What's The Cost To Paint The Exterior Of A House In California?
Sep
If you’ve decided it’s time to paint the exterior of your home, the first thing to do is get an estimate as to how much you can expect to pay for quality workmanship. In the state of California, it costs approximately $2 to $4 per square foot to paint a house. This means that if your home is 2,500 square feet, your cost to paint the exterior of your home ranges from $5000-$10,000. The cost, for most homeowners, usually ends up landing somewhere in the middle of these two numbers.
Since the cost to paint the exterior of a house in California can be quite large, you’ll want to be sure you hire a company with stellar experience and excellent customer service. We at Diamond Star Painting have been offering professional exterior painting services since 1987. Our dedicated exterior painters have extensive experience on all types of surfaces, including wood, plastic, and metal. Whether you’d like to touch up an area of siding or repaint an entire multifamily complex, your painting project is in excellent hands with Diamond Star. We serve everywhere in the north Sacramento area including Rocklin, Folsom, and El Dorado Hills.
What is included in house exterior painting
Painting the exterior of your home can be a complex job. While it is possible to do the job yourself, you can relieve a lot of stress and uncertainty for yourself by hiring a professional to get the job done.
There are quite a few factors that affect the final cost of painting the exterior of your home. These include:
- Materials
- Labor costs
- Building inspections
- Equipment rentals
- Contractor fees
- Cleanup fees
- Budget overruns due to inclement weather possibly halting productivity
- Required permits
- Size of the home to be painted
Where your money goes
While no two home exterior jobs are exactly the same, there are some common expenses included in all exterior home paint jobs. The following is a general breakdown of the costs associated with painting the exterior of your home:
- Paint
- Painting supplies
- Labor
- Scaffolding or a boom lift
- Cleaning and repair
- Siding repairs/replacements
- Add-ons such as painting the doors, trim, and window casings
Labor is the most costly part of exterior house painting. Professional painters typically charge a rate of $30-$40 per hour per painter, and each painter is typical for professional painting companies to allot 2 painters per job, and each painter is usually able to cover approximately 100 square feet per hour. Based on a home that is 2,500 square feet, the labor cost to paint the house is $1500-$2000. This doesn’t include the cost of labor for any prep work needed.
Prep work:
Purchasing supplies and making sure scaffolding is in place are the first preparation steps to painting the exterior of your home, but there is a lot of other work that must be done ahead of time to adequately prepare your home to be painted. The time required to do this will add to the cost of labor. Here are several essential tasks required to prepare your home to be painted:
- Power washing the exterior
- Siding repairs
- Surface priming required for optimal paint adhesion
On average, these preparations can take anywhere from 6-12 hours depending on the size of the home and the amount of damaged siding needing repairs. This increases the labor costs anywhere from $360-$960 or more.
Equipment rentals
Equipment rentals are necessary while painting for safety reasons, as well as to help the process run smoothly and efficiently. The two equipment rental options include scaffolding or a boom lift. Scaffolding is the least expensive option of the two and can be rented on a day-by-day basis for a nominal fee. Scaffolding is a great option for less intensive jobs. For bigger, more extensive jobs, most companies rent a boom lift which can usually be rented for about $1000 per week.
Cost of paint
One of the less expensive items in painting the exterior of your home in California is the cost of paint. One gallon of paint, on average, will cover about 100 square feet of surface area. The type of paint will influence the overall cost of painting your home. Inexpensive paints can be purchased for around $21 per gallon, while more expensive, higher-quality paints can cost as much as $70 per gallon. So if your home is 2,500 square feet, it will require a minimum of 25 gallons of paint. If you have chosen a light-colored paint to cover a previous darker hue, your home may need more than one coat of paint which will significantly increase the cost of the paint since you’ll be purchasing a larger amount.
It’s interesting to note that buying cheaper paint may not save you money in the long run. Cheaper paints aren’t designed to last, so before long, chipping, fading, and other damage can occur which will require you to have your home repainted again.
Brick vs. Metal vs. Wood
When preparing your home’s outer walls to be repainted, it’s important to take into consideration what type of exterior surface is and prepare it accordingly. For example, metal and aluminum are both surfaces that require sanding and priming before any paint can be properly applied. The siding must be primed at least a day ahead of time in order for the paint to adhere correctly. This process, of course, increases the amount of labor and materials required.
If your home has a brick exterior, it requires only one cleaning and scrubbing. Wood siding is the most expensive and time-consuming exterior to paint over because it must be sanded and scraped until completely smooth—a vital process for a quality finished product. Vinyl, stucco, concrete, and plaster require their own unique preparations.
Painting method
Another factor that contributes to the total cost of painting your home is the painting method used. Spraying paint on the siding of your home can be effective, but usually involves the use of thin paint which typically isn’t as durable as other paints. Brushes and rollers are other methods that create excellent results that are much less messy. It’s important to note that if your home was built before 1978, most professional companies unless otherwise specified, aren’t able to repaint the exterior due to the original lead-based paint that was used on most homes before 1978.
The Cost To Paint A House In California Conclusion
There’s no job too large – or small – for our exterior painters! The secret to our success is our 14-step process. We begin by preparing all surfaces, filling holes, repairing cracks, and removing any flaking paint. Our painters also power wash any dirty areas, caulk windows and doors, reset loose screws, and perform other minor maintenance. Only after everything is perfectly prepped will we apply the first coat of paint, using a high-quality product like Sherwin Williams or Kelly Moore. Our paint includes a limited lifetime warranty. To top things off, we will also make sure to clean all walkways, sidewalks, and unpainted areas.
In addition, we specialize in diagnosing, treating, and repairing dry rot. Dry rot isn’t necessarily unattractive, but if left unaddressed, it can be dangerous. If we find any dry rot, we’ll start by removing the affected material, and then treating the surrounding area to prevent further contagion. If the affected area is large enough, we’ll also add filler or replacement wood pieces.
Call us at Diamond Star Painting today for a free estimate! We service Sacramento and surrounding areas. We guarantee you’ll be thrilled with our painting services and competitive pricing! If you’re in an area north of Sacramento that we don’t serve, we’ll recommend a great paint company for you. For example, we know great painters in Olivehurst and other nearby cities.
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