Key Takeaways
- The highest-ROI home projects are exterior ones. In 2024, garage door replacement recouped about 194%, steel entry door 188%, and manufactured stone veneer 153% (JLC Cost vs. Value).
- Siding is a strong performer too — fiber cement recoups about 88% and vinyl about 80%, among the best of any project.
- The best-ROI projects are often the smallest (doors), not big-ticket remodels — curb appeal drives value.
- In hail-prone Colorado, durability protects that value. The state ranked 6th nationally for major hail events in 2025 (Insurance Information Institute).
- ROI isn’t the same as energy savings. Windows recoup less at resale but pay back through comfort and lower bills.
If you have a budget for exterior work and want the most value back, the data is clear: exterior upgrades dominate the return-on-investment rankings. According to the 2024 Cost vs. Value Report, the projects that recover the most at resale are smaller curb-appeal improvements — doors and facing — not sprawling interior remodels. Here’s how the major exterior projects rank for 2026, and what Colorado’s climate means for protecting that value.
Which exterior projects have the best ROI in 2026?
The best-ROI exterior projects are garage door replacement (~194%), steel entry door replacement (~188%), and manufactured stone veneer (~153%), followed by fiber-cement siding (~88%) and vinyl siding (~80%) (JLC 2024 Cost vs. Value). The top three actually return more than they cost — a rarity in home improvement. Here’s the ranking:
Across the 15 projects tracked since the report began, average ROI rose about 5.2% in 2024 — a rebound driven largely by these exterior, curb-appeal projects.
Garage and entry doors: the surprise ROI leaders
Garage door and steel entry door replacements top the ROI charts because they’re inexpensive, dramatically improve curb appeal, and are among the first things buyers see. A garage door replacement averaged $4,513 nationally and returned $8,751 in resale value — a 194% recovery (JLC 2024 Cost vs. Value).
Steel entry doors follow the same logic at 188% ROI: a modest cost, a big visual upgrade, and added security.
Siding: fiber cement vs. vinyl — and why it matters in Colorado
Siding replacement recoups about 88% for fiber cement and 80% for vinyl — among the highest-ROI larger projects — while also protecting your home from hail and UV. Fiber cement’s durability and 50-plus-year lifespan help it hold value in Colorado’s climate. For the full material breakdown, see our guide to the best siding for Colorado and the siding replacement cost in Colorado.
Roofing ROI and the Colorado hail factor
A new roof recovers a solid share of its cost at resale and is often a must for a sale — and in Colorado, hail makes roofing both a value and a protection decision. Colorado ranked 6th nationally for major hail events in 2025 (Insurance Information Institute), so buyers here value impact-resistant roofs, and insurers may reward them. See our roof replacement cost guide for Denver for pricing, and our guide to hail damage and insurance for storm considerations.
Windows: ROI vs. energy savings
Window replacement recoups less at resale than doors or siding, but it pays back differently — through comfort, noise reduction, and lower energy bills. If your main goal is resale ROI, doors and facing win; if it’s efficiency and comfort, windows deliver year after year. Decks fall in a similar middle tier — see our deck-building cost guide and composite vs. wood decks comparison.
How Colorado’s climate protects (or erodes) your ROI
Durability is the hidden half of ROI in Colorado — impact-resistant, low-maintenance materials protect the value you just added. A beautiful upgrade that hail cracks or UV fades within a few years doesn’t hold its resale value. Choosing Class 4 impact-resistant roofing, fiber cement or engineered wood siding, and quality doors means the return you invested in stays intact through Colorado’s hail, sun, and freeze-thaw.
Frequently asked questions
Which home improvements have the best ROI?
Exterior curb-appeal projects. In 2024, garage door replacement recouped about 194%, steel entry door 188%, and manufactured stone veneer 153% — the highest of any project, per the JLC Cost vs. Value Report.
Does new siding add home value?
Yes. Siding replacement recoups about 88% (fiber cement) to 80% (vinyl) of its cost at resale, among the best returns for a larger project — and it protects the home from hail and UV in Colorado.
Do new windows pay for themselves?
Windows recoup less at resale than doors or siding, but they pay back through energy savings, comfort, and noise reduction over time. They’re an efficiency investment more than a pure resale play.
What exterior upgrade adds the most value in Colorado?
A new garage door or steel entry door offers the highest ROI, while durable siding and an impact-resistant roof protect value against hail. Curb appeal plus durability is the winning combination here.
Is a new roof worth it for resale?
Often yes — many buyers won’t purchase a home needing a roof, and in hail-prone Colorado an impact-resistant roof is a strong selling point that can also affect insurance.
The bottom line
If you want the most value back from exterior work in Colorado, start with high-ROI curb-appeal projects — garage doors, entry doors, and facing — then invest in durable siding and roofing that protect that value against hail and sun. ROI and protection go hand in hand here. Planning an exterior upgrade? The Install Company installs siding, roofing, windows, and doors across Denver and the Front Range.
Sources
- JLC / Zonda — 2024 Cost vs. Value Report — retrieved 2026-07-15
- Insurance Information Institute — Facts + Statistics: Hail — retrieved 2026-07-15
