Cost to Paint a House Exterior in 2026: By Home Size and Siding Type
Painting a 1,500 sq ft home’s exterior costs $1,800 to $4,500 professionally in 2026. A 2,500 sq ft two-story home runs $3,000 to $7,500. DIY exterior painting costs $300 to $700 in paint and materials for the same home. The cost to paint house exterior depends on home size, number of stories, siding type (wood, vinyl, fiber cement, stucco, brick), and the amount of prep work required (scraping, caulking, priming).
Exterior painting is one of the most impactful curb appeal upgrades a homeowner can make, and its cost is driven more by labor than materials. A professional crew painting a 2,000 sq ft home uses approximately 15 to 20 gallons of paint at $40 to $80 per gallon, meaning materials total $600 to $1,600. The remaining $1,400 to $5,000 of a typical quote is labor, which covers pressure washing, scraping and sanding failed paint, caulking gaps, priming bare wood, and applying two coats of finish paint.
The paint calculator estimates gallons needed and material cost for any exterior surface area.
Open the Paint Calculator →Exterior House Painting Cost by Home Size in 2026
| Home size | Stories | Professional cost | DIY material cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1,000 sq ft | 1-story | $1,200 to $2,800 | $200 to $450 |
| 1,000 to 1,500 sq ft | 1-story | $1,800 to $3,500 | $280 to $560 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft | 1-story | $2,200 to $4,500 | $320 to $700 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft | 2-story | $3,000 to $6,000 | $320 to $700 |
| 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft | 2-story | $3,800 to $7,500 | $400 to $850 |
| 2,500 to 3,500 sq ft | 2-story | $5,000 to $10,000 | $550 to $1,100 |
Exterior Paint Cost by Siding Type
| Siding type | Professional cost per sq ft | DIY difficulty | Paint type needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth vinyl | $1.25 to $2.50 | Easy | 100% acrylic latex |
| Hardboard / engineered wood | $1.50 to $3.00 | Moderate | 100% acrylic latex |
| Fiber cement (HardiePlank) | $1.50 to $3.50 | Moderate | Acrylic latex; factory finish check first |
| Cedar / wood siding | $2.00 to $4.50 | Hard (extensive prep) | Oil-based primer + acrylic top coat |
| Stucco | $1.50 to $4.00 | Hard (absorbs heavily) | Elastomeric or masonry paint |
| Brick | $1.50 to $4.50 | Hard (irreversible) | Masonry primer + elastomeric paint |
| Aluminum siding | $1.50 to $3.00 | Moderate (chalky oxidation) | Bonding primer + acrylic latex |
Prep Work and Its Impact on Exterior Paint Cost
Professional painters consistently cite prep as the most time-consuming and cost-variable part of any exterior job. A house with sound existing paint, minimal peeling, and tight caulk joints requires 20 to 30 percent of total project time for prep. A house with extensive peeling, failed caulk at every joint, wood rot at window sills, and previous oil-based paint that must be fully removed before acrylic paint can adhere requires 50 to 70 percent of project time for prep. The paint application is the easy part.
Prep work that adds to the base quote: wood rot repair at window sills and trim ($50 to $300 per window depending on damage extent); re-glazing window panes where the glazing compound has cracked and fallen out ($15 to $30 per pane); recaulking all exterior joints with paintable polyurethane caulk ($0.30 to $0.80 per linear foot of caulked joint, which adds up to $500 to $1,500 on a large home); and priming all bare wood (included in good quotes, sometimes extra in low-ball quotes). For stucco homes, see our stucco painting guide for the specific prep requirements. For brick homes, our brick painting guide covers the unique considerations of painting masonry.
Lead Paint Requirements for Pre-1978 Homes
Exterior paint on homes built before 1978 may contain lead. The EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule requires contractors performing work that disturbs lead paint in pre-1978 homes to be EPA RRP-certified, use lead-safe work practices, and provide homeowners with the EPA’s Lead-Safe Certified Guide. Ask any contractor working on a pre-1978 home for their EPA RRP certification number before signing a contract. A lead test kit ($10 to $25) can screen paint samples before work begins; laboratory analysis of paint chips provides definitive results at $30 to $75 per sample. Never dry-sand or dry-scrape old paint on a pre-1978 home without confirming lead status first.
Three Real Exterior Painting Projects
Example 1: Fiber cement siding repaint in Raleigh, North Carolina
A homeowner repainting a 2,000 sq ft fiber cement sided home at 10 years post-original-factory-prime-and-paint. Condition: factory paint in good shape, minimal peeling, tight caulk joints. Professional crew: pressure wash, spot prime bare areas, two coats Sherwin-Williams Duration. Paintable surface: 2,600 sq ft (includes soffits, fascia). At $2.10/sq ft: $5,460. Trim package (shutters, door, garage door): $680 additional. Total: $6,140. The homeowner had three quotes ranging from $4,800 to $7,900. The high quote included complete caulk replacement; the low quote used one coat of a lower-grade product. The mid-quote selected used two coats of Duration with spot recaulking only where needed.
Example 2: Cedar siding with significant prep in Minneapolis, Minnesota
A homeowner painting a 1,600 sq ft 1970s cedar-sided home that had not been painted in 12 years. Condition: 30 to 40 percent of siding showed peeling and checking; several window sills had surface rot. Prep: pressure wash ($250), hand-scraping failed paint sections ($680 labor), power sanding checked cedar ($420), two sill replacements ($480), full oil-based primer on all scraped areas ($380 material), recaulk all joints ($620). Prep total: $2,830. Two coats Behr Marquee exterior on body, trim, and soffits: $3,200. Total: $6,030. The prep cost exceeded the paint application cost; this is not unusual on a neglected cedar home in a freeze-thaw climate. A paint job without proper prep would fail in 2 to 3 years; properly executed, this paint job should last 8 to 12 years.
Example 3: DIY vinyl siding repaint in Phoenix, Arizona
A homeowner DIY-painting vinyl siding on a 1,400 sq ft ranch home that had faded significantly from Phoenix UV exposure. Vinyl cannot be painted back to its original factory finish but can be refreshed with 100% acrylic latex paint in a color no darker than the original (dark colors on vinyl absorb heat and can cause warping). Prep: pressure wash with TSP substitute ($35), allow 24-hour dry time. Paint: 2 gallons Sherwin-Williams Emerald Exterior (covers 400 sq ft/gal heavily diluted), 2 additional gallons for second coat = 4 gallons total at $85/gal: $340. Roller frame, extension pole, brushes: $45. Total material: $420. Time: two full days (pre-wash day, two-coat application day). Professional quote received: $3,800. DIY savings: $3,380 for two days of work on a single-story accessible home.
The paint calculator gives you gallons needed and total material cost for any exterior home size.
Calculate Exterior Paint Cost →Frequently Asked Questions About Exterior House Painting Cost
How much does it cost to paint the exterior of a house?
Painting a 1,500 sq ft home’s exterior costs $1,800 to $3,500 professionally and $280 to $560 in DIY materials in 2026. A 2,500 sq ft two-story home runs $4,000 to $7,500 professionally. Cost varies significantly by siding type, condition, and prep work required. Two-story homes cost more per square foot than single-story due to staging and ladder work needed at the upper story.
How long does exterior house paint last?
Quality exterior paint on well-prepped surfaces lasts 7 to 12 years on most siding types. Wood siding in wet climates may need repainting every 5 to 7 years; fiber cement and vinyl hold paint longer (10 to 15 years) because they are dimensionally stable and do not flex and crack the paint film the way wood does. Paint fails faster when: prep was inadequate (paint over chalky old paint, moisture in wood, bare wood not primed); the paint quality was too low; or the home is in a high-UV environment (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado high altitude) without UV-protective paint additives.
How many gallons of paint do I need for a house exterior?
A 1,500 sq ft home has approximately 1,800 to 2,200 sq ft of paintable exterior surface (including gables, soffits, and trim). At 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon for most latex paints, one coat requires 5 to 6 gallons; two coats (recommended) need 10 to 12 gallons for the body alone. Add 2 to 4 gallons for trim depending on the amount of trim. Total for a two-coat body-and-trim exterior on a 1,500 sq ft home: 12 to 16 gallons. Porous surfaces like rough-sawn cedar or stucco absorb more; add 20 to 30 percent to the estimate.
Can I paint vinyl siding?
Yes, with the right paint and color selection. Use 100% acrylic latex exterior paint in a color no darker than the existing vinyl color (darker colors absorb more heat, which can cause the vinyl to warp or buckle). The vinyl must be thoroughly cleaned with a TSP substitute solution and allowed to dry before painting. One coat of a quality product like Sherwin-Williams Emerald or Benjamin Moore Aura on clean vinyl is typically sufficient; two coats produce a more durable result. Do not use oil-based paint on vinyl; it does not adhere as well as acrylic and is more likely to crack and peel.
Should I pressure wash before painting the exterior?
Yes. Pressure washing removes dirt, mildew, old chalky paint, and contaminants that prevent new paint from bonding properly. Allow the exterior to dry completely (24 to 48 hours in humid climates, 24 hours in dry climates) before applying any primer or paint. Paint applied to a damp surface blisters. A pressure washer with a 25-degree nozzle at 1,500 to 2,000 PSI is appropriate for most exterior siding; stand 12 to 18 inches from the surface and keep the nozzle moving to avoid gouging wood or damaging siding joints.
What is the best exterior paint brand?
Sherwin-Williams Duration, Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior, and Behr Marquee Exterior are consistently rated as top-performing exterior paints by independent testing and contractor preference surveys. All three offer lifetime fade and blister warranties when applied per manufacturer instructions. Duration and Aura are premium products at $70 to $90 per gallon; Marquee is available at home improvement retailers at $55 to $70 per gallon. For most residential applications, any of these three applied over a quality primer on properly prepped surfaces will outlast a cheaper paint by 3 to 5 years, making the premium cost effective over the long term.
Do I need a permit to paint my house exterior?
No permit is required to repaint an exterior in the same or similar color in virtually all US jurisdictions. If your home is in a historic district or governed by an HOA, color approval may be required before repainting. HOA color palettes often require approval of the specific paint color from the architectural review committee before work begins; always check HOA guidelines before selecting an exterior color. Lead paint work on pre-1978 homes requires EPA-certified contractors regardless of permit requirements.
How much does it cost to paint just the trim on a house?
Painting trim only (fascia, soffits, window and door surrounds, shutters) without repainting the body costs $500 to $2,000 on a standard residential home professionally. DIY trim painting costs $80 to $200 in paint and brush material. Trim painting is a good intermediate option when the body paint is in good condition but the trim has weathered differently (wood trim weathers faster than the body on most homes). Trim-only painting refreshes curb appeal at significantly lower cost than a full repaint.
Related Calculators and Guides
For lead paint requirements and RRP-certified contractor lookup, the EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program provides the certified firm search and homeowner rights information. The HUD Lead Safe Housing Program covers requirements for lead-safe work practices in pre-1978 housing.