How Much Does It Cost to Paint a House Exterior?
Painting the exterior of a house costs $1,819 to $4,551, averaging about $3,178, according to Angi's 2026 data from 39,126 verified projects. Per square foot of paintable wall, the price runs $1.50 to $4. A small one-story home can cost under $2,000; a large two-story home with peeling paint and carpentry repairs can pass $10,000.
The single biggest source of confusion is what gets measured. Painters price paintable wall area, not floor area: a 2,000-square-foot home has roughly 1,700 square feet of paintable wall, per HomeGuide, and a two-story home has far more wall than a one-story home with the same footprint.
Exterior Painting Cost at a Glance
The table below shows typical prices in the United States, checked Nov 10, 2026 (sources: Angi, HomeGuide, and This Old House).
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| National average | About $3,178 |
| Most projects | $1,819–$4,551 |
| Per square foot (paintable wall) | $1.50–$4 |
| High-end projects | Up to $5+ per sq ft |
| 2,000 sq ft home, typical | $3,000–$10,000 |
| Two-story, 2,000 sq ft home | $3,000–$6,200 |
| Labour share of the total | 70–90% |
| Average job length | 4–5 days |
HomeGuide gives a wider $1.50 to $5 per square foot, and This Old House lands at $2.20 to $4.40.
The Paintable-Area Trap
Here is the mistake that makes two quotes for the same house differ by thousands: floor area is not paintable area.
Painters measure the wall surface the paint must cover — the perimeter of the house times the wall height, minus doors and windows, plus any gables. That is the paintable area, and it is usually larger than the floor area on a two-story home, because you are covering two stories of walls on a single floor's footprint. HomeGuide estimates a 2,000-square-foot home has roughly 1,700 square feet of paintable wall — but that is for a one-story layout. A two-story home of the same floor area has closer to 2,500 square feet of paintable wall.
Three things follow from this. First, quotes priced on floor area are not comparable to quotes priced on paintable area. Second, two-story homes cost more per floor square foot than one-story homes. Third, the cheapest rate is meaningless if the painter measured less wall than the job has.
Before comparing quotes, ask each painter for the paintable area they measured — if two painters disagree, one measured wrong.
Cost per Square Foot by Preparation Level
Preparation is the other half of the price. Paint does not stick to peeling, dirty, or rotten surfaces, so the prep level sets the rate as much as the paint does.
| Preparation level | Per sq ft (paintable) | 2,000 sq ft home |
|---|---|---|
| Light prep — sound siding, same colour | $1.50–$2.50 | $3,000–$5,000 |
| Standard prep — scraping, caulking, spot priming | $2.50–$3.75 | $5,000–$7,500 |
| Heavy prep — peeling paint, repairs, full prime | $3.75–$5.00+ | $7,500–$10,000+ |
Light prep means washing, a little caulking, and two coats over sound paint. Standard prep adds scraping loose paint, caulking gaps, and priming bare spots. Heavy prep means stripping failed paint, replacing rotten trim, and priming the whole surface. Most homes that have not been painted in 10 years need standard prep at least — and a quote that assumes light prep on a peeling house is a quote that will grow.
Siding repair is priced separately: Angi puts siding repair at $2 to $50 per square foot, averaging around $600 per job. Rotten trim and soft siding are the most common extras, and they are found during prep, not before — which is why a good quote lists repair as a separate line rather than burying it.
Cost by Siding Type
Different siding takes paint differently, and the rate follows the surface.
| Siding | Per sq ft (paintable) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $1.50–$2.75 | Needs a special vinyl-safe paint; dark colours can warp it |
| Wood | $2.00–$4.00 | Most prep; scraping and priming bare wood |
| Fiber cement | $2.00–$4.00 | Holds paint well; needs caulking at joints |
| Stucco | $1.00–$5.50 | Wide range; texture and cracks drive the price |
| Brick (painted) | $2.50–$4.50 | Needs masonry primer; hard to undo |
Vinyl is the cheapest to paint because it is smooth and needs little prep — but only with paint formulated for vinyl, and only in colours no darker than the original, or the siding can warp in the sun. Wood is the most expensive because it needs the most prep: scraping, sanding, and priming every bare spot. Stucco has the widest range because a sound stucco wall paints cheaply while a cracked one needs patching first.
Cost by House Size and Stories
| Home | Paintable area | Typical total |
|---|---|---|
| Small, 1,000–1,200 sq ft paintable | 1,000–1,200 sq ft | $1,500–$4,000 |
| Average, 1,700 sq ft paintable | 1,700 sq ft | $3,178 average |
| Two-story, 1,500–2,500 sq ft paintable | 1,500–2,500 sq ft | $3,000–$6,200 |
| Large two-story, 2,000 sq ft floor area | ~2,500 sq ft | $6,900–$12,700 |
The last row uses This Old House's $2.20 to $4.40 per square foot applied to a large two-story home — the high end of the market, where premium paint, full prep, and scaffolding all apply. Angi's $3,000 to $6,200 for a two-story home is the more typical figure. The gap between the two is mostly preparation and paint quality, which is why itemised quotes matter more than averages.
What Else Moves the Price
Labour is 70 to 90 percent of the total, so local labour rates dominate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median wage for construction and maintenance painters at $23.75 an hour (May 2025) — but a painting crew's billed rate is two to three times the wage, because it covers insurance, equipment, travel, and supervision.
Paint quality is the next lever: a gallon of premium exterior paint costs $50 to $80, and a typical home needs 10 to 15 gallons.
Lead paint is a legal matter, not a pricing choice. Any house built before 1978 falls under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule the moment a contractor disturbs the paint — testing, containment, and certified disposal add hundreds to the bill, and skipping it is illegal.
Colour changes add a coat. Going from dark to light, or light to dark, usually needs a primer coat plus two finish coats instead of two coats total. And trim, doors, and shutters are often priced separately — check whether the quote includes them before you compare it to one that does.
A Worked Example: Two-Story Home, Standard Prep
Take a two-story home with 1,700 square feet of paintable wall, in standard condition, painted in a similar colour.
| Line item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Labour and paint at $2.75 per sq ft × 1,700 sq ft | $4,675 |
| Minor carpentry (rotten trim, two boards) | $400 |
| Total | $5,075 |
That sits inside the $3,000 to $7,500 standard-prep band. A one-story home with the same floor area would cost roughly a third less, because it has less paintable wall.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Comparing quotes priced on different areas. One painter's square foot is floor area, another's is paintable wall. Ask for the paintable area each one measured.
- Accepting a light-prep price for a peeling house. The prep level in the quote must match the condition of your siding, or the price will grow mid-job.
- Choosing the cheapest paint. Premium paint costs $50 to $80 a gallon and lasts years longer; cheap paint needs a third coat sooner.
- Forgetting the trim. Doors, shutters, and trim are often excluded. A quote without them is not comparable to one with them.
- Skipping the lead test on a pre-1978 home. The EPA rule applies the moment paint is disturbed, and certified handling is not optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to paint a house exterior?
About $3,178 on average, checked Nov 10, 2026, with most projects between $1,819 and $4,551. The rate is $1.50 to $4 per square foot of paintable wall area.
How do painters measure a house for exterior painting?
They measure paintable wall area — perimeter times height, minus doors and windows, plus gables — not floor area. A 2,000-square-foot home has roughly 1,700 square feet of paintable wall, and a two-story home has more wall than a one-story home with the same footprint.
How much does it cost to paint a two-story house exterior?
Angi puts a two-story home at $3,000 to $6,200 for typical prep. With heavy prep and premium paint, This Old House's rates put a large two-story home at $6,900 to $12,700.
How long does exterior painting take?
A typical job takes 4 to 5 days: washing and prep, two coats, and touch-ups. Larger homes, bad weather, and carpentry repairs stretch that out.
Does exterior paint cost include prep work?
It should, but the prep level matters. Light prep is washing and caulking; standard prep adds scraping and spot priming; heavy prep adds stripping and repairs. Make sure the quote states which level it assumes.
