How Much Should I Charge To Paint The Exterior Of A House?

How much should you charge for painting services in your home? Any painter must have considered this while at work. You may be shocked to learn that house painting does not have a regular pricing structure. Certain contractors may even price their services superficially, such as by how long it takes to paint the house. You may be wondering why I would even paint the house if I am only going to get paid on an hourly basis. A fundamental economic principle is that an undercharge is always preferable to an overcharge. It is something that lawyers understand well, but most individuals do not.

Exterior painting is a very common home repair option. A fresh coat of paint transforms an older home into a new one. Additionally, it protects the house from the elements and enhances its curb appeal. Employing a painter can be costly, as the painting takes time and effort. It would help if you had skilled personnel to work for you. As an exterior painter in Houston, you will get qualified personnel that offer quality work that matches the extreme Texas weather.

How Much Should You Charge To Paint The Exterior Of A Home?

According to the painting cost estimate, the average cost of painting the exterior of a 2,400-square-foot two-story home is $2,500, with most homeowners paying between $1,800 and $3,200. The total cost is between $0.60 and $1.60 per square foot. Various elements are involved in pricing, and you must consider each one before determining how much you should charge for a painting assignment.

Factors affecting the amount you should charge:

1. Size of the home.

The larger the home, the more it will cost to paint. Big houses take longer to paint and require more paints than smaller homes. There are several ways you can measure the home’s square footage:

• You can use a tape measure or yardstick to measure all four sides of the home and add them together for approximate square footage measurement.
• You can look at tax records or ask a realtor for the home’s square footage.
• You can hire a contractor to come out and measure your home.

2. Number Of Windows And Doors In The Home

The windows and doors have never been used before, so you need to coat them with a primer first. It would help if you counted each window and door separately. 

3. Number Of Stories

Painting the exterior siding of a single-story house will take approximately 20 hours and cost between $850 and $2,000. Preparation work includes stripping loose paint, priming bare wood, and caulking holes. Additionally, it covers the expense of the paint.

You can charge between $1000-$2500 for a two-story house with 2500-3500 square feet of living area. It covers any trim work ($250-$500) and house painting ($800-$1500).

The 10% rule: Calculating labor expenses

When estimating painting work, keep the following formula in mind: Total labor costs are calculated as total square footage x price per square foot/ten. For instance: Assume your painters charge $1 per square foot. If your home is 1500 square feet, multiply 1500 by 1/10 to arrive at $150 per hour.

4. Siding Condition (Are There Any Cracks That Need To Be Filled?)

Is it new construction? If so, you will need to prime the boards before painting, or else the paint won’t stick well. Is there anything rotten? You need to replace any rotten wood and prime it before painting.

5. If House Is Brick Or Wood

The type of material chosen will dictate the amount of scraping and prep work required before priming. If the material is wood, how old is it? If the house is older, additional preparation work is required. Is it vinyl or metal-sided? Keep in mind that these require different approaches than wood siding.

6. Paint quality impacts the cost.

Paints that last longer and require fewer coats will cost more than paints of lesser quality that require regular reapplication. Exterior paints range from $25 to $40 per gallon, although a smooth finish may require two or three coats. Additionally, weather conditions can impact the cost of your outside paintwork. A cold environment or heavy rain might prolong the drying process and increase labor costs. Additionally, you may charge a premium for painting the exterior if it is in poor condition or has never been painted.

Paint pricing is unique to you as a house painter. The owner entirely determines the cost of the residence. What can we say about the painting’s price? Not a lot. However, we can state that it will be challenging to make a living if you charge too little. You will be outcompeted by other painters who charge less if you price too high. Therefore, your price must fall somewhere in the middle-high enough to make it worthwhile for you to complete the service, but not so low that someone else will do it cheaply.