Painting the outside of a house costs $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot in 2026, by national published figures, or $3,000 to $10,000 for an average 2,000 square foot house. Your price depends on the wall material, the height, and how much the sun and the winters have done to the old paint.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Local labor, paint prices and the condition of your own surfaces move the number up or down. Last checked October 2026.
How much does it cost to paint the exterior of a house?
Nationally it costs $3,000 to $10,000 to paint the exterior of an average 2,000 square foot house. HomeGuide's table by home size shows the area of wall it assumes for each.
| Home size | Paintable area assumed | National range |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | 800 sq ft | $1,200 to $4,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | 1,200 sq ft | $1,800 to $6,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 1,700 sq ft | $2,600 to $8,500 |
| 2,500 sq ft | 2,100 sq ft | $3,200 to $10,500 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 2,500 sq ft | $3,800 to $12,500 |
| 4,000 sq ft | 3,350 sq ft | $5,000 to $16,800 |
Many Salt Lake houses are mostly brick, and the brick is not painted. On those the job is the wood: eaves, fascia, window frames, gables and porches. That is less area than a fully sided house but slower, more detailed work, so the price per square foot of painted surface is not a good guide. We measure what actually gets paint.
How much to paint a two-story house outside?
A two-story house costs more per square foot than a single level, because of ladders, staging and slower work up high. HomeGuide's main exterior page gives no figure by number of floors. Its pages on single wall types do: for vinyl siding, a two-story house of 1,500 to 2,500 square feet is $1,500 to $7,900, and for brick, two-story walls are $2.50 to $3.50 per square foot.
On the benches, a house that is two stories at the street can be three at the back where the lot falls away. That downhill wall is the costly one. We look at the access before we quote.
How much for a small single-story ranch?
A single-story ranch is the least costly house to paint, since most of it can be reached from the ground or a short ladder. For vinyl siding HomeGuide lists a one-story house of 1,000 to 1,500 square feet at $1,000 to $3,600. For brick it lists one-story walls at $1.50 to $2.50 per square foot.
The valley is full of ramblers from the 1950s through the 1980s. Their wide eaves and soffits are a big part of the job, and aluminum soffits or siding need washing and the right primer.
How much to paint just the trim, shutters and front door?
Exterior trim costs $1 to $4 per linear foot to paint, or $1,000 to $2,500 for a house, by the national figures. Shutters are $50 to $100 per pair and a front door is $125 to $225.
A trim-only job is the normal exterior job on a brick home here. Eaves, fascia and soffits are listed separately at $2 to $6 per linear foot. South and west facing trim usually needs the most scraping.
Does the exterior price include power washing, scraping and caulking?
Our quotes include the prep: washing, scraping loose paint, sanding, caulking open joints and priming bare spots. It is written into the quote so you can see it.
Not every painter includes it, so ask. As a guide, HomeGuide lists pressure washing a house at $170 to $360 on its pressure washing page. It publishes no labor price for caulking alone and no whole-house price for scraping.
How much more does it cost if the old paint is peeling?
Peeling paint adds labor, and how much depends on how far it has gone. There is no published per-house figure for scraping. HomeGuide's painter rates page lists stripping at $1.91 to $2.38 per square foot and priming at $2.63 to $7.05 per square foot where that work is needed.
In this climate peeling is rarely even. The south and west sides and the lower edges of trim go first, while the north wall can still be sound. We price the bad areas for what they need. On a house built before 1978, scraping must follow lead-safe rules. See our page on lead paint rules in Utah.
How much does it cost to paint stucco, brick or vinyl siding?
By each material's own HomeGuide page, it costs $1.00 to $5.50 per square foot to paint stucco, $1.50 to $4.50 for brick, $1 to $4 for aluminum siding and $1 to $3 for vinyl. Wood siding is $1.50 to $5.00 on the main exterior page.
| Wall type | National range per sq ft | Average house |
|---|---|---|
| Stucco | $1.00 to $5.50 | $2,400 to $8,100 |
| Brick | $1.50 to $4.50 | $2,000 to $8,000 |
| Aluminum siding | $1 to $4 | $1,500 to $7,000 |
| Vinyl siding | $1 to $3 | $1,500 to $5,000 |
| Wood siding | $1.50 to $5.00 | No figure published |
HomeGuide's main exterior page gives slightly different per-foot numbers for the same materials. We quote the figures from each material's own page here. Stucco is the common wall on newer homes across the valley, and it soaks up more paint than smooth siding.
Spray or roll outside: is there a cost or quality difference?
Spraying is faster, so it can cost less in labor, but it needs more masking and more paint. Quality depends on the surface. On stucco and rough wood, the best result is paint that is sprayed on and then rolled or brushed in while wet, so it is pushed into the pores.
Wind is the local limit. Afternoon winds are common in the valley and canyon winds reach the east benches, and overspray travels. We spray when the air is still and brush and roll trim and anything near cars, neighbors and brick that is staying unpainted.
How long does an exterior paint job take?
A full exterior usually takes us 3 to 5 days, depending on the size of the house and the weather. HomeGuide's national figure is 4 to 5 days for an average job. Heavy scraping, wood repairs and a spring storm can each add time.
What should an exterior painting quote list?
- Every surface to be painted: walls, trim, eaves, doors, garage doors, railings.
- The prep: washing, scraping, sanding, caulking, priming and any wood repair.
- The paint by name and the number of coats.
- What is not painted, such as brick, stone or metal roofing.
- How plants, windows, concrete and cars are protected.
- The price, the payment terms and the start window.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (801) 618-4881.