Frisco Fiber Cement Siding on Frisco Houses
Frisco's zoning ordinance names one siding material by type: fiber cement, allowed on upper stories above the roofline and on dormers, box-outs and bay windows. This page is about that material, on this city's houses.
In Brief
Fiber cement is a plank or panel made of cement, sand and cellulose fiber, pressed and cured. It does not burn, rot or feed termites, and it holds paint for a long time.
It is heavy, it is brittle until fastened, and it depends on correct clearances and flashing. Most fiber cement failures are installation failures.
Frisco houses from the 2000s and 2010s carry it on their upper walls because the ordinance allowed it there and nowhere lower.
Why It Is on Frisco Houses
The ordinance's residential standard calls for one hundred percent masonry on main facades, then allows fiber cement siding to make up fifty percent of stories other than the first where located over the roofline, and permits it on architectural features including window box-outs, bay windows and roof dormers. Builders used the allowance where brick is hardest to build: on gable ends above a roof slope, on dormers and on the walls of chimney chases.
That history is why a fiber cement question in Frisco is almost always an upper-story question, which changes the job: access, roof protection and flashing at the roof-to-wall line are most of the work.
City of Frisco Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 63, Subsection 4.07.09 (Ordinance 2021-07-47), as published on eCode360, read October 2026.
How It Behaves in North Texas
- Heat. Fiber cement does not warp or melt in summer sun the way some vinyl does, and it expands very little. Paint on a south or west gable still fades first.
- Hail. Hard, so chips rather than dents. Large hail can crack a plank; the storm record has the dates to check against.
- Water. The material itself is unharmed, but the cut edges and the sheathing behind it are not. The planks need a gap above roofing and above horizontal surfaces, sealed cut ends and flashing at joints and windows.
- Freeze. The February 2021 cold, which reached minus two at Dallas, did not hurt fiber cement; it hurt caulk joints that were already failing.
Material behavior: general trade and manufacturer literature. February 2021 temperature: National Weather Service records as summarized in this site's market notes.
Installation Details That Decide the Outcome
- The clearance between the bottom of the plank and the roof surface below it, which manufacturers specify and builders in a hurry ignored. A plank sitting on shingles wicks water and swells.
- A kick-out flashing where a roof edge meets a wall, diverting water into the gutter rather than behind the siding.
- Blind nailing at the right height and distance from the plank edge, with corrosion-resistant nails.
- Joint flashing behind every butt joint, or a caulked joint that is maintained.
- Primed cut ends.
- Factory finish or a full field paint, with the caulk color matched.
Ask the contractor which manufacturer's requirements it follows and whether the product warranty depends on them. For most lines, it does.
What This Page Does Not Claim
How much of a typical Frisco house is fiber cement. The ordinance sets a ceiling; the amount varies by plan.
That the city enforces the ordinance's material language today. A 2019 state law limits city material rules; ask the city.
Any price.
Questions on This Page
Is fiber cement the same as Hardie board?
Hardie is one manufacturer's brand of fiber cement. Several companies make it. Ask which product is being quoted.
Can fiber cement go over existing siding?
Manufacturers generally require a flat, sound substrate. On a Frisco upper story that means removing the old boards and checking the sheathing.
How often does it need painting?
Factory-finished planks carry a finish warranty of many years; field-painted planks follow the paint. South and west gables fade first.
Can it be used on the first floor?
The ordinance language puts masonry on main facades. A 2019 state law complicates enforcement. Ask the city's Planning staff before planning a first-floor change.
Fiber Cement on the Quote?
Ask for the product name and the manufacturer's installation sheet. The contractor should have both.
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