Exterior paint costs: what to expect
For the most part, exterior paint costs are quite affordable, which means you can give your home a facelift for less than what you'd pay for other makeovers.
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Enhancing your home's curb appeal is as simple as adding a new coat of paint. For the most part, exterior paint costs are quite affordable, which means you can give your home a facelift for less than what you'd pay for other makeovers.
Knowing the costs involved in getting a fresh look for your home can help you to budget for it. The cost of getting your home painted can depend on a number of factors.
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Labor is the biggest expense when determining total exterior paint costs. It accounts for around 75 percent of the total cost of getting your home painting. If you do the work yourself, it only costs hundreds of dollars for a new exterior paint job, while hiring a professional can cost thousands. You do get what you pay for, however, since labor oftentimes includes services like painting doors, pressure washing the home's exterior and so forth.
One of the biggest pros of hiring the job done is painting professionals will provide their own supplies, including brushes, tape and tarps. One of the biggest cons of doing it yourself is you'll need to buy these supplies yourself if you don't already own them, which can add several more hundred dollars to the cost of the job. You may also need to rent items like ladders and scaffolding.
The paint you choose can also make a big difference in your overall costs. Regular exterior house paint can be as much as $50 per gallon, although specialty premium paint or zero-VOC paint may run up to $100 per gallon. Buying the best quality paint possible is important.
One gallon of paint will cover approximately 350 square feet of exterior space. Exterior paint costs for the paint itself will likely be the same regardless of whether you hire the job done or do it yourself. Although, some painters might buy in bulk and may be able to discount the paint for you.
Any special house color schemes you might have in mind can add to the cost if two or more paint colors have to be used. If primer must be used to cover dark paint, this can inflate the cost even more.
Keep in mind that undertaking a paint job will lead to other needed repairs and added costs. For instance, any rotted wood or loose wood must be fixed prior to the home being painted in order to ensure a nice exterior finish.
Most painters can do some repairs, or you can do the repairs yourself. Either way, this can add to your costs.
Luckily, Reply! makes it easy to find and hire a contract painter for your home. Locate a painter in your area who can provide you with an estimate for the work you need done, including exterior paint costs, usually without cost or obligation.
Photo credit: Brother O'Mara via Compfight CC.