People ask what exterior painting costs as if there were a number per square foot. There isn't a useful one. The paint itself is a modest part of the job; most of the money is labor, and the labor depends on what the house needs before any finish coat goes on. This is why two honest estimates for houses on the same street can be far apart, and why an estimate given over the phone is a guess.
Here are the factors that actually move the price, roughly in order of how much they matter.
1. Preparation
Preparation is the biggest variable and the one most often left vague. A wall that is sound but chalky needs washing, drying time and primer where the old coating has worn thin. A wall with peeling paint needs every loose edge scraped and sanded so the new coat does not lift with the old one. Gaps around windows, doors and trim need caulking so water stays out of the wall.
In Houston, mildew is part of preparation too. Shaded, damp walls grow it, and paint applied over it fails early. It has to be washed off and treated, not painted over.
Two houses can need very different amounts of this work. The one that was painted carefully ten years ago may need a wash and two coats. The one that was painted over chalk and mildew may need days of scraping before anyone opens a can.
2. Siding type
Each siding material takes paint differently:
- Fiber-cement holds paint well and is quick to cover when it is sound.
- Wood lap siding needs more scraping and more attention to rot, especially low on the wall.
- Panel siding has grooves that take extra time to cut in and back-brush.
- Stucco and brick are painted only where they have been painted before. Painting bare brick for the first time commits you to repainting it from then on.
Most Houston houses mix materials — brick on the front, siding on the sides and back, wood trim everywhere. Each one is priced for what it is.
3. Height and access
A single-storey house painted from the ground or a short ladder is quicker than a two-storey house with tall gables. Height means taller ladders, more moving, sometimes staging, and slower work. Steep grades, tight side yards, dense landscaping and pools next to walls all slow access as well.
4. Repairs
Wood rot is common on Houston houses. It shows up on trim, fascia boards, the bottom courses of siding near sprinklers and downspouts, and around windows. Painting over soft wood traps moisture and the rot keeps going.
Repairs should appear on your estimate as their own lines, so you know what is being replaced and why. If an estimate says repairs are "included", ask how much. If it says they are excluded, ask what happens when the painter finds rot halfway through the job. For larger repairs, see our siding and exterior repair service.
5. Number of colours
One body colour and one trim colour is the most efficient scheme. Every additional colour — shutters, a front door, gables, an accent band — adds cutting-in time, because each edge between two colours has to be painted by hand. A big change from the existing colour can also need an extra coat or a tinted primer to cover evenly.
6. The coating system
The primer and finish chosen for each surface affect both the price and how long the job lasts. Siding usually takes a flat or satin finish; trim and doors take a harder, higher-sheen coating that sheds water and cleans up. Surfaces that face the afternoon sun need a coating chosen for that exposure. We explain the choices in choosing exterior paint for Houston heat, humidity and mildew.
Things that rarely change the price as much as people expect
Square footage alone, the brand on the can, and the time of year usually matter less than the condition of the surfaces. A small house with peeling paint and rotten trim can take longer than a larger one in good shape.
What should be on a written estimate
An estimate you can compare has:
- Prep written out — washing, scraping, sanding, caulking and priming as separate items.
- Repairs listed — which boards, roughly where.
- Coats per surface — body, trim and doors.
- Products named — the coating for each surface.
- Protection — windows, fixtures, the roof edge, plants and the driveway.
- Itemized line items, each part of the job priced on its own.
We put all of this in writing after an in-person walk-through. We don't quote prices or take payment over the phone or by text. You can read how we approach the work on our exterior painting page, see the local context for Houston homes, or, for a house built in 1978 or later, ask for a painting quote.
If your house was built before 1978
The age of the house affects more than the paint. Federal lead-safe rules apply to work that disturbs painted surfaces on homes built before 1978, and that changes how the job has to be done.
Homes built before 1978: We currently quote exterior painting on homes built in 1978 or later. If your home was built before 1978, federal lead-safe rules (EPA RRP, 40 CFR 745) apply to any work that disturbs painted surfaces — tell us the year built and we'll talk you through your options first.
Common questions
Thinking about your own house?
We walk the house in person and send a written estimate.