How Much Does It Really Cost To Paint Your House?

They say it’s what inside that counts, but that isn’t always the case for a house. Since first impressions matter, visitors will remember your shabby paint job or peeling siding even if the interior looks like the “after” in your favorite home renovation show.

So just how much does it cost to paint the outside of a house? It typically ranges from $1,700 to $3,700, but if you’re smart about choosing supplies and the right contractor, you can get a lot of color for your cash. And it’s truly an investment—the money you spend now means years of curb-appeal glory, instead of your house looking like the scruffy kid on the block.

Getting Started

Before you get going, it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into. Here’s what you must take into account:

Vision: Are you interested in boosting your home’s resale value, refreshing a paint job that’s seen better days, or just picking a hue that’s more “you”? Decide where your priorities lie, and then dig into the details.

Cost: The average cost to paint a house is $2,581, but professional painters usually charge by square footage. Single-story homes can cost between $1,000-$3,000, two-story homes between $3,500-$4,000, and three-story homes between $4,500-$6,000. It’s one area where you may finally be happier to have a smaller home!

Location: Your price tag will vary based on geographic location, but this helpful estimator can provide the average cost in your area, and give you competitive quotes from local pros.

Find a Local Top-Rated Exterior Home Painters

DIY vs. Hiring a Contractor

Painting an exterior is a big job—even if you’re skilled with a ladder and a roller, this is something that’s best left to professionals. Hiring a pro means better durability and better coverage, saving you money in the end. Plus, how would you rather spend the final days of summer: sweating it out atop a ladder or taking the kids to a water park and coming home to a sparkling new home?

To find the perfect pro for your paint job, seek out a recommendation from friends and neighbors or consult HomeAdvisor to find painters with good ratings and reviews.

The Nitty-Gritty

Once you know the size and scope of your painting project, you can start looking into the factors that affect cost.

Siding

Straw, sticks, or brick? Construction material doesn’t just determine how easy it is for the Big Bad Wolf to blow your house down: it also affects how much it’ll cost to paint your home. (Also, FYI on straw and sticks—traditionally very hard to paint.)

• Concrete walls will run you between $500 (~250 sq. ft.) and $2,000 (~1,000 sq. ft.)—they must be prepared first, and often need special sealants or primers.
• Metal siding, like aluminum or steel, is a bit less expensive to paint, around $400 (~250 sq. ft.) to $1,500 (~1,000 sq. ft.). A simple cleaning will usually suffice, unless there’s rusted metal to repair.
• Stucco is a bit trickier. It requires extensive prep, including cleaning and caulking, and special paint. You can expect to pay anywhere from $900 (~500 sq. ft.) to $3,000 (~1,500 sq. ft.).
• Painting vinyl siding will cost between $600 (~250 sq. ft.) and $2,000 (~1,000 sq. ft.). Paint can be applied quickly and easily, although the finish may be more extensive.
• For wood siding, you’re looking at about $700 (~250 sq. ft.) to $2,000 (~1,000 sq. ft.). You’ll have the option of staining or painting to help protect against the sun and extreme humidity.

Paint

Exterior paint is like vacation time: you don't want to skimp on quality or quantity. Using high-quality paint will save you money down the road—it not only looks better, but lasts longer. And when calculating how much paint to buy, professionals recommend adding an extra 10 or 20 percent to your total square footage.

It takes two coats to cover a home exterior, and one gallon of paint covers about 400 square feet. You can use this paint calculator to estimate how many gallons you’ll need, but average total costs are between $360 and $840.

Calculate How Much Paint You'll Need Here

Supplies & Prep Work

Painting requires more than just paint—it also involves a whole host of supplies like primer, brushes, rollers, ladders, and painter’s tape. There’s also more prep than you put into your Thanksgiving feast: cleaning and patching holes, scraping peeling paint, or repairing chipped stucco. Like a seasoned makeup artist, a painting pro will have all the right materials on hand and know exactly what prep work your house needs before it can get beautified.

Timing

For painting your home, it’s not so much about location, location, location, as it is about timing, timing, timing. Autumn is ideal for painting: the cool, crisp weather means paint will dry faster, and in most parts of the country there’s less likelihood of rain. From prep work to finishing, an exterior paint job can take one to two weeks—another reason hiring a painter is the easiest way to go. You may even want to time the work with your next family vacation.

All in all, if you always dress to impress, shouldn’t your home do the same? With the help of HomeAdvisor’s True Cost Guide, you can find out just what you’ll need, how much it’ll cost, and how hire a professional to do the job—so the only thing you’ll have to worry about is picking the right color.

Photo credit: Creative Commons by Jason Meredith