Know what your exterior painting should cost
An 1,800 sq ft exterior painting costs $4,500 to $7,000 in 2026, about $3 per sq ft installed. Across every option it runs from $1,500 (trim and accents only) to $15,300 (stucco, brick or heavy texture).
Four questions gets you an itemised range, adjusted for construction wages where you live. The whole number, up front, before we ask for anything.
What exterior painting work costs in 2026
| Project | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Trim and accents only Doors, shutters, soffits and fascia | $1,550 – $2,450 |
| Single storey refresh One coat over sound paint, light prep | $3,350 – $5,250 |
| Single storey, full repaint | $4,500 – $7,000 |
| Two storey Ladders and staging add labour hours | $6,300 – $9,800 |
| Stucco, brick or heavy texture Textured surfaces drink paint and take longer | $7,650 – $12,000 |
Where the money goes
Labour
$3,160 · 55% of the job
Paint and primer
$1,040 · 18% of the job
Prep, scraping and caulking
$860 · 15% of the job
Masking and supplies
$400 · 7% of the job
Cleanup and disposal
$290 · 5% of the job
Exterior Painting cost by state
Labour is the part of this job that moves with geography. These are the same 1,800 sq ft project, priced against construction wages in each state.
- California $4,700 – $7,400 +4.6% vs national
- Texas $4,550 – $7,150 +1.3% vs national
- Florida $4,200 – $6,600 -6.0% vs national
- New York $4,700 – $7,300 +4.4% vs national
- Iowa $4,300 – $6,700 -4.2% vs national
- Idaho $4,100 – $6,400 -8.9% vs national
- Illinois $4,700 – $7,400 +5.4% vs national
- Indiana $4,400 – $6,900 -1.8% vs national
- Kansas $4,300 – $6,700 -4.4% vs national
- Kentucky $4,300 – $6,700 -4.3% vs national
- Louisiana $4,500 – $7,000 -0.1% vs national
- Massachusetts $4,950 – $7,750 +10.5% vs national
Questions homeowners ask
How much should it cost to paint the exterior of a 2,000 square foot house?
Single storey at mid-range quality, roughly $5,000 to $7,800. The same floor area over two storeys runs about $8,950, because ladders and staging add labour hours that the square footage does not capture.
How much should it cost to paint 1,000 sq ft?
About $2,500 to $3,900 for a single-storey exterior at mid-range quality. Most painters have a job minimum near $1,500, so very small jobs price poorly per square foot.
Why is a two-storey house so much more expensive to paint?
Labour is 55% of an exterior job, and height is what drives labour. Ladders, staging and the slower pace of working at height add roughly 40% over the same floor area on one level.
What surprises show up once the prep starts?
Wood rot and failed paint. Rot repair runs about $1,500 and heavy scraping around $1,200, neither visible until the crew is on the wall. If the house predates 1978, lead-safe practices are legally required and add roughly 20%.
Reviewed and maintained by Anchorcost. Last checked September 3, 2026. Figures are verified against this page's own calculator on every build. How these figures are worked out.