Can I see my new roof or siding before it's installed?
Yes. Modern Exterior Systems (Modex) builds a measurable 3D model of your actual home from photos, then renders your real material options on it — LP SmartSide, James Hardie, CertainTeed, Malarkey, ProVia — so you approve the exact look before we order a single panel. Free on siding, window, and full-exterior projects across the Twin Cities.
Reviewed by Joe Dvorak, Owner, Modern Exterior Systems · Updated July 2026
Same house, real example
What does a 3D exterior design actually look like?
It looks like your house — not a stock photo. Below is a Twin Cities split-level with its original 1980s diagonal cedar siding, and the same home rendered in white board-and-batten with stone accents and a black garage door. The homeowner sees the whole transformation before committing to it.
Before — the home today
1980s split-level, original dark diagonal cedar siding and wood-tone garage door.
After — the 3D design
The same home rendered in white board-and-batten, stone accents, and black entry and garage doors — reviewed and adjusted with the homeowner before any material was ordered.
The process
How does the 3D design process work?
We photograph your home, build an accurate 3D model from those photos, and render your real material options on it. You review the design from every angle, adjust until it's right, and the approved design drives the measurements and the quote. Five steps, and the first one takes minutes.
01
We photograph your home
During your free inspection, our crew lead photographs the exterior from a few angles. It takes a few minutes standing in your yard — no ladders, no tape measure, nothing for you to prepare.
02
The photos become a measured 3D model
The photos are converted into an accurate, to-scale 3D model of your specific home — every wall, roof facet, window, and door. Not a lookalike template. Your house.
03
We apply the real products you're considering
Actual manufacturer materials — LP SmartSide and James Hardie siding colors, CertainTeed and Malarkey shingle lines, ProVia doors and windows, stone accents — rendered on your model so the options you see are options we can actually install.
04
You review it from every angle
Walk around the model. Compare two siding colors side by side. Turn the stone wainscot on and off. Try the black garage door against the white one. Change your mind as many times as you want — this is the cheap stage to change it.
05
The approved design becomes the quote
The same model that renders your design produces the measurements we quote from. What you approved on screen is what we order and what our crews install — line-itemed, in writing, within 48 hours.
Real products, not paint-overs
What products can I preview on my home?
The rendering catalog includes the manufacturer lines we actually install — LP SmartSide, James Hardie, EDCO, CertainTeed, Malarkey, and ProVia among them. That matters: every option you preview is an option our crews can order and install, so the design never promises something the quote can't deliver.
Siding
LP SmartSide and James Hardie in their real factory colors — plus EDCO steel and board-and-batten profiles. Compare lap against vertical on your actual walls, not on a 4-inch sample board in a parking lot.
Roofing
CertainTeed and Malarkey shingle lines in real color blends. See how a Weathered Wood reads against your brick versus a Charcoal before you commit to 30 years of looking at it.
Windows & doors
ProVia entry doors and window styles rendered in place. Black frames against white siding is the most-requested look in the western metro right now — see it on your home before you order it.
Stone & accents
Stone wainscot at the entry and garage, trim and fascia colors, shutters on or off, garage door styles. The accent decisions are the ones homeowners change most often once they see the whole house together.
Why we design before we build
Why design in 3D before installation?
Because exterior decisions are expensive, 30-year decisions — and the planning stage is the only cheap place to change them. A 3D design on your actual home removes the guesswork from color and material choices, aligns everyone on the outcome, and ties the design directly to the measurements we quote and order from.
A $30K–$70K decision shouldn't ride on a sample board
A full re-side in the western metro typically runs $30,000 to $70,000. A 4-inch sample chip can't tell you how that color reads across 2,400 square feet of wall in Minnesota daylight. The rendering shows the whole house — sun side and shade side — before you sign anything.
Change your mind on screen, not on the scaffold
Swapping a siding color in the model takes seconds and costs nothing. Swapping it after material hits the driveway costs restocking fees and weeks of lead time. We'd rather you flip-flop ten times in the design review than once during install.
The design and the quote come from the same model
The model that renders your design also produces the measurements we quote from. No gap between what you approved and what we order — the design review and the line-item quote describe the same house, the same squares, the same materials.
Everyone says yes to the same picture
Spouses disagree. HOAs want documentation. A photorealistic rendering of your actual home gives everyone the same picture to approve — which is faster and calmer than approving an idea described in words.
Questions homeowners ask about 3D design
Is the 3D exterior design free?
Yes — 3D design is free on Modex siding, window, and full-exterior projects across the Twin Cities. We photograph your home during the free inspection, build the model, and render your material options as part of the quoting process. On roof-only replacements we include renderings when color or profile is a genuine decision point — just ask.
How accurate are the 3D renderings?
The renderings apply real manufacturer products — actual LP SmartSide and James Hardie colors, real CertainTeed and Malarkey shingle lines — to a measured 3D model of your specific home. They're accurate enough to make confident color and material decisions. Final appearance still shifts with light: a north-facing wall in December won't read like a July render. We bring physical samples to the design review so you see both.
What do you need from me to build the model?
Photos of your home's exterior — that's it. Our crew lead photographs the home during your free inspection, which takes a few minutes standing in your yard. No ladders, no tape measure, nothing for you to prepare. The photos become an accurate, to-scale 3D model of your walls, roof facets, windows, and doors.
Can I compare different options side by side?
Yes. We render the same home in multiple options — LP SmartSide against James Hardie, two color schemes, stone accents on or off, different garage door styles — and review them side by side. That comparison is the point: a $30,000–$70,000 exterior decision shouldn't ride on a 4-inch sample chip.
Does the 3D model affect my quote?
Yes, in your favor. The same model that renders your design produces the measurements we quote from, so the design you approve, the line-item quote, and the materials we order all describe the same house. That closes the classic gap between what a salesperson showed you and what showed up on the truck.
Free on qualifying projects
Schedule a design consultation today
Tell us about your project and we'll set up your free inspection and 3D design review. Photos take a few minutes; the rendering and written line-item quote follow within 48 hours. No door-knocking, no same-day-close pressure — review the design on your own schedule.
952-206-6339
info@modexhq.com
6927 Rosemary Rd, Eden Prairie MN 55346