How often should you paint the exterior of a house?

Short answer

Repaint the exterior every 5 to 10 years, depending on the siding. Wood siding needs it every 3 to 7 years, stucco every 5 to 10, fiber cement every 10 to 15, and painted brick every 15 to 20. The job is a big one: washing, scraping, priming and painting every wall, which takes a crew a few days and a homeowner most of a week. Paint and supplies cost $400 to $1,500, and a painting contractor charges $3,000 to $9,000 for an average home.

Why it matters

Paint is the weatherproofing on most siding. It's a thin skin that sheds rain and blocks sunlight, and under it the siding stays dry and stable. As the paint ages, sun breaks down its binder until it chalks and fades, and the skin cracks at every joint and nail head. Water gets through the cracks, the wood underneath swells, and the paint on top lifts and peels. Bare wood, once exposed, weathers fast.

The cost of waiting isn't a worse-looking house, it's the siding. Wood that's gone unpainted for a few seasons checks, cups and rots, and replacing siding costs far more than painting it. Stucco that's lost its paint absorbs water and cracks. Even the paint job itself gets more expensive the longer it waits, because a surface with heavy peeling needs more scraping and priming than one that's merely faded. Painting on time keeps the siding sound and the next job small.

When to do it more often

The siding decides the schedule:

Wood siding or trim: every 3 to 7 years. Wood moves with the weather, which cracks paint faster than anything else.
Stucco: every 5 to 10 years.
Fiber cement siding: every 10 to 15 years, since it's stable and holds paint well.
Painted brick: every 15 to 20 years.

Within those ranges, full sun, a coastal or wet climate, and a dark color that absorbs heat all push toward the short end. A sheltered, light-colored house in a dry climate can wait for the long end.

What you need

Ladders, or scaffolding for a tall house
A scraper, for loose paint
A sander, for feathering the edges of scraped areas
Brushes and rollers, or a sprayer with the skill to use it
Exterior paint, enough for the whole house with a margin
Primer, for bare wood and filled spots
Caulk, for the joints and gaps you'll find once the old paint is off

Steps at a glance

Wash the whole exterior and let it dry for a couple of days.
Scrape every area of loose or peeling paint back to a firm edge, and sand the edges smooth.
Replace or fill rotten and damaged siding and trim, and caulk open joints and gaps.
Prime all bare wood, filled areas and any siding the old paint has worn through.
Paint from the top down, one wall at a time, keeping a wet edge so the coats blend.
Apply a second coat if the first doesn't cover evenly or the color changed.
Paint the trim last, cutting in carefully where it meets the siding.

You're done when every surface has an even, unbroken coat and no bare wood, old color or cracked caulk shows anywhere.

Signs it's overdue

Peeling or blistering paint.
Chalk on your hand when you rub the wall, which is the binder breaking down.
Fading, especially on the sunny side.
Cracked caulk at the joints.
Bare wood showing anywhere.

DIY or pro

This is a pro-recommended job, and the reason is the size of it and the height. Painting a single-story house over a long week is within reach for someone who's done interior painting and is comfortable on a ladder. A tall house, a house with a lot of peeling, or stucco that needs special primers is a job for a crew with scaffolding, a sprayer, and the experience to prep properly, which is where most of a paint job's life is decided.

A painting contractor charges $3,000 to $9,000 for an average home, and the price depends mostly on the prep, the number of stories and the siding type. Get a quote that spells out the washing, scraping, priming and the number of coats, since a cheap job that skips prep peels in a couple of years and costs the same again to redo.

Safety

Ladder and heights: exterior painting means hours on ladders at the eaves, and ladder falls are the common injury. Use a ladder stabilizer, set it on level ground, move it rather than leaning out, and don't work from the top rungs. Scaffolding or a pro is the answer for anything above the first story.

FAQ

How often does a house need to be repainted?

Every 5 to 10 years on average. Wood siding every 3 to 7 years, stucco every 5 to 10, fiber cement every 10 to 15, and painted brick every 15 to 20.

How do I know when my house needs painting?

Peeling, blistering, chalking that comes off on your hand, fading, and cracked caulk. Bare wood anywhere means it's overdue.

Is it better to spray or brush exterior paint?

A sprayer is faster and leaves an even coat, but it needs skill and careful masking. Brushing works the paint into the surface and is more forgiving. Many pros spray and then back-brush.

Can you paint over peeling paint?

No. Scrape it back to a firm edge, sand the edge smooth, and prime the bare wood first. Paint over peeling paint peels with it.