PaintBidExterior Painting Cost Calculator
What should painting your house exterior actually cost? Get a realistic low–high range from your wall area, finish level and region — before you collect quotes.
Don't know your wall area? A rough shortcut: multiply your home's floor area by about 1.1 for a one-story house, or 0.8 per floor for two stories, then adjust. Ranges are planning estimates based on third-party cost data, not binding quotes.
Estimates assume a professional crew, standard prep for the condition chosen, and mid-range materials unless you pick otherwise. Siding replacement, lead-paint handling and scaffolding are not included.
What drives an exterior painting price
Wall area, not floor area. Painters charge for the surface they paint. Two homes with the same floor plan can have very different exterior costs if one has tall gables, dormers or a second story of siding.
Prep condition. Sound paint mostly needs washing and spot prep. Peeling, chalking or bare wood means scraping, sanding, priming and caulking hours — this is where quotes for the "same house" diverge the most.
Paint quality and coats. Premium paints cost more per gallon but often cover better and last longer between repaints. A same-color refresh may need one coat; a color change or bare substrate needs two.
Region. Labor is most of the bill, and painter day rates vary widely by market — third-party keyword and cost data for exterior house painting puts advertised prices noticeably higher in coastal metros than in lower-cost regions.
Are you the painter?
This page shows the homeowner's view. Contractors price the same job from cost: gallons, hours, prep factor and markup. Do it properly with the free painting estimate calculator for contractors and turn the number into a printable quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a house exterior?
Most homeowners pay roughly $2–$6 per sq ft of paintable wall area, depending on finish level, prep work and region. A typical 1,500 sq ft of wall area at a standard finish lands around $4,500 before regional differences. Use the calculator above for a range based on your numbers — ranges here are planning estimates based on third-party cost data, not quotes.
Why is there such a wide price range for exterior painting?
Prep is the swing factor. A house with sound paint needs washing, light scraping and caulking; a house with peeling paint, siding repairs or many stories can double the labor. Finish level (paint quality), number of coats and local labor rates move the price further.
Is it cheaper to paint my house myself?
Materials for an average exterior run a few hundred dollars in paint plus ladders, sprayer rental and safety gear — but the labor is the bulk of a professional price, and exterior work means days on ladders. DIY saves money if your time is free and the house is one story; two-story homes are where most homeowners decide the risk is not worth it.
How do painters actually calculate their price?
Painters measure the walls, work out gallons from coverage, estimate labor hours from a production rate, add prep for the surface condition, then add markup. PaintBid is the contractor-side version of this calculator — if you are a painter, you can price the same job from the cost side.