Calculator Use
This exterior house painting cost calculator is designed to provide homeowners and contractors with a reliable estimate for professional painting services. By accounting for the specific variables that drive up labor and material costs, you can plan your home improvement budget with confidence.
To get the most accurate result, you should measure the total square footage of your home\'s exterior walls, excluding windows and doors. However, many pros simply use the gross square footage for a "buffer" in their estimates.
- Total Exterior Area
- The vertical surface area of the walls to be painted. A typical 2,000 sq. ft. home often has between 2,500 and 3,000 sq. ft. of exterior wall space.
- Number of Stories
- Painting higher levels requires ladders, scaffolding, and increased safety measures, which significantly increases labor time.
- Siding Condition
- Labor costs are heavily influenced by prep work. "Poor" condition requires extensive power washing, scraping, sanding, and priming.
How It Works
The exterior house painting cost calculator utilizes a multi-factor formula to simulate a professional contractor\'s bid. Painting is approximately 70% labor and 30% materials. The core formula used is:
Total Cost = (Area × Labor Base × Complexity Multipliers) + (Paint Volume × Gallon Price)
- Labor Base: Standardized at $2.25 per square foot for basic application.
- Complexity Multipliers: Includes adjustments for height (stories) and material texture (stucco vs. vinyl).
- Paint Volume: Calculated based on 300 sq. ft. coverage per gallon with a standard two-coat application.
- Prep Work: Adds a variable fee based on the current condition of the substrate.
Calculation Example
Scenario: A two-story wood-sided home with 2,500 sq. ft. of wall area in "Fair" condition, using premium $60/gallon paint.
Step-by-step solution:
- Base Labor: 2,500 sq. ft. × $2.25 = $5,625
- Story Adjustment: $5,625 × 1.3 (2-stories) = $7,312.50
- Condition Prep: 2,500 × $0.50 × 1.25 = $1,562.50
- Materials: (2,500 / 300 × 2 coats) × $60 = $1,000.00
- Trim Detailing: 2,500 × $0.40 = $1,000.00
- Total Estimated Cost: $10,875.00
Common Questions
How much does it cost to paint a 2,000 sq ft house exterior?
On average, painting the exterior of a 2,000 sq. ft. home ranges between $3,500 and $8,000. The wide range is due to local labor rates, the type of siding, and whether you are doing a simple color refresh or a full restoration of old, peeling paint.
Does the color of the paint affect the price?
Generally, no, but extreme color changes (like going from black to white) may require an extra coat of primer and two coats of paint, which increases the material and labor cost by roughly 25-30%.
Is it cheaper to spray or roll exterior paint?
Spraying is significantly faster and usually cheaper in terms of labor. However, it requires more "masking" (taping off windows) and uses more paint due to overspray. Most professionals use a "spray and back-roll" technique to ensure the paint is pushed into the grain of the wood.