How much does it cost to paint a house exterior?

Short answer

Painting a house exterior costs $3,000 to $9,000 from a painting contractor for an average home, and $400 to $1,500 in paint, primer, caulk and supplies if you do it yourself, which takes 1,440 to 4,800 minutes, or several long weekends. It's a pro-recommended job because of the ladder work and the prep, and it comes every 5 to 10 years depending on the siding. The paint is a small part of the pro price. The labor, most of it scraping and prep, is the rest.

Cost breakdown

The DIY column is the paint and primer, caulk, and the sandpaper and drop cloths, assuming you own or can borrow ladders, a scraper and brushes or a sprayer. Renting scaffolding or a sprayer adds to it. The pro column is a crew that washes, scrapes, sands, caulks, primes and paints, and that has the ladders and staging.

What drives the cost

• The house's size and height. Painters price by the square foot of wall, and a tall house or one with many gables costs more for the access alone.
• The siding. Wood needs the most prep and repainting every 3 to 7 years. Fiber cement holds paint for 10 to 15 years, stucco for 5 to 10, and painted brick for 15 to 20, so the per-year cost varies more than the per-job cost.
• The condition. Paint that's chalking but intact gets a wash and a coat. Paint that's peeling needs scraping and priming, and that prep is where the hours go.
• The paint. A premium exterior paint costs more per gallon and lasts years longer, and on a job this size the labor dwarfs the paint, so buy the good paint.
• Trim and details. Shutters, many windows, and a contrasting trim color all add hours, and lead paint on an older house adds containment rules and cost.

DIY vs. pro

This is a pro-recommended job, and the reason is the ladder, not the brush. How often to paint a house exterior is every 5 to 10 years depending on the siding, and a single-story house with sound siding is within reach of a determined homeowner over a few weekends for $400 to $1,500.

A taller house, peeling paint, or siding that needs repair first makes the $3,000 to $9,000 contractor price the better choice. Get a few quotes, ask what prep is included, and ask which paint they'll use. What's yours to do between paint jobs costs almost nothing: wash the siding once a year, and keep the caulk around the windows and doors sound, since water getting behind the paint is what makes it peel early.

FAQ

How much does it cost to paint the outside of a house?

$3,000 to $9,000 for an average home from a contractor, depending on the size, height, siding and condition.

Is it cheaper to paint a house myself?

Yes, at $400 to $1,500 for the paint and supplies, but it takes 1,440 to 4,800 minutes of work and a lot of ladder time. It's realistic on a single-story house in good condition.

How often does a house need painting?

Every 5 to 10 years, with wood siding at 3 to 7 years and fiber cement at 10 to 15.

Why is exterior painting so expensive?

The prep. Washing, scraping, sanding, caulking and priming take most of the hours, and the ladders and staging add to it. The paint itself is a small share.