Repainting your home is a great way to improve its curb appeal and refresh the aesthetic of your home. The cost to paint a house exterior in California means that you want to find the right professional to do the job. Some painters may offer cheap pricing, but you’ll pay for that with an unsatisfactory job. You want to find a painting contractor in Sacramento that balances fair pricing with quality work.
Whether you’re in Folsom, Roseville, or one of the many other great suburbs, Sacramento is a great place to live. However, with strong UV rays and dry, summer heat, exterior paint here tends to fade. If you’re looking for a new color or a just refresh, DL Painting has you covered. At DL Painting, we put quality and craftsmanship first without cutting any corners. We take on the job, from prep to final cleanup, to give you the best possible results.
If you want to learn more about the cost to paint a house exterior in California, read on! We’ll break the costs for different sizes, different painting surfaces, and different painting methods.
What’s Included in House Exterior Painting?
Exterior painting goes a long way to add vibrancy to your Sacramento home. While it might seem like a simple project, there’s a lot that goes into a good exterior paint job. Painting starts with the prep work and doesn’t end until clean up. So what exactly is included in the cost to paint a house exterior in California?
- Labor costs: Most of the cost of an exterior paint job is labor. Professional painters typically charge by the hour.
- Materials: This includes paint, primers, sealants, and caulking, which are all a necessary part of painting your exterior.
- Equipment: Depending on the method used, different tools might be required, including brushes, rollers, and sprayers. Ladders and scaffolding are necessary to reach higher areas of the house, and drop clothes and masking tape protect areas not being painted.
- Surface preparation: The exterior needs to be pressure washed to remove dirt and mildew. Plus, damaged siding, trim, and other exterior elements need to be fixed before painting.
- Permits and inspections: Some areas in Sacramento may require permits for exterior painting, especially if your home needs significant repairs or alterations.
- Cleanup fees: Old paint and debris need to be disposed of, which typically costs money.
How Much to Paint a 1,500 Sq Ft Exterior?
The cost to paint a house exterior in California will depend on a lot of factors, including the size of your home, the type of paint you choose, and how complex the project is. An exterior that needs more cleaning and repairs before painting will cost more than a home that barely needs any.
The cost to paint a house in California runs between $2 to $4, with most exteriors landing somewhere in the middle. For a 1,500-square-foot exterior, that cost will range between $3,000 to $6,000.
Most of the cost comes from labor. Professional painters charge between $30 to $40 per hour, and most companies send two painters at a time to handle a job. If the painters can cover 100 square feet in an hour, that’s about fifteen hours of work, which would cost between $900 to $1,200 just for the painting labor.
Prep work usually takes somewhere between 6 to 12 hours, depending on how large the home is and whether or not the home needs repairs. The labor for the prep work usually costs between $25 to $50 an hour, which would cost an additional $300 to $600 for 6 hours of prep.
Another major cost to consider is equipment rental. Painters typically use either scaffolding or a boom lift to reach all the exterior walls of your home. While scaffolding costs around $35 per day, a boom lift is much more expensive to rent, coming in at around $1,000 per week.
Finally, the paint you opt for will affect the cost to paint a house exterior in California. Cheaper kinds of paint cost around $21 per gallon, while more expensive (and durable) paint will run you up to $70 per gallon. Each gallon covers around 100 square feet, so for a 1,500 square foot home, you’ll need 15 gallons, which will cost between $315 to $1,050 for the paint.
Cost to Paint a 2,000 Sq Ft Exterior
While the cost to paint a house exterior in California depends on a lot of factors, the size of your home has one of the biggest impacts. For a 2,000-square-foot home exterior, the overall cost ranges between $4,000 to $8,000.
Painting a house of this size will typically take about 20 hours for two painters, which means painting labor will be between $1,200 to $1,600. A 2,000-square-foot home will require around 20 gallons of paint, which will cost between $420 to $1,400 for the paint. If the home takes 12 hours to prep, the labor will cost between $600 to $1,200.
Cost to Paint a 3,000 Sq Ft Exterior in California
The cost to paint a 3,000-square-foot exterior in California ranges between $6,000 and $12,000. With two painters covering 3,000 square feet in 30 hours, the labor will cost between $1,800 and $2,400. Additionally, you’ll need 30 gallons of paint for a 3,000-foot home, which will run between $630 to $2,100. If the home takes 12 hours to prep, the labor will cost between $600 to $1,200.
Painting Wood vs Brick vs Stucco vs Metal
The cost to paint a house exterior in California is also affected by the exterior’s surface. Different exteriors, such as wood, brick, stucco, or metal, will need to be prepared differently and may require specific types of paint.
Wood exteriors, for example, need lots of prep work, including sanding, scraping, and replacing any wood that is damaged. Brick, on the other hand, will need to be pressure washed before painting. Mortar joints may also need to be repaired at this point. To paint brick, you need masonry paint or elastomeric paint, which are more expensive. Plus, brick absorbs paint, which may require more coats to get the coverage you want.
Stucco surfaces need to be cleaned before painting, with any cracks patched. Because stucco has such a rough texture, it often needs more paint for full coverage. And finally, for metal surfaces, a rust-inhibiting primer and durable paint are necessary to get a good finish that prevents rusting. An experienced painting contractor in Sacramento will be able to give you an accurate estimate for your home based on the exterior surface.
The Painting Method
The method used to paint your exterior, whether with a sprayer or rollers and brushes, can significantly affect the cost. Using a sprayer to paint your exterior is usually much faster than using rollers and brushes. However, sprayers tend to use more paint due to overspray and the need for multiple thin coats. Plus, sprayers don’t work as well with thicker types of paint.
On the other hand, using rollers and brushes takes more time and labor. However, that comes with lower paint consumption and waste. Rollers and brushes also work well for thicker types of paint that are more durable.
DIY Cost vs Hiring Painters
If you’re looking at the cost of painting a house exterior in California, you may end up thinking about doing the project on your own. Before you decide to DIY your home exterior, it’s important to consider the overall costs of handling the project on your own.
If you paint your exterior on your own, the biggest savings you’ll see are for labor. But rather than paying a few people $30 to $40 an hour, you’ll be spending those hours working.
Here’s a breakdown of the DIY cost to paint your own home:
- Paint: $20-$70 per gallon, with the total cost depending on how big your home is.
- Primer: $20-$50 per gallon.
- Brushes and rollers: $10-$50 each.
- Painter’s tape: $5-$10 per roll.
- Drop clothes: $10-$30 each.
- Sandpaper and scrapers: $10-$20 each.
- Ladders and scaffolding: $100 to $300 for rental.
- Paint sprayer: $100-$300 for rental, or $200-$600 to buy.
- Cleaning supplies (for prep): $20-50.
- Caulking and sealants: $5-$10 per tube.
- Power washer: $50-$70 per day to rent, or $150+ to purchase.
In comparison, hiring professional painters to paint your exterior will cost you between $2-$4 per square foot, which comes out to anywhere between $3,000 to $12,000. You can save quite a bit of money doing the project on your own but at the cost of your own time and labor.
The Benefits of Doing It Yourself
If you have the time and skill, DIYing your exterior paint job does come with certain benefits, including:
- Cost savings: Because you’re doing the work yourself, you don’t have to pay the labor cost to hire professional painters. This saves you quite a bit.
- Customization: You can make sure every detail is exactly how you want it, from color choices to specific techniques. You can make last-minute changes without feeling like you’re inconveniencing someone.
- Sense of accomplishment: One of the reasons DIY work is so popular is for the sense of accomplishment of completing a project.
- Flexible timing: You can work at your own pace, fitting the project into your schedule as time permits.
Benefits of Hiring a Painting Contractor
While you certainly can take on the project of painting your own exterior, there are definitely benefits to hiring a painting contractor, such as:
- Expertise and skill: Professional painters have tons of experience and training that help them provide a high-quality finish. They know how to properly prepare a surface depending on the material it’s made from, which is essential for a long-lasting paint job.
- Efficiency: A professional team can complete a house exterior in much less time than a DIY effort.
- Convenience: Hiring a contractor means you don’t have to handle the physically demanding work of painting, especially for a home with multiple stories. Plus, you don’t have to worry about renting or buying equipment.
- Curb appeal: A high-quality paint job can increase your home’s market value by improving its appearance.
Conclusion
While the cost to paint a house exterior in California may seem like a lot, it’s usually worth it in the long run. Professional paint contractors like DL Painting have the skill and experience to improve your home’s aesthetic promptly. We take pride in our work, providing a finished product that lasts for years to come.
