Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on HomeGuide.
How much does exterior painting cost near me?
The average cost to paint the exterior of a house is $1.50 to $4 per square foot or $1,800 to $5,000, depending on the size, number of stories, material, condition, and accessibility.
Cost to hire an exterior house painter near me
Single story - 1,000 – 2,000 - $1,500 – $4,000
Two story - 1,500 – 2,500 - $3,000 – $6,000
Three story - 2,500 – 3,500 - $4,500 – $10,000
Does painting the house exterior add value?
Painting a home's exterior is a cost-effective way to increase value and boost home appeal. Exterior painting has a 55% return on investment (ROI), while interior painting has a 107% return on investment on average.
How often should you paint your house exterior?
A house exterior needs painting every five to ten years on average, depending on the location, climate, sun exposure, material, and condition. Wood siding needs repainting every 3 to 7 years, while fiber cement siding needs repainting every 10 to 15 years.
Signs a house exterior needs painting:
Paint is peeling, flaking, bubbling, cracking, faded, or chalky
There are exposed patches of wall
Stucco needs patching, or wood boards need replacing
The last paint job was longer than 10 years ago
You are selling the home and want to boost curb appeal
How long does it take to paint a house?
An average-size house takes three to four days to paint with a professional team of three painters. A large three-story or 5+ bedroom house takes four to six days to paint the exterior on average. This time estimate includes prepping the house, painting, and cleaning up.
When is the best time to paint a house exterior?
The best time to paint a house exterior is in spring, early summer, or fall when temperatures are 50°F to 85°F and moisture is low. Consult with a local painter in your area to select the optimal time to start your project.
Why paint a house exterior?
The top reasons to paint the exterior of a house are:
Increase home value and curb appeal
Protect from the elements and weather damage
Increase the lifespan of siding
Change the look or ambiance
Prevent exterior wood from rotting or insects
Repair damage
Do you tip exterior painting companies?
Painting companies do not expect a tip. However, if they go above and beyond or spend more time than expected, a cold drink, hot lunch, or $10 to $20 tip is appreciated. Giving the painter a positive review on HomeGuide, Yelp, or Google is better than a tip.
How to find local exterior painters?
Start by searching our list of exterior painters, then compare reviews and costs. Next:
Get at least three free estimates in-person to compare.
Ask for recommendations from family, friends, and neighbors.
Select companies that are licensed, bonded, and experienced.
Verify their insurance, worker’s compensation, and bond guarantees.
Read reviews and check out their previous work on HomeGuide and Google.
Ask if they are part of their local chamber of commerce or any trade associations such as the Painting Contractors Association (PCA).
Ask about their warranties and guarantees.
Get a detailed estimate, contract, and warranty in writing before the work begins.
Avoid making large payments upfront. Come up with a payment schedule for work completed.
After asking questions and verifying their credentials, hire the best exterior house painters in your area.
What questions to ask exterior house painters?
When hiring a house painter, ask them the following questions:
How long have you been a painting contractor?
How many similar projects have you painted?
Can I see your portfolio?
Can you provide me with a list of references?
Are you licensed, insured, and bonded?
Are you a member of the BBB, chamber of commerce, or any trade associations?
Are your painters' employees or subcontractors?
What qualities do you look for in subcontractors? Do they have professional training?
What quality of painting materials do you use?
What is your preparation process before painting?
How do you handle damages that happen on the job?
Who's the project manager?
What hours do you and your crew work?
How long will the project take?
What permits do I need, and will you obtain them?
How long is your warranty, and what does it cover?
How much is your cost estimate?
Can you provide me a written and signed contract with a breakdown of all costs?
What is the structure of the payment agreements?
Are financing options available?
What do I need to provide to get started?
Reviews for Washington exterior painters
Recent success stories from people in the Washington area.
Emma F.
Emington and his crew with Home Improvement were a pleasure to work with.
And I want to start off by saying this house was in very bad shape. It might have been easier to knock this house down and rebuild.
Home Improvement were professional with respect for the persons living in the house and neighbors that surrounded the area.
Ermington’s crew works as a unit. The first time we met, Home Improvement gave me an estimate and the second time we met we discussed the details of the estimate.
I was absolutely positive this house didn’t need a new roof. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In a blink of an eye the 4 men who came with Emington were grabbing their ladders and were now in the attic and on the roof of my house. As we talked Emington’s crew was sending him photos of the attic and roof damage. As we moved forward, I was blissfully unaware of what I wanted in colors and styles. Emington told me to drive around the neighborhood and look at siding and roof colors. Extremely good advice. I told him what I saw and from there he suggested what colors would complement each other.
His crew replaced the roof first. There was no screaming or cross talking from the crew for the roof replacement. The siding was next. Same crew, same results. Excellent work and respectful. I noticed they paid attention to splices with the siding. Everything looked even with no gaps. The windows were next along with the air conditioning.
The perfect plan was to bring each company to me for each project. Pella came in for the windows and showed me styles, designs, etc.… I never had to run around looking for what I wanted. There was no sales pitch and no one talked me into an upgrade. This also applied to the air conditioning.
There was a timeline but because I worked in an environment where my clients always need a ship date, I was already prepared for delays and wrong products. I can assure you mistakes will happen to delay projects that are totally out of the contractor’s hands. But with Home Improvement, Emington took control and followed up on the issue right away. He would send me emails and updates. This was very much appreciated. There was also an emergency with my family and we had to put the entire project on hold for 30 days. Emington understood and he never gave me a hard time nor did he up charge me for lost time.
Home Improvement and Emington and crew were very easy to work with. If I wanted to make a change, they would tell me honestly if that change would affect another room or if the cost was so far out of range I would decline. The crew was polite respectful, no cussing and they cleaned up after themselves. Emington’s crew also did little things to help us out. Took the battered trash cans and got rid of them for us, accepted delivers and so on. These things add up and, in the end, saves you time.
At the moment, I decided to hire Emington and crew from Home Improvement to build a screened in back porch. My decision was based on his work and the art of his craft.
I highly recommend Home Improvement as one of the best contractors I have ever worked with.
This was not my first rodeo with a construction company to turn a house into home. This site was the first time I worked with a structure in ruin and Home Improvements turned it into a home. My highest recommendations go to Home Improvement, Emington and Crew.
Emma Fox
Home Improvements LLC
John M.
Work Description: Decks/Porches/Ramps - Build
Comments: CRM did an excellent job on a decking replacement and extension for our home. They quoted an incredibly reasonable price and even replaced some old lattice without additional cost. They final product was well made and looks great. 10/10, would recommend to a friend.
CRM IMPROVEMENTS LLC
Ahmed L.
I bought an industrial printing machine and had it shipped to my house. Unfortunately, it wasn't working since it needed high voltage. After many fail from other electricians, I decided to come to home guide and I was blessed to have found D&Z electric. They were extremely polite and knowledgeable. I was amazed on how they were able to figure out what needed to be done and even gave me multiple alternatives. The work was done in 10 min and my printer was up and running smoothly. Their labor rate was very affordable and I appreciate their professionalism and willingness to answer all my questions. I will definitely hire them again!
D&z electric
Billy M.
Switch and Outlet Installation
Ran two dedicated outlets and added two breakers for me. Worked alone. Took a little longer than I thought but he got it done. Great guy.
Seymour’s Electrical
Abebe A.
Very positive experience with Lisset. They did a fantastic job repairing and refinishing my deck. I will hire Lisset and company again.
REMODELING&PAINTING JIREH
Chris R.
I had the best experience dealing with J&P Restoration. They did a fantastic job. We had a strong storm that had recently caused our roof to leak and damaged some of our siding. They came out the next day and gave us a totally different experience then I expected. John with J&P Restoration was very polite and kept me informed every step of the way. We were able to get a new updated roof and our siding repaired without having to pay a red cent. They dealt with the insurance company the whole time which was nice because I'm working crazy hours. I would definitely use them again. Thanks John for your diligent work. We are very happy with your services
J restoration LLC
Sandi G.
Patrick gave recommendations first before starting the work. He was knowledgeable and kept his work space clean.
Gojonesy Enterprises
Cristina Lehmann M.
Miguel and his assistant did a very good job at painting my master bathroom and front door. They completed all work and cleaned up after themselves in two days; the wait time to get the work done was fast as well. I am pleased with their finished work.
The kings of painting LLC
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