We're not going to print a price here, because a number without seeing your house would be a guess, and guesses are how people end up disappointed. What we can do is show you what any honest quote is built from — so when you get estimates, you understand why they land where they do and what a suspiciously cheap one is leaving out.
Prep condition — the biggest swing of all
This is the one most people underestimate. On a proper exterior job, the majority of the labor happens before the first coat: washing, scraping, sanding, caulking and priming. A house whose old paint is sound needs far less of this than one that's peeling, chalking and showing bare wood.
That's why two identical houses get different quotes — one needs a day of prep, the other needs four. The paint costs the same; the prep doesn't. And prep is exactly what the cheapest quote quietly skips, which is why it's cheap.
Size and stories
Square footage of surface — not floor space — is the baseline. But height matters more than people expect. A two- or three-story home, or one on a slope, needs ladders, scaffolding and more careful, slower work. The same wall area up high costs more than it does at ground level.
How much trim and detail
A plain wall rolls out fast. Gingerbread trim, lots of windows, shutters, railings, multiple colors and hand-cut lines all take time — and trim is where a paint job is judged, so it's not a place to rush. A detailed Victorian and a simple ranch of the same size are not the same job.
Repairs hiding in the estimate
Sometimes the walkthrough turns up rotted trim, failed caulk lines or a siding board that needs replacing. Good painters flag this up front rather than painting over it. It adds to the number, but painting over rot just means paying twice.
Paint grade
Premium exterior paint costs more per gallon than bargain paint, and on an exterior it's worth it — it holds color and stays flexible through the summer-to-winter swing that makes cheap paint crack. We use Sherwin-Williams for that reason. It's a real line item, but it's rarely the biggest one. The labor dwarfs it.
How to compare quotes fairly
When you've got two or three estimates, don't just compare the totals — compare what's in them:
- Is the prep spelled out, or just implied? How many days is it?
- How many coats, and what paint?
- Are repairs and priming included, or "extra"?
- Is it in writing?
The cheapest number is often cheapest because the invisible half of the job — the prep that decides whether it lasts two years or fifteen — isn't in it. That's not a bargain; it's a shorter countdown.
When you’re ready for a real number, that’s our exterior painting service. And if you’re weighing whether it’s time at all, 7 signs it’s time to repaint helps.
Want a real number for your home, with the prep written out so you can see what you're paying for? Get a free estimate.