The average cost to paint exterior of house

Painting the exterior of your home can be a big job. I will go over some costs to paint the exterior of the house to make things easier. First, let’s go over what is usually involved in painting the exterior of your home.

• Pressure washing
• Scraping and sanding
• Caulking window casings
• Caulking door casings
• Caulking all small cracks
• Adding wood filler
• Reseal windows (putty)
• Replace rotting wood
• Patching stucco
• Removing awnings
• Removing eaves trough
• Priming all bare wood
• Renting ladders
• Scaffolding
• Painting brush and rollers
• Paint sprayer

Generally, everything I listed above will not be needed when calculating the cost to paint the exterior of your home. I listed all exterior aspects above to consider when looking at the overall cost of hiring a professional contractor. Some exterior renovations can take several months to complete.

So let us look at some average costs to paint the exterior of your home

First, we will cover some cost of the paint. Cheap exterior paint starts at $25 per gallon which I would never recommend for even a dog house, cheap paint doesn’t last. Paint from somewhere like home depot usually runs around $40 to $60 per gallon. Some specialty paint stores can charge almost $100 per gallon for their highest quality paint. Most painters pay around $30 a gallon for good quality paint from their suppliers.

never should any homeowner pay $100 per gallon

Professional painters have contracts with paint stores and generally pass the savings onto the customer. For example: instead of paying $100 per gallon the contractor will only pay about $70 for the same gallon of paint. Most professional painters will suggest and use good quality paint from their suppliers which generally cost around $30 to $40 per gallon. I mainly deal with 2 paint suppliers and pay around $30 a gallon for their most common selling brand of paint which is generally better than any home depot paint.

There are several good reasons to choose a good contractor.

• Licensed and bonded
• Insured
• Professional quality work
• Long lasting work
• Complete exteriors can be sprayed quickly
• Increases property value
• Saves you time and money overall
• cares about satisfied customers

Personally, I recommend a brush and thicker roller for painting most exteriors. Painting with a sprayer is cheaper but doesn’t last near as long. The only time I suggest spraying is for stucco. I have painted several stucco exteriors with a heavy nap roller and brush with great results. Depending upon the type of stucco sometimes a heavy nap roller works better. Spraying exteriors has to be done on very calm days with virtually no wind. There is usually more prep work prior to spraying exteriors.

Most times an average home will use 15 gallons of paint

If you plan on painting your home yourself plan the job well and make a list. Start by asking around for a pressure washer instead of renting one. Watch a few videos on how to use a pressure washer. Be very careful using professional power washers, some settings can actually split cedar siding if you’re too close.

Measure your house yourself

List how many windows and doors. Buy some good-quality brushes and rollers. I recommend heavy nap rollers for exteriors. If you are doing stucco by brush I suggest cheaper brushes. They will probably get destroyed painting stucco. This should help keep your exterior painting cost down.

Create an exterior painting price guide

Hiring a professional to paint your exterior can be costly. Most exterior home painting jobs start at $3,000 and can easily cost over $10,000 for larger homes. Avoid being overcharged and get several quotes. Asking several questions when getting a painting quote is always good practice for the homeowner.

 Is painting your home worth it?

Simply painting the exterior of your house will add thousands to your property value. There are several free online paint calculators to help determine the cost to paint the exterior of the house. Most major paint suppliers have one on their site to use.

Avoid cheap painting quotes

Of course, your home is worth the extra quality work and money. Remember this is most likely the biggest investment you will ever make. Taking good care of your home is always a smart move. You can really save by getting quotes for the cost to paint exterior trim only for example: can you get away with just painting the trim on the exterior of your house? If you are looking to sell your home sometimes just touching up the exterior paint can make all the difference. I always say, insist, and demand quality work on your home.

Highlight the exterior trim

I also have some great pictures and information on Pinterest in regards to learning the cost to paint the exterior of your house. I have added some links for more help with determining how much does it cost to paint a home exterior. This old house has some great house painting links.

There is some great information on Youtube as well for exterior painting. I also suggest trying some house painters’ price guides for exterior paint costs. I share some pictures on Pinterest also for exterior painting costs.
Exterior trim on a home should be inspected every year for maintenance.

Exterior house painting help

Choosing quality house painting products is far more important than saving a few dollars with cheap paint or cheap painting supplies.
This should help you with the average cost to paint a house in your area. I will be adding more information and links every week for your house painters’ price guide.

Choosing exterior paint colors

Do you need help choosing which color to paint your house? Here is some more help with choosing exterior paint colors.

Interior painting quotes

If you are looking for interior painting quotes try looking at my house painting prices for simple ways to calculate how much it will cost to paint a house. Interior and exterior painting quotes made easy. Here is more information on paint estimates.

Exterior painting price guide

When getting painting quotes for your exterior keep in mind that the job could take longer than expected. Another good thing to do is over budget. Quite often, exterior painting jobs end up leading to other smaller jobs that could really inflate the original quote.

Lower your painting quotes

Another great tip for saving money on your house painting is to do the small jobs yourself. When getting a professional painting quote ask the contractor if there are any small jobs you can do to lower the price.

Exterior painting basics

To find out the price of painting your home there are some basic steps to follow. Always get more than one painting quote. Find out how much paint will be used or needed. For exterior painting, it is important to determine how much prep work is involved, which is a huge factor in determining the price of a professional paint job.

Selecting the best exterior colors

There are several ways to choose your exterior house paint colors here are some tips to make it easier.

• Have 3 different professional painters opinion.
• Buy different small paint testers and paint small sections.
• Look online or throughout neighborhoods to find colors you like.
• Ask family and friends for opinions on paint color choices.

With a little help, you will have the best-looking house on your street. I have used sites like Pinterest to get creative ideas for house colors. Hopefully, this will help you with choosing the right exterior house colors.

Exterior home renovations

Choosing the right contractor for your exterior home renovations can be difficult. I always recommend getting several quotes and opinions on any home renovation. We have all heard bad stories about choosing the wrong contractor. I always tell people to be very thorough when choosing a professional contractor. You can even request to talk to the last few homeowners the contractor did previous work for. Never make quick decisions when choosing your contractor also.

Exterior renos cost can be very expensive

Painting is generally the least expensive exterior renovation. Finding the right professional seems to be the hardest part nowadays when it comes to home renovations. Once again I strongly suggest every homeowner take the time and the proper steps to find the best contractor for your needs.

Reducing exterior drafts

Cutting down on exterior drafts is very important for several reasons. Saving money on heating costs is probably number one. Reducing dust and allergens is also important when eliminating drafts. I suggest checking all windows and doors for drafts and making sure everything is sealed properly to save money on your home renovations.

Painting exterior siding

Painting exterior siding can be very expensive. If the siding is very old and worn it may be worth looking at replacing it instead of repairing and painting. Most exterior siding should be painting and maintained every 5 years. There are several good products for patching and repairing siding today. I suggest shopping around for quotes and exterior painting products 3 months before you plan on painting for the best prices to really save on overall painting cost.

How much does a painter charge?

Most homeowners ask me, how much do painters charge? Most professional painters charge by estimating how much time the job will take and supplies. The average exterior will use 15 to 20 gallons of paint. All house painters get discounted prices at professional paint stores. The average painter will pay 30 dollars per gallon from a paint store. I have found that most professional painters will end up charging around 30 dollars for an hour for labor costs. The actual cost to paint the exterior of the house is relative to how much paint you end up buying.

Cleaning before painting

Exterior siding and trim always need to be cleaned before painting. Using a pressure washer on the exterior is always the best way to clean the exterior of any house. Cleaning before painting allows for good adhesion and coverage with paint. I usually recommend most homeowners wash the exterior with a pressure washer every few years regardless of painting.

Cleaning exterior stucco

The best way to clean your exterior stucco is using a pressure washer. I would not recommend using an electric pressure washer for the exterior. I have found gas-powered pressure washers are best for cleaning exterior stucco. Make sure all the windows are tightly closed when using a pressure washer.

Caulking window and door casings

One thing homeowners tend to overlook is caulking windows and doors. Every year homeowners should inspect the outside of their home for repairs. Caulking all windows and doors are very important for proper home maintenance. YouTube has some great videos on caulking windows and doors for the do-it-yourself kind of homeowner.

Installing exterior motion lights

There are several great choices for installing exterior lights today. Some great deals can be found online as well as in the big hardware store. The installing process can be done by most homeowners when it comes to motion lights. After painting the exterior I suggest adding some new accent lights to dress up the exterior even more. Exterior lighting on your home can make a huge difference in curb appeal.

Best way to paint exterior of house

There are some basic steps for achieving the absolute best results in exterior house painting. I love the renovating show HGTVwhich has some more information.

• pressure wash
• repair any damages wood
• caulk windows and doors

Paint sprayers

Paint sprayers can be great for house painting. The biggest problem with paint sprayers is they can be expensive. I have used several paint sprayers times over the years. Some of the bigger hardware stores rent paint sprayers. I generally use a paint sprayer for painting ceilings and exterior stucco. If you are thinking about buying a paint sprayer, I would shop all the major paint stores first. The big hardware stores can offer good deals on paint sprayers also. Finally, I would do some online shopping for just about anything nowadays. When buying any paint tools don’t forget to read reviews.

Painting metal trim

I have found painting anything metal must be done with oil-based spray paint. Latex paint is not meant for metal. If you want to paint something like metal shutters you first need to prep the surface and then use oil-based paint. I have also found that using oil-based spray paints requires several coats of paint. The method I use for painting metal is to sand the surface and then apply a very light coat of paint, let it dry then apply at least 3 more coats for the best results.

Average exterior paint cost

The average exterior paint cost is usually between 2,000 and 4,000 in most places. The actual size of the exterior of course makes all the difference in price. If the home has 2 or more levels the price goes up as well. I find most exterior paint jobs stay under 5,000 unless the exterior is in really bad shape. I have seen several exterior paint jobs where the cedar siding took weeks to even repair before painting. The actual painting doesn’t take so long, it’s always the prep work that adds to the overall cost to paint an exterior of a house.

Quick exterior renovations

I have always found some exterior renovations can be done in a short amount of time. Time is always money when it comes to renovations, therefore quick renovations are always good. Paint touch-ups can be done quickly on exteriors. Caulking windows and doors can also be done quickly on exteriors.

Increase your curb appeal

One of the easiest and best ways to increase your home’s curb appeal is to paint it. Some exterior painting can be done in a few days. I have painted just the exterior trim to increase curb appeal. A good power wash is another great way to improve your exterior appearance. Always maintain the exterior of your home to maintain the most value.