Exterior House Painting cost at a glance
- Typical range: $3,000 – $7,500
- Most homeowners pay: around $4,800
- Per square foot: $4 per sq ft
- Prices vary most by: Labor (prep and painting) (65–80% of the budget)
Cross-checked against three published sources for this project. Sources used for this page: the Angi exterior house painting cost guide, HomeGuide's exterior painting cost data and This Old House's exterior painting cost data (via its published 2026 synthesis). Last updated October 2026 · How we calculate these costs
Cost by scope
| Scope | Typical cost | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Single-story, light prep | $2,200 – $4,500 | One-story home in sound condition: wash, light scraping and caulking, one color, two coats — the fastest full exterior |
| Standard home, average prep | $3,000 – $7,500 | A typical one- or two-story home with standard prep — scraping, sanding, caulking, spot primer and two coats — where most exterior jobs land |
| Large, tall or heavy-prep exterior | $7,500 – $12,700+ | Three stories, extensive peeling or repairs, difficult access, or porous brick or stucco needing heavy primer and paint |
Where the money goes
| Part of the job | Share | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Labor (prep and painting) | 65–80% of total | Exterior painting is mostly labor in every published guide — washing, scraping, masking and two careful coats, with height and access driving the hours |
| Paint, primer & materials | 15–25% of total | Exterior-grade paint costs more than interior, and porous siding (brick, stucco, raw wood) uses considerably more of it |
| Prep repairs, caulk & consumables | 5–15% of total | Scraping and sanding failed paint, caulking joints, replacing small rotted trim pieces, tape, plastic and drop cloths |
| Access, permits & extras | 3–8% of total | Scaffolding or lift rental where ladders cannot reach, and trim, shutter or door painting bundled into the job |
What moves the price most
Paintable area is not floor area. Painters price the wall surface they actually cover — a two-story home of the same floor plan as a ranch can carry close to twice the paintable wall, which is why published per-square-foot guides ($1.50–$4 is the common band) translate into such different totals. Prep condition is the second cliff, and it is labor: sound paint that needs a wash and light scrape prices at the bottom of every guide, while peeling, chalking or failed paint needs scraping, sanding, caulking and primer before a finish coat can stick — heavy-prep homes are priced as their own tier for exactly this reason. Stories and access come third — second and third stories add ladder, scaffold and safety time on every wall. Finally, siding material: smooth vinyl and fiber cement take paint predictably, while brick, stucco and weathered wood are porous, drink more primer and paint, and are priced higher per square foot in published guides.
Costs in your city
Local labor moves a remodel price more than almost anything else, so we are publishing city-adjusted ranges metro by metro — each with its own local cost index, permit notes and climate factors, not a find-and-replace of this page. Wave 1 cities: Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Phoenix, Atlanta, Miami–South Florida, Orlando, Tampa, Charlotte, Austin and San Antonio. Until your city's page is live, use the national range here and weight it: Sun Belt labor often prices near or below the national middle; coastal California and the Northeast metros often price well above it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a house exterior per square foot?
Published guides put most exterior painting at about $1.50–$4 per square foot of paintable surface, with heavy prep and tall or porous homes above that band. At those rates a typical full exterior lands in the $3,000–$7,500 band on this page.
How long does it take to paint a house exterior?
A standard home commonly takes about 3–5 days of work including washing and prep. Large, two- or three-story homes and heavy-prep jobs commonly run a week or more — and weather delays are normal, because paint needs dry, mild conditions to cure properly.
How often should a house exterior be repainted?
Published guidance commonly puts most exteriors at about 5–10 years, depending on siding, climate and the quality of the previous job. South- and west-facing walls in strong sun fail first; failing paint is not just cosmetic, because the coating is the siding's weather protection.
Is one coat of paint enough outside?
For a sound surface repainted in a similar color, a quality paint applied correctly can sometimes cover in one heavy coat — but the standard professional scope in published guides is two coats, because the second coat is where durability and even color actually come from. A quote that is cheap because it is one coat is buying a shorter-lived job.
Can I paint my home's exterior myself?
Washing, scraping and painting a one-story home is realistic DIY with ladders, patience and the right safety gear. Two- and three-story work, lead-era paint, and sprayed finishes are where most owners hire professionals — the labor share on this page is mostly the prep and access work, not the rolling.
