, they landed on a combination of James Hardie lap siding and board and batten, with the board and batten featured on the front of the home to give it a more custom, architectural feel.
They also wanted something bold. Rather than a safe neutral, they chose an all black exterior: black siding, black soffit and fascia, black gutters, and black window trim. The result is dramatic and modern, and it gives the home a presence it never had before.
— Skyler Wilborn, Sales Consultant & Designer, Innovative Home Concepts
Before
Initial design by Skyler Wilborn, Consultant
Final finished product
Before: the back
After: same back wall
Black fascia, soffit and gutters
Want to see your house before you decide? Every estimate comes with a free design consultation and price quote.
Recent James Hardie Jobs in McHenry County
Real IHC jobs, from our own project photos.
Why Hire IHC for James Hardie Installation
The Only Hardie-Certified Installer in McHenry County
No other contractor based in McHenry County holds a James Hardie certification at any tier. We’re a James Hardie Select Contractor, and we’ve been installing Hardie since 2008.
Hardie Is on Our Jobsites
James Hardie’s team frequently visits our jobsites. We attend all of the training Hardie offers. If you’re comparing quotes, ask the other guy if Hardie has ever seen his work.
Warranties You Can Read
James Hardie: 30-year non-prorated, transferable substrate warranty and a 15-year ColorPlus finish warranty. Innovative Home Concepts: 5 years on labor. Three warranties, each one labeled with who gives it.
Nearly 700 ColorPlus Finishes
James Hardie’s Dream Collection has nearly 700 ColorPlus finishes. James Hardie says most people “should be able to find the perfect shade for their home” in there.
Built for Freeze-Thaw (HZ5)
James Hardie makes products for different climates under its Hardie Zone System. Its HZ5 products, per James Hardie, “resist shrinking, swelling and cracking even after years of wet or freezing conditions.”
Women-Led, 21 Years Local
IHC is women-led and family-owned, and we’ve been at the same address, 4410 IL-176 in Crystal Lake, since 2005. We’re members of the Crystal Lake, Woodstock and McHenry chambers of commerce, and we sponsor local youth sports. 400+ Google reviews from homeowners.
Get a Free James Hardie Estimate
Every estimate comes with a free design consultation and price quote. Want to spread the cost out? We offer financing.
Women-led • A+ BBB • Best of Fox since 2011 • Free estimates, no obligation
James Hardie Siding FAQs
How much does James Hardie siding cost in Crystal Lake, IL?
James Hardie fiber cement siding costs $16 – $20 per square foot of wall area installed in the Crystal Lake and McHenry County area (IHC, 2026). Most IHC Hardie projects land between $28,800 and $36,000 for a typical 1,800 sq ft of wall area. Note: “1,800 sq ft” refers to the wall area being sided, not the home’s floor square footage. A 2,000 sq ft home typically has 1,500–2,200 sq ft of wall area depending on number of stories and footprint. More numbers are in our siding cost guide, and we offer financing.
What maintenance does James Hardie siding need?
James Hardie says its siding “resists damage from moisture and holds no appeal for pests like woodpeckers or termites,” and that a ColorPlus finish gives you “color that lasts longer than a typical paint job.” Primed Hardie without ColorPlus gets painted on site. The ColorPlus finish carries James Hardie’s 15-year limited warranty on paint and labor against peeling, cracking and chipping.
Is James Hardie siding better than vinyl?
It costs more. Hardie runs $16 – $20/sq ft installed vs. vinyl’s $6–$8 (IHC, 2026). On resale, fiber-cement siding replacement recouped 113.7% of its cost nationally, against 96.5% for vinyl siding replacement, according to the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com). On fire, James Hardie says Hardie siding is non-combustible and that vinyl siding “is vulnerable to melting and flame.” Whether that’s worth the price difference is your call, and we quote both.
What James Hardie colors are available?
James Hardie’s Dream Collection features nearly 700 ColorPlus Technology finishes, an expansion of its Statement Collection. ColorPlus is cured onto the boards in James Hardie’s factories. Primed boards are also available for painting on site.
How far out are James Hardie siding jobs scheduled?
Most siding jobs are scheduled about 4-6 weeks out, and we install Hardie all winter. The job itself covers stripping the old siding, inspecting and repairing the sheathing, installing the weather barrier, hanging the Hardie boards and finishing the trim.
What warranty does James Hardie siding carry?
James Hardie backs its siding, trim boards and soffit with a transferable 30-year non-prorated substrate limited warranty. ColorPlus Technology finishes get a separate 15-year limited warranty from James Hardie that covers paint and labor against peeling, cracking and chipping. James Hardie states that it “does not warrant the installation of its products,” so the installation warranty comes from your contractor.
What warranties come with a James Hardie job from IHC?
Three. James Hardie’s 30-year non-prorated, transferable substrate warranty. James Hardie’s 15-year ColorPlus finish warranty on paint and labor. And Innovative Home Concepts’ workmanship warranty: 5 years on labor.
Is Innovative Home Concepts a James Hardie Elite or Preferred contractor?
No. IHC is a James Hardie Select Contractor, and the only James Hardie certified contractor in McHenry County.
Does a non-certified installer void the James Hardie warranty?
James Hardie doesn’t put it that way. What James Hardie does say is that it “does not warrant the installation of its products,” and that its ALLIANCE contractors “may offer a separate installation or workmanship warranty.” So the install is on whoever does it. Ask any contractor what their labor warranty is, in writing. Ours is 5 years on labor.
How do I check that a contractor is James Hardie certified?
Search James Hardie’s contractor locator at jameshardie.com/find-a-contractor/ for your town, and ask the contractor to name their tier. Our guide to verifying a Hardie installer walks through it.
Ready for James Hardie Siding?
Call or text us for a free estimate. No pressure, no obligation, just honest numbers from the only James Hardie certified contractor based in McHenry County.
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Innovative Home Concepts
4410 IL-176, Ste 1
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Phone: (815) 356-9020
Email: info@innovativehomeconcepts.com
Monday–Friday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
James Hardie Select Contractor
Only Hardie-Certified Installer, McHenry County
A+ BBB Rating
Best of Fox, Winner since 2011
