Exterior House Painting Cost Estimator: 2026 US Prices by Siding & Size
Painting the outside of a US home costs $3,800–$11,500 in 2026, driven mostly by siding type, condition and how many stories the crew has to reach. Here's the 2026 pricing math — with an estimator that adjusts for your ZIP.
Exterior painting is priced very differently from interior work. Siding material, prep condition, and ladder time do more to move the number than paint color or brand. In 2026, the same 2,200 sq ft home can quote anywhere from $4,500 (clean vinyl) to $11,000 (heavy-prep stucco or brick).
2026 Exterior Painting Cost per Square Foot of Home
- Vinyl siding: $1.90–$3.10/sq ft of home
- Fiber cement (Hardie): $2.30–$3.60/sq ft
- T1-11 / engineered wood: $2.50–$3.90/sq ft
- Wood clapboard / cedar: $2.85–$4.50/sq ft
- Stucco: $3.10–$4.80/sq ft
- Brick / masonry (elastomeric): $3.60–$5.50/sq ft
The Formula
Total = Paintable exterior × (Paint + Labor + Prep) × Regional index
Line Items Most Homeowners Forget
- Second story — adds ~18% labor for ladder / staging time; a third story adds ~55%.
- Full scrape & prime on peeling wood — $1.50–$2.50/sq ft on its own.
- Trim, shutters, front door — usually a separate $400–$1,200 line.
- Caulk & glazing — small line item that keeps a paint job 10+ years.
- Elastomeric masonry paint — $22–$28/gal, uses roughly 30% more per coat.
When to Repaint vs. Re-side
If your siding is sound, a quality 2026 exterior paint job with premium 100% acrylic lasts 10–15 years and costs 20–35% of full residing. When siding is warped, splitting or hiding rot, painting delays but does not solve the problem — get siding quotes side-by-side.
Estimate your exterior repaint instantly, including prep and ZIP-based labor.
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