Average Cost to Paint a House

Average Cost to Paint a House

Your friends at Colorado Commercial & Residential Painting are here to help!

It is time to paint your home, but you aren’t sure where to start and you're wondering...What is the average cost to paint a house? Maybe you google a few articles on what to expect and do an online search for all the best painting companies in your area. You read the reviews, and you schedule your free estimates with three or more companies hoping that you won’t feel like you are being pressured or duped. Suddenly, you are overwhelmed with so much information, that you aren’t sure what the right choice is to make. You may wonder what really is the average cost to paint a house exterior?

That is why we decided to make life easier on our customers and cover the basics that every homeowner should know in order to make a safe decision on who to choose to paint your home…starting with the most import topic: PRICE.

Average Cost to Paint a House Graph

The average cost to paint a house exterior of most suburban homes in the Denver Metro area will average between $3000 and $6000.

To get a basic understanding of what your home will cost, you should consider 3 main factors:

• The size of your home.
• The condition of your home.
• The complexity of the architecture/job.

Size is the easiest part. This is where you start. What size is your home? Don’t know? An internet search of your address is usually the easiest way to find out.

Small homes ranging between 1000 and 2000 square feet are typically going have a starting price anywhere between $2500 and $3000 relative to its size. These are usually single-story homes with no walkout basements.

Medium homes can range from 1500-2500 square feet and are typically going to have a starting price between $3500 and $4500. These are your two-story homes or larger ranch style homes.

Large homes range from 2500-3500 square feet and will have a starting price between $4000 and $5000.

Condition of your home depends on how old and well taken care of your home is. The condition reflects the amount of additional labor and material ($$$) that will be required to complete the job at industry standards.

Good Condition

A home that has been taken care of has been painted an average of once every ten years, with the proper prep work being performed each time. These homes usually have little to no wood repairs or replacements needed. It is common to see fading on one or two sides. There may be a few seams or nail heads that need caulking, and there may be some peeling paint in small areas. A house in good condition may see a price jump up to $200 if any wood replacements are needed.

Fair Condition

Homes that are in fair condition may have a more extensive amount of prep time to make sure the house is ready to paint. Typically, these houses haven’t seen good paint job in 12-18 years, or they are on at least a 3rd paint cycle. A house in fair condition may have an extensive amount of nail heads exposed. Some will be pushing out and some will be sinking in. You will see deterioration on several areas of trim, and siding. Much of the caulk from the last paint job has shriveled up in the seams between siding and trim. Houses in fair condition may see a price jump anywhere up to $1500 (possibly more) depending on the extent of work needed. It's important to understand how often you should paint a house exterior so that it doesn't cost you more when you decide to have it painted.

Poor Condition

Houses beyond the descriptions above are usually dealing with more than just issues that meet the eye. They may have lead paint or other more extensive repairs beyond the scope of your typical painting contractor’s realm of capabilities. These issues may be structural rot, or whole sides needing replacement. It may be worth it at this point financially, to look into having other trades work on the home in preparation for the painters.

Complexity of Architecture/job: This deals with the complications that slow painters down. Any type of challenge beyond the typical scope of a standard suburban home can incur anywhere from $500 to $2,000 in price jumps on average. Below are just a few examples of what could make your project more complex.

1. The higher the walls, the longer the painting takes. Pricing may change based on scaffolding or extra tall ladders needed. Even if you have only a two-story home with brick on the first level, the higher elevations result in a slower process with the painters having to paint on ladders the entire time. It may cost less, but not a significant amount.
2. The substrate in which the house was built with can affect pricing. Houses with batten and board, cedar tongue and groove or an elaborate amount of trim require far more time and material for prep and painting. Expect about $400-$800 more if you want the prep work to be done correctly for you home. Stucco or stained homes require an entirely different method of prep and entirely different paint materials. We will cover those in another article later on.
3. A mixture of previously painted surfaces, combined with never before been painted surfaces or previously stained surfaces on a single house can cause additional labor and material to add up.
4. Even the foliage can be a huge hurdle for painters, especially if it has embedded into old paint, or if the painters have to take time to tie back all the branches.
5. Wood windows are more complex because a painter must be careful and detailed so as to not ruin the glass panes, and to ensure that the functionality of the windows is not affected.

Many of our customers are aware of the conditions and technical difficulties that their homes present to painters. The best thing you can do is take a walk around your home and pay attention to the signs of deterioration. Work through these 4 factors on your own first, and you should have a good idea what to expect when you are collecting bids for the cost to paint your house exterior.

Are you looking for exterior home painting services in Colorado? Colorado Commercial & Residential Painting has been providing painting services for over 30 years. Please get in touch with us today if you'd like to know more.