If it’s a simple hardy install, coloured is fine however primed is better if you intend to paint it per your own standards and requirements.

We elected to install primed since we intended to use a custom mix of very bright white BM Select exterior paint and used upto three coats. Not only that but we designed our own layout, I built a jig for installers to cut 16’ lengths precisely in half. The end result is nothing short of spectacular and I expect the exterior to look good for at least twenty years or more.

" I would assume cheaper to get coloured and cut out the painter? "

Pretty sure even prefinished the Hardi requires a field applied top coat for warranty purposes.

Wise move!

A clarification, in case it is helpful to anyone. Today I asked two contractors (one Hardie preferred contractor and one Hardie elite preferred contractor) about applying a top coat onsite. Neither had heard of it. One commented that it might be "for a different market." There are other regional differences, like the ColorPlus colors that are available. I'm in New England, so if the OP is in Canada, perhaps the New England and Canadian offerings differ.

Good luck with your project!

In our experience, pre-painted Hardie product is subject to scuffing and scratching at installation and requires a field-applied finish coat of paint. It was difficult to touch up and we found we needed to paint entire sides of the home.

Charles Ross Homes, is that true for all types of prepainted Hardie in all regions? The contractors I have been getting estimates from cautioned me away from the HardiePlank Lap Smooth because it may show flaws, but said the HardiePlank Lap Select Cedarmill (which is textured) is fine. Thanks for this insight from your expertise.

If you don't have a painter involved who is going to caulk the edges as needed, touch up all the nail heads, repair the inevitable scrapes/scratches from installation, etc.? I went with primed and let my painters use a high quality exterior paint.

@umbleabode, our experience with the pre-painted Hardie product was with their beaded smooth finish product. Based on that, we prefer to paint it in the field.

Thanks for that information. It sounds like the choice of Smooth or Select Cedarmill finish may be the key to why some people love their prepainted Hardie and others have had a bad experience. I’m considering a prepainted light color (Woodland Cream), which probably would be even more likely to show flaws, so I may be confined to the Select Cedarmill.

I've installed Hardie quite a few times. The light colors will show less flaws than the darker ones. I have Hardi deep ocean on the back of my house and it really needs a coat after install. The best scenario would be to get it pre finished, caulk, then put one more coat on after that. All my installs were "smooth".

ksc36, that is really interesting and good to know. Now that you say it, I can see how a scuff or scratch would show worse on a dark color like Deep Ocean (which is beautiful!). Aesthetically I prefer the smooth, so would love to do the Woodland Cream in smooth.