How Much Does an Exterior Paint Job Cost?

In Colorado Springs, painting costs for exteriors vary greatly depending on the size of the home and the current condition of the exterior.

All prices mentioned in this article are actual prices paid prior to 2014 or very rough estimates and should not be viewed as an estimate on your property. This is for informational purposes only. We will gladly provide you an accurate estimate on your specific residence when you are ready to paint.

A full exterior paint job on average sized homes can range from $2400-6,500. We want to help you narrow that down by providing a few specific examples of pricing to help you know what to expect. Prep work is the biggest factor in pricing with home size being second. Our most recommended coating and top homeowner choice is Sherwin Williams SuperPaint®. It is a upper middle grade coating that will last about 10-12 years in our harsh climate.

^1200-1700 SQUARE FOOT TWO STORY HOMES
This home had builder grade (cheap) light tan paint almost a decade old so the finish was badly faded and there was some siding board replacement needed. It is two stories all the way around. This homeowner would have paid $2600. This price includes just over a day of prep, 2.5 days to paint, materials, and SuperPaint.

Homes this size range $2400-2800.

This homeowner also chose a $300 product upgrade to Duration® which, with annual use of our maintenance program, would extend their paint job by 5-7 years.

^2500-3500 SUARE FOOT TWO STORY
This home had extensive prep work needed because maintenance had been deferred. And the color change was dramatic from bright green trim and yellow body to this sage green with white trim. This home is two stories all the way around. This homeowner would pay around $3300 and it includes 2 days of prep, 3 days of painting, materials, and SuperPaint.

Homes this size range $2900-3300.

^3600-4600 SQUARE FOOT TWO STORY WITH WALKOUT
This home started with dark trim and a very badly faded paint. This home is two stories in the front with a walkout basement making the back 3 stories high. This homeowner would pay around $4650. The price includes 3 days of prep, 3.5 days of painting, materials, and SuperPaint.

With a walkout basement (3 stories in back, 2 in front) homes this size range $4650-5,000.
Homes this size with only two stories all the way around $3900-4300.

This homeowner opted for a trim upgrade (painting the outward facing trim and the soffit the trim color) which added $600 to their original estimated price.

All the homes in this article were built after 1978 and thus free of lead. If your home was built before 1978 and a lead test comes back positive you can easily add $2000 to an average estimate.

Homes with stucco need trim repainted and those projects range from $1200-3000 depending on the size of home.

We will gladly provide you an estimate for your project when you are getting ready to paint your exterior. You will find that we are not the least expensive painter; we usually fall somewhere in the middle. Check out our article Who is the Best Colorado Springs Painter? to make sure you are comparing apples to apples when gathering estimates for your project.

7 Things to Ask Exterior Painters Before You Hire

Every homeowner needs this list!

 

Painting your home exterior is a considerable investment. We know it can be hard to know if a paint contractor will give you your money’s worth. Here are a few quick and easy questions you can ask in the estimate appointment to help you with your decision.

First, we recommend getting three paint bids. Usually one company will stand out above the others.

1. How long have you been in business in Colorado or elsewhere?
2. What is your method for applying paint? (We apply a true two-coats of paint. “Wet-on-wet” application is NOT a true two coats and will void a manufacturer warranty. There are a few products like Sherwin-Williams™ Duration® or Emerald™ that are one-coat products but must be built to a certain thickness.)
3. Who do I contact if there is a problem during the paint project? (It should be the owner or the project foreman.)
4. Do you warranty your labor?(Some charge for a warranty. Some don’t.)
5. Do you scuff sand areas of peeling paint or do you just primer it? (No matter what primer they use they should ALWAYS scuff sand.)
6. What’s your typical amount of time spent on prep? (At least a full day)
7. Are you using actual primer or are you just painting? (They should use primer unless they are using Sherwin-Williams Duration or Emerald.)

Simply print this article and check off the questions as the estimator covers them. Make note where they fall short of the standards we share. Be proactive and ask the questions they haven’t answered.

TIP: Be sure the written estimate reflects the answers they gave you for each question. For example, if they say they will do two coats, make sure it is detailed in the bid. When you sign a paint bid it becomes a contract.

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Things That Make or Break Exterior Painting Time Tables

 

When gathering paint estimates here are a few important factors to keep in mind when asking for a timeline.

1. Damage. More specifically, the amount of time it will take to repair the volume of damage. This is the single most important factor in timeline. We can paint a large home with minimal damage (1 day prep) faster than a medium sized home with extensive paint damage (2-3 days prep).
2. Weather. In Colorado Springs we have a window of warm weather to paint exteriors and have them cure properly. Summers can have daily storms and a brief monsoon season. Most of the time, though, our crews can make progress each day.
3. Size and shape of home. If you have a large home it will take longer to paint than a smaller home. Even if your home isn’t large, but you have 2-3 stories it will take longer to paint than a larger ranch style home.
4. Crew size. The contractor just starting out by themselves with no help is going to take longer. The painting crew of 2-4 is where maximum efficiency is reached. Crews larger than that actually decrease quality control.

Check out our recent article Typical Timeline for Exterior Painting in Colorado Springs for more specific information about how long it could take to paint your home.