How Much Does It Cost To Paint Exterior Of House

Professional Pros And Cons

A professional painter will give you the best results. The job will be completed more quickly than a DIY project. You will leave the ladders and potential risks to the professionals, keeping yourself safe from possible falls and accidents.

The cost will be higher than any DIY option. You will need to read reviews or ask your family and friends to find a trustworthy contractor.

Is Primer Necessary For Exterior Painting

Primer plays an important role in both interior and exterior painting projects This resin-based material acts as the initial coating of a paint job, effectively sealing the underlying surface so that other materials cannot penetrate or soak into the underlying material.

24 hours to 3 daysAfter pressure washing your house, you have to wait for it to fully dry before you can paint it This waiting time can be anywhere from 24 hours to 3 days Pressure washing isnt for beginners If youre not experienced, the high water pressure can easily damage portions of your houses exterior.

Painting Prices For Different Types Of Services

If youre in need of painting other parts of the house other than just the exterior itself, the painter can offer the following additional services. Here is a breakdown of the average price of each service:

These prices vary due to the size and amount of the additional services you require. Some painters will include these prices into the final cost, but be aware that some may add these on separately.

Don’t Miss: Interior Paint Colors For 2021

Do I Need To Back Roll After Spraying Exterior

Does every surface need to be back rolled after spraying? No You can actually damage or create an unwanted finish if you back roll certain surfaces.

Having correct group of ladders & chosen paint sprayer will increase time painting an exterior tremendously Typically taking our teams of painters anywhere from 3 to 5 days, having proper equipment and hand-tools.

Average Exterior Painting Cost By Square Footage Of A Home

Each exterior painting project includes power washing to clean and remove organic growth, caulking, masking to protect parts of the house not being painted , priming bare wood, and painting the body and/or trim.

Here are the averages for the cost to paint a house exterior by square footage

• A 1,200-square-foot ranch home can cost between $8,000 and $12,000
• A two-story 2,500-square-foot home can cost between $12,000 and $25,000
• A 3,500-square-foot home can cost between $15,000 and $30,000
• A 4,500-square-foot home can cost between $20,000 and $40,000

*These are Tribble Paintings average exterior house painting cost estimates, subject to change based on each unique exterior painting project

Read Also: What Size Air Compressor For Painting

Exterior House Painting Time Schedule

If the siding needs a lot of scraping, wood filling, cleaning and caulk replacement, the prep time might be as long as the paint time. Heres an idea of the timeframe you can expect for a crew of 2 or 3 people.

• ½-day to two days: Scraping, filling, patching, caulking, if needed
• ½-day: House washing, if needed, possibly followed by a day or two to allow the siding to dry
• 1-2 days: Priming, if done separately, plus dry time overnight
• 1-2 days per coat: Painting

Average Cost To Paint A House Exterior

The average cost to paint a house exterior is $1,900 to $6,900. House repainting costs depend on the home’s exterior size and condition, number of stories, number of windows and doors, paint quality, siding material, repairs, prep work, and labor.

• Labor accounts for 70% to 80% of the total cost.
• DIY painting a house exterior costs $400 to $1,800 for materials only.

Read Also: Sherwin Williams Masonry Paint Exterior

How Much Does It Cost To Paint The Exterior Of A House Yourself

The main thing to work out when costing an exterior paint job is how much paint youll need.

Jimmy Englezos, DIY and painting pro and Senior Brand Manager at Ronseal , explains that the amount of paint youll need will depend on whether your home is masonry, brick, stone, shiplap or cement renders.

First, lets take an average three-bed semi-detached house as a case study. The average size of a three-bed semi-detached house is 90 square metres. One five-litre tin of masonry paint coves 10 square metres in two coats, meaning youd need around 18 litres, or two 10-litre tubs, for a home face lift.

A 10-litre tub of masonry tub from B& Q costs £20-£50 . So, the total cost of masonry paint for an average three-bed home would be around £40-100.

This is assuming that your house exterior has a smooth finish to begin with. Bear in mind that shiplap and other rougher materials, given their coarse nature, will halve the coverage of the paint. The cracks and crevices soak up a large amount of the paint compared to other smoother surfaces where the paint will go further. So, if you have a coarse render or cladding to your exterior, add an extra tub of paint.

You will have to also factor in the cost of masonry paint brushes and rollers , a safety helmet , a ladder , caulk , filler or mortar, protective sheets and masking tape. Altogether, expect to pay an extra £300-500 for all the equipment and materials.

Seasy Diy Home Painting Projects

Now, there are some exterior painting projects that are easy to DIY. Here are 5 of the best exterior jobs to tackle yourself:

Also, painting a front door by yourself is a distant fifth on the list. Keep in mind, front door painting can be tricky for most novice painters.

Whats best is that most of these popular DIY outdoor painting projects can be completed over a weekend. Not to mention, you likely wont need a ladder which means they are much safer to DIY.

You May Like: Difference Between Interior And Exterior Paint

The Amount Of Preparation Needed

Preparation is the key to a great, long-lasting finish, so its crucial that you invest the time at this stage. Cleaning or removing the current paintwork is a time consuming and messy job. Any damage needs to be repaired with a sand/cement mixture before painting, which can take some time to complete properly.

What Type Of Paint Works Best For The Exterior Of A House

When painting the exterior of a house, it is important to choose paint that is durable, waterproof and UV resistant.

‘We would recommend a high-quality masonry paint that is made using UV resistant pigments to ensure the color doesnt fade over time,’ says Anna at Fenwick & Tilbrook.

‘Our water-based Ultimate Masonry finish has elasticity allowing for natural movement and is outstandingly durable, designed to protect exterior surfaces even in the harshest conditions,’ says Anna. ‘Our Masonry paint is self-priming so does not require the use of a primer prior to application.’

Don’t Miss: Can You Paint Over Stain Wood

Tips To Save On The Cost To Paint A House

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list ofour partnersandhere’s how we make money.

A fresh coat of paint makes everything it touches seem brand new. But such new beginnings cost real money. Professional painters charge around $4,000 for labor and materials to paint the exterior of a 2,500-square-foot, two-story home and roughly $5,500 for the interior. Painters rates may range from $20 to $60 an hour, but around $40 is typical in urban areas.

With thought and planning, you can keep the cost of painting the exterior or interior of your home to a minimum, whether you are using a professional painter or doing the work yourself.

» MORE: Estimate the cost of your home renovation

Renting Vs Buying Supplies

Did you know you can actually rent certain painting supplies rather than having to buy them?

Most Home Depot stores and Lowe’s stores have a rental program where you can rent out certain painting and home improvement supplies.

So if you know you’ll only need those supplies for this particular project, that can be a much more cost-effective way to get the things you need.

Here’s another thing that blew my mind when I learned it: some libraries rent out basic home improvement supplies!

Check with your local library to see if they have any tools like paint sprayers on hand that you can borrow. That’ll save you lots of money on your painting project and you’ll still be able to get the job done right.

Obviously, the cheapest route here is to see if any of your friends and family have some painting supplies they could lend you for the day.

Read Also: Best Place To Get Your Car Painted

Most Important Characteristics Of An Exterior Home Painter

• Degree and variety of skill

People always seem to choose about three of these responses, as if they feel that they can only expect so much out of a painting company. Or maybe, they think they have to sacrifice some of these factors for the sake of price. This is understandable when so many sales reps are either saying the exact same thing, giving conflicting information or are charging prices ranging thousands of dollars apart. The process of collecting bids feels not too dissimilar to car shopping with the stereotypical used car salesmen trying to sell you lies. How do you know what to believe?

Sales And Dented Cans

Another way you could try to save money on paint is by waiting for your local hardware store to run a sale.

Even if they knock off a few dollars on a can of paint, this can save you a bunch of money if you know you have a bunch of square footage to cover.

You can also see if they have any dented or otherwise blemished cans that they could sell to you for less.

Most people don’t want to buy dented cans but the paint inside is the same stuff, and if you can get it for a bit cheaper that’s more money left over for you!

Hot Tip: One more place you can look for cheap paint is Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. This works best if you’re not picky on color or you’re going with a standard color like white. I’ve seen some people getting rid of a large amount of paint cans near their expiry date for FREE on those sites, so it might pay off to be a little thrifty.

Read More > > What Are The Best Extension Ladders For Exterior Painting?

Recommended Reading: Best Paint Sprayer For Kitchen Cabinet

How Can I Work Out How Much Paint I Need

‘To work out how much paint you need to paint the exterior of your house, first calculate your square meters,’ recommends Anna Hill at Fenwick & Tilbrook.

If you have already chosen which paint you want to use, often the brand will have a coverage calculator on their website this will give you the most accurate answer on how many liters or gallons of paint you will need.

‘The Fenwick & Tilbrook website enables you to input your dimensions to help calculate square meters and then advise number of liters required based on applying 2 coats,’ Anna says.

What Is The Average Cost

Since every home is different, every job is going to be different. The average cost of a high-quality job will cost close to upwards of $3,000 after factoring in the prep work, size of your home, and the materials and labor needed. However, the price will be worth it once you see the quality painting a professional can do and get their expertise to help you get the service for your money that will last a long time.

Receive the exterior paint job that you & your home deserves. Call today to get a FREE painting consultation!

Don’t Miss: Benjamin Moore White Ceiling Paint

Does The Houses Exterior Need To Be Primed Before Painting

The short answer is no, but Licks decorating team adds: ‘Proper preparation is crucial to how flawless your exterior paint job will be.’

Prepare your surface by following these steps:

1. ‘Thoroughly clean and dry the surface. If the walls have been painted previously, remove any flaking or peeling paint with a pressure washer or wire brush’.

2. ‘Repair any cracks with exterior fillers’

3. ‘Move any climbing plants and trellises out of the way as much as possible.’

‘Once all the cleaning is done, leave the surface to dry completely before you start painting,’ says Lick.

Do The Prep Work Yourself

If theres a lot of prep work to do in order to get your walls in a good condition to paint, its going to take the painters longer to complete the job and your cost will likely go up.

So, if youre walls are not in great condition, consider doing some of the scraping, sanding and filling before you get the professionals in.

Also Check: Benjamin Moore Paint For Bathrooms

The Cost Of Paint Prep

When a painter says they will scrape any failing paint they are talking about physically going in with a metal scraper to remove paint from the surface area that is showing significant signs of wear. Typically, painters are looking to remove any paint where the seal has been visibly broken and the edges of the paint are lifting away from the substrate. Once paint has been scraped, youre left with raw edges and bare wood. Its very important that these areas are primed before being painted, otherwise the paint will not adhere to the substrate. With that in mind the more scraping required on your home will require more primer to be used, adding to the overall cost.

Depending on how frequently youve painted your home and what state its in there can be an additional charge for prep. If your home requires additional or significant prep you can typically expect to see anywhere from $500.00-$2,000.00 added on to your project. This will account for the additional time, labor, and materials that go into the prep prior to painting. Keep in mind, great prep leads to a longer lasting paint job so this may not be the place to save money on your project.

Whats Involved In Painting The Exterior Of A House

Well go through the process for painting a house that has exterior walls with a few fine cracks and some algae stains.

Materials and Equipment Needed:

• External filler

Preparation is important and shouldnt be missed. The first thing you should do is mask windows, doors and guttering or drainpipes so they dont get flecks of paint on them.

Start by using your hand brush to brush down the walls which will remove any dust or loose paint. Using the scraper get rid of any loose masonry and crumbling paint.

Scrub the walls using warm soapy water and rinse afterwards with clean water.

Fill in any small cracks using external filler. A mix filler will be faster than a powdered filler.

You will need to mix this on site. Wet the piece of the wall using a cloth and then apply the filler.

Once complete its time to sand down the wall with the filler.

You will then need to treat the stains and algae on your wall by using a fungicidal wash which you should apply with a brush.

The solution will need 24 hours to dry. Once its dry, scrub the area with clean water.

Some walls in poor condition or with original paint thats chalky will also need priming with stabilising solution. Apply one coat to the areas in poor condition.

If you are applying paint to an already painted surface, you wont need an undercoat. If the surface isnt painted, then you will need to apply the undercoat first.

Follow the manufacturers instructions as to the number of coats to apply.

Also Check: Gray Paint With Brown Undertones

Exterior Paint Cost Per Gallon

Better paints are thicker because they have a higher percentage of resin to water. Youll pay more because there are more raw ingredients in the can, but each gallon covers more surface area and hides older colors more thoroughly. All-in-one paint and primer formulas are thicker versions of regular paint, and their coverage is exceptional. In the long run, youll save by using less, and the results will speak for themselves.

How To Tell If Your Homes Exterior Needs A Paint Job

You might not know exactly when your home was painted last, but there are some tell-tale signs that it might be time for this exterior upgrade.

If your paint is peeling, bubbling or cracked.

Look for sections of your homes exterior walls that have bubbling or peeling paint. If that is what you find, you need to act quickly. When the paint has peeled away, it means your siding is vulnerable to the elements and can start letting moisture in. If you develop a moisture problem, the damage can be extensive. It can lead to rot, mildew and even dangerous mould which will have to be remediated by a professional mould removal company. So, in short, if the paint is peeling, bubbling or cracked, its time to call in a professional painting company for an exterior paint job.

The colour is fading.

Your homes exterior takes a lot of abuse! It gets hit with snow, rain, and damaging UV rays. Over time, it will start to fade. Keep your home looking vibrant and well-cared for with a new exterior paint job. Not only will it improve aesthetics, but fading can also be the first sign that the paint is wearing out and will not do its job of protecting your home properly.

You can see that your wood or stucco cladding is damaged.

You can see what looks like stains on the siding.

Recommended Reading: Paint Color Ideas For House Exterior