Home Exterior Painting Estimator

1. Enter the home's square footage. Use the living area square footage. The calculator converts this to approximate exterior wall area based on the number of stories and typical window/door openings.

2. Select stories and siding type. Multi-story homes need ladders or lifts and take longer. Siding type affects paint absorption, coverage rates, and prep requirements. Wood and stucco absorb more paint and need more prep than smooth surfaces like vinyl or HardiPlank.

3. Set the surface condition. Good condition means a pressure wash and light scrape gets you ready to paint. Fair condition means moderate scraping, sanding, and spot priming. Poor condition means heavy scraping, caulking, wood repair, and full priming before paint goes on.

4. Include trim if applicable. Trim painting (fascia, soffits, window casings, door frames, shutters) adds 15-25% to the total cost. It is slower, more detail-oriented work that requires cutting in and often uses a different color and sheen than the body.

Prep is where exterior jobs get expensive. A house in good shape might need a day of pressure washing and light scraping. A house with peeling paint, rotted trim, or failing caulk can eat 2 to 4 days of prep before a single gallon of paint is opened. Accurate prep assessment is the difference between a profitable job and a money loser.

Height and access. Single-story homes are straightforward ladder work. Two- and three-story homes need extension ladders, scaffolding, or even boom lifts. Each step up in height slows production, increases safety considerations, and adds equipment costs. Price your multi-story work 20-40% higher per square foot than single-story.

Siding type determines coverage and speed. Smooth vinyl and fiber cement are the fastest to paint and use the least material. Wood lap siding is moderate. Stucco and rough-textured surfaces absorb paint heavily and require more material plus slower application. Brick is the most paint-hungry surface by far.

Paint quality affects longevity and callbacks. Premium exterior paints last 10-15 years versus 5-7 for standard grades. The higher per-gallon cost is often offset by better coverage and far fewer warranty callbacks. On exteriors, cheap paint is expensive paint in the long run.

Trim and detail work. Painting trim, soffits, fascia, shutters, and window casings is slower than rolling body walls. It requires more cutting in, often involves different products (higher-sheen enamels), and adds significant labor time. Always quote trim as a separate line item so the homeowner sees the value.

Phone screening and lead qualifying. When a homeowner calls asking about exterior painting, walk them through the basic specs and give them a ballpark range before you commit to a site visit. This filters out budget shoppers early and sets expectations for homeowners who are ready to move forward.

Fast on-site ballparking. Pull this up on your phone as you walk the exterior. Plug in the home size, count the stories, assess the siding condition, and show the homeowner a range on the spot. Follow up with a detailed written proposal within 24 hours while the conversation is fresh.

Comparing job profitability. Run a few recent exterior jobs through this estimator and compare the output to what you actually charged. If you consistently come in below the calculator's range, you may be underpricing your work. If you are consistently above, you have a strong value proposition to lean into.