Home / Roofing and Exterior / Exterior House Painting Cost
How much does it cost to paint a house exterior?
The short answer
Professional exterior painting typically costs $2 to $5.50 per sq ft of painted surface, or roughly $3,500 to $8,000 for a 1,500 sq ft one-story home and $6,000 to $14,000 for a larger two-story. Prep is destiny: washing, scraping, caulking, and priming bare wood are most of the labor, and they decide whether the job lasts five years or twelve.
Every cheap exterior quote achieves its price the same way: less prep. Paint itself is a small share of the bill. When comparing bids, compare the prep lines, washing, scraping standard, primer type, caulk scope, and number of coats, because the topcoat brand matters less than everything under it.
Vinyl siding can be painted with vinyl-safe colors. Fiber cement and wood are the classic paint surfaces. Brick painting is a one-way door: possible, attractive, and effectively permanent.
Cost by home size
| Home | Typical pro cost |
|---|---|
| Ranch, about 1,200 sq ft | $3,000 to $6,500 |
| One story, about 1,500 to 1,800 sq ft | $3,500 to $8,500 |
| Two story, about 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft | $6,000 to $13,000 |
| Large or complex, 3,000 sq ft plus | $9,000 to $18,000 and up |
How long it lasts, by surface
- Wood siding: 5 to 8 years in harsh sun, up to 10 in mild shade
- Fiber cement: 10 to 15 years, its factory finish lasts longest
- Stucco: 7 to 10 years with elastomeric coatings
- Vinyl, painted: 8 to 10 years with vinyl-safe paint and colors no darker than the original
DIY versus pro
Materials for a DIY exterior job run $600 to $1,500, ladders and sprayer rental included. One story, in good condition, and patient: a reasonable project. Two stories or heavy scraping and repair: the pro premium buys staging, speed, and a warranty, and most homeowners who try it once agree.
Questions homeowners ask
How many coats do I need?
Two finish coats over spot or full primer is the durable standard. One-coat quotes are how five-year failures are sold.
What season is best?
Late spring and early fall, with dry weather and moderate temperatures. Paint hates cold nights, extreme heat, and rain inside its cure window.
Can I paint over peeling paint?
Not durably. Peeling layers must be scraped to a firm edge and primed, or the new coat peels with the old one.