Painting the outside of a house costs $3,000 to $10,000 for an average 2,000 square foot home in 2026, by national published figures. We do not publish a Boston price list. Height, siding type and the state of the old paint set the price, and many houses here are tall, wood-sided and carrying a century of paint.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Boston labor rates, the age of the building and the amount of prep 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 $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot to paint the exterior of a house, or $3,000 to $10,000 for an average 2,000 square foot home. HomeGuide says the average job takes 4 to 5 days.
| 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 |
A Boston triple-decker or a tall Victorian has more wall than the table assumes for its floor area, and it needs staging. Old clapboard with failing paint needs far more scraping than a house painted eight years ago. We measure and inspect before quoting.
How much does it cost to paint a two-story house outside?
HomeGuide's main exterior page gives no separate price for a two-story house. Its vinyl siding page lists 2 stories (1,500 to 2,500 square feet) at $1,500 to $7,900 and 3 stories at $3,200 to $13,100. Its aluminum siding page says multi-story access can add up to 50%.
Height is the main reason. A second and third floor mean taller ladders or staging, slower work and more setup time. Many houses in Boston, Somerville and Cambridge are three stories on a narrow lot, with a neighbor a few feet away. We plan the access before we price the job.
How much does it cost to paint a small single-story ranch?
For a small one-story house, the national table gives $1,200 to $4,000 at 1,000 square feet and $1,800 to $6,000 at 1,500 square feet. HomeGuide's vinyl siding page lists a 1 story house at $1,000 to $3,600. A ranch is the simplest exterior to paint because everything can be reached from a short ladder. Capes and ranches in West Roxbury, Hyde Park and the towns around Boston fall in this group.
How much does it cost to paint just the trim, shutters and front door?
Exterior trim costs $1 to $4 per linear foot nationally, or $1,000 to $2,500 in total. Shutters are $50 to $100 per pair, and a front door is $125 to $225.
| Item | National figure |
|---|---|
| Exterior trim | $1 to $4 per linear foot |
| Eaves, fascia and soffit | $2 to $6 per linear foot |
| Shutters | $50 to $100 per pair |
| Exterior window frame | $40 to $150 per window |
| Front door | $125 to $225 |
| Garage door | $150 to $550 |
A trim-only job suits a brick rowhouse or a house with vinyl siding, where the wood trim, cornice, doors and windows are the only painted parts. Trim on old Boston houses is detailed, so count on the upper end of the per-foot range being possible.
Does the exterior price include power washing, scraping and caulking?
In our quotes, yes: washing, scraping loose paint, spot priming and caulking are included and listed. That is not true of every quote, so ask. HomeGuide lists power washing before painting as an extra of $90 to $250 on its vinyl and aluminum pages and $170 to $360 for a house on its pressure washing page.
It publishes no per-house price for scraping and no labor price for caulking alone. Both depend on how much paint has failed, which can only be judged at the house.
How much more does it cost if the old paint is peeling?
Peeling paint adds cost because every loose area must be scraped, sanded smooth at the edges and primed before it is painted. HomeGuide publishes no per-house figure for that. As a guide to the unit prices, it lists paint stripping at $1.91 to $2.38 per square foot and priming at $2.63 to $7.05 per square foot on its painter cost page.
On a house built before 1978, peeling paint may contain lead. Massachusetts requires lead-safe work practices for that scraping, which adds setup and cleanup time. See our page on lead paint rules.
How much does it cost to paint vinyl siding, brick or stucco?
By each material's own HomeGuide page, it costs $1 to $3 per square foot to paint vinyl siding, $1 to $4 for aluminum, $1.50 to $4.50 for brick and $1.00 to $5.50 for stucco. Wood siding is $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot on the main exterior page.
| Siding | Per square foot | Average house |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | $1.50 to $5.00 | no separate table published |
| Vinyl | $1 to $3 | $1,500 to $5,000 |
| Aluminum | $1 to $4 | $1,500 to $7,000 |
| Brick | $1.50 to $4.50 | $2,000 to $8,000 |
| Stucco | $1.00 to $5.50 | $2,400 to $8,100 |
HomeGuide's main exterior page gives slightly different per-foot ranges for the same materials. The figures above are from the page written for each siding type.
Spray or roll outside: is there a cost or quality difference?
Spraying is faster on big plain walls and brushing and rolling is better on old, rough or detailed wood, and the quality depends on the prep under it more than the tool. Sprayed paint needs every window, roof edge, car and plant masked, and on tight Boston lots the overspray risk to a neighbor's house is real. On old clapboard we prefer paint worked into the wood with a brush, or sprayed and then brushed in. We tell you in the quote which method we plan to use and why.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (617) 553-6484.