Paint protects sound material. It does not repair rotten wood, loose siding or a failing deck. The honest answer to paint or replace is to check what is under the old finish first. In Boston that usually means old wood: clapboard, trim, porches and decks that have been through many winters.
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.
Should I paint or replace my kitchen cabinets?
Paint them if the boxes are solid, the doors are flat and you like the layout. Replace them if the boxes are water damaged, the shelves sag, the doors are peeling thermofoil or you want a different layout. Nationally, painting costs $2,000 to $6,500 for an average kitchen and full replacement $4,500 to $15,000.
Is it cheaper to paint or replace old siding?
It is cheaper to paint siding than to replace it, as long as the siding is sound. HomeGuide compares the two for vinyl and aluminum.
| Siding | Painting | Replacing |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $1,500 to $5,000 | $4,800 to $11,100 |
| Aluminum | $1,500 to $7,000 | $6,300 to $20,100 |
It publishes no such comparison for wood, stucco or brick. For those we price the painting after a walkthrough and tell you plainly if the wall is past painting.
My wood siding is faded, cracked or 30 years old. Paint or replace?
Faded or cracked wood siding can usually be painted, and age alone is not a reason to replace it. Boston has clapboard well over 100 years old that still takes paint. Push a screwdriver into the worst boards. If the wood is firm, it needs scraping, priming and paint. If boards are split through, cupped or soft, those boards are replaced and the rest is painted.
My wood siding has some rot. Paint it or replace it first?
Fix the rot first. Paint over rot traps water and the board keeps decaying under the new coat. Small soft spots are cut out and filled. Boards that are soft along their length are replaced, primed on all sides and then painted with the rest of the wall. We also look for the cause, which is often a leaking gutter or a missing piece of flashing.
Rotting or soft trim: fill and paint, or new trim?
Soft trim that is only damaged at the surface can be filled and painted, and trim that is rotted through should be replaced. Window sills, the bottoms of corner boards and porch post bases go first, because water sits there. A small section is dug out, hardened and filled. A sill that crumbles in your hand needs new wood or a rot-proof trim board.
Can a painter patch dry rot with epoxy or do I need a carpenter?
A painter can patch small areas of dry rot with epoxy wood filler, and a carpenter is needed when the damage is structural or spread out. Epoxy is right for a corner of a sill or a few inches of trim. Porch framing, long runs of fascia, stair stringers and anything holding weight is carpentry. We tell you which is which during the estimate.
My deck boards are grey and splintering. Stain or replace?
Grey boards can be stained, and splintering boards need a closer look. Grey is only weathered surface fiber, and it washes and sands off. Deep cracks, splinters that keep lifting and boards that flex underfoot mean the wood is worn out. Replace those boards, then clean and stain the whole deck so it matches.
My aluminum siding is chalky. Paint it or cover it?
Chalky aluminum siding can be painted, and it is usually better to paint it than to cover it. The chalk is old paint that has broken down in the sun. It must be washed off fully, because new paint will not stick to powder. Dents stay visible under paint. If the panels are loose or badly dented, replacing them makes more sense. Many triple-deckers around Boston still have their aluminum siding from decades ago.
Is a 20-year-old deck worth painting or staining?
An old deck is worth staining if the frame is sound. Check the posts, the ledger board against the house and the joists first. If those are solid and only some boards are tired, replace the bad boards and stain. If the frame is soft or the deck moves, do not spend money on a finish. On an old deck a solid stain hides mismatched boards better than a clear one.
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.