Exterior Painting cost in Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis, MN · updated August 2026

$7,400

Typical local cost

$3,200 – $17,400

Typical range

per sq ft of wall area
$2.50 – $7

Installed, local pricing

Permit
Usually no

$0 – $0 in fees

Typical timeline
4-8 days of work

4-8 days of work

Calculate my exterior paint cost

Minneapolis runs +16% against the U.S. average · data confidence Medium · modeled estimate, not a quote

Most Minneapolis homeowners pay around $7,400. The local adjustment for this trade is x1.160 — driven mainly by Hennepin County labor rates and 5% exposure to local code requirements.

Estimate your Minneapolis job

Priced with this market's cost index, so the calculator, the size table and the ranges on this page all agree.

Paint needed

2.3 gallons

2 coats

Paintable area
396 sq ft
Buy
3 gallons
Primer (1 coat)
1.2 gallons
Paint cost estimate
$120 – $246

Estimates only. Local pricing, site conditions and code requirements change the real number.

Cost by project size

Generated from the same unit pricing the calculator uses.

Estimated cost by project size
Project sizeEstimated range
900 sq ft of wall area$2,300$6,300
1,200 sq ft of wall area$3,000$8,400
1,600 sq ft of wall area$4,000$11,200
2,000 sq ft of wall area$5,000$14,000
2,700 sq ft of wall area$6,800$18,900

Based on Minneapolis pricing of $3–$7 per sq ft of wall area.

Where the money goes

Labor
$5,500
74% of median
Materials
$1,900
26% of median
Permit & fees
$0
0% of median

Minneapolis project costs+16% vs U.S. average

Based on Hennepin County labor rates, local material logistics and permit-fee posture for this trade.

What the project looks like start to finish

Typical sequence for this scope. Timing varies with contractor backlog and plan-review queues.

  1. 01

    Planning & quotes

    Scope, material choice, contractor selection

  2. 02

    Scheduling

    No permit typically required for this scope

  3. 03

    Materials & staging

    Order lead time on non-stock materials

  4. 04

    Installation

    4-8 days of work

  5. 05

    Closeout

    Final sign-off, warranty and documentation

Minneapolis labor intelligence

What the trade charges here, and how much of your price it is.

Loaded hourly rate

$71–$92

Exterior crews in Hennepin County · +18% vs U.S. ($68/hr)

Typical crew

2 × 4.5 days

On-site time for a typical exterior paint job here.

Labor in the price

$5,500

74% of the median — the rest is material, disposal and permit.

Because labor is 74% of this job, Minneapolis wage levels move the price far more than material prices do. A quote well under this labor figure usually means a smaller crew, a longer schedule, or unlicensed help.

Basis: Hometriva labor model: national exterior crew rates adjusted by the Hennepin County labor factor (x1.182). · BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hometriva methodology

Why Minneapolis differs from the national average

The local delta, broken into dollars by driver.

Trade labor rates$850Material and delivery$125
Dollars of the Minneapolis difference owned by each driver, versus the U.S. median for exterior painting.
  • Trade labor rates+$850

    Hennepin County crews price 18% above the national average, and labor is 74% of this job.

  • Material and delivery+$125

    Materials are nationally traded, so they move less — but delivery into this market runs 8% over baseline.

Basis: Decomposition of the modeled Minneapolis median against the U.S. median for this scope. · City of Minneapolis building department, Hometriva methodology

Minneapolis vs Minnesota vs the U.S.

Minneapolis$3,200$17,400Minnesota average$3,000$15,900U.S. average$2,800$15,000
Modeled ranges for exterior painting. The tick marks the median in each geography.

Change the inputs, see your number

The same local model, run against your job instead of the average one.

Simulated exterior painting in Minneapolis

$7,400

Likely range $3,200$17,400

Simulated from the same local model as the numbers above — it changes the inputs, not the pricing method.

What makes the number move

  • Wall square footage and number of stories
  • Stucco crack patching before painting
  • Elastomeric versus standard acrylic coating
  • Trim, soffit and shutter detail
  • Pressure washing and mildew treatment

Who issues each permit

Tracked per discipline — the building permit issuer is not always the body that reviews electrical, plumbing, zoning or fire.

Permitting authority by discipline
DisciplineIssuing authority
buildingCity of Minneapolis building departmentModeled estimate
electricalCity of Minneapolis building departmentModeled estimate
mechanicalCity of Minneapolis building departmentModeled estimate
plumbingCity of Minneapolis building departmentModeled estimate
zoningCity of Minneapolis building departmentModeled estimate
fireCity of Minneapolis building departmentModeled estimate

Permit requirement in Minneapolis

Usually no permit is required in Minneapolis, but zoning rules such as setbacks and HOA approval can still apply.

Permitting authority
City of Minneapolis building departmentModeled estimate
Permit fee
Estimated allowance $0$0Modeled from comparable fee schedules — not an official quoted fee.
Full Minneapolis permit guide for exterior painting

Local conditions that change this job

Only the exposures that materially affect exterior painting.

Cooling load / heat exposure

Moderate52/100

Humidity

High66/100

Solar irradiance

Moderate46/100

Annual rainfall

Moderate54/100

Design snow load, ice-dam prevention and deep frost footings change roofing, insulation and deck specifications versus southern markets.

Nearby market comparison

MarketLocal factorMedianPer sq ft of wall area
Minneapolis (this page)x1.160$7,400$2.50$7
Milwaukeex1.093$7,000$2.50$6.50
Des Moinesx0.957$6,100$2$5.50
Chicagox1.230$7,900$2.50$7.50

What Minneapolis homeowners actually paid

Real reported invoices from this market, aggregated. Add yours — it takes 20 seconds and no personal details.

No name, email or address is collected. Reports are reviewed before they count.

Quotes homeowners were given in Minneapolis

Quotes run ahead of final invoices. Reporting yours shows the local spread and where there is room to negotiate.

No name, email or address is collected.

How Hometriva estimates Minneapolis exterior paint costs

Hometriva does not publish invented city prices. The Minneapolis estimate for exterior painting is produced by this chain, and every input is stored separately:

  1. National baseline$6,400

    Typical U.S. cost for exterior painting on a single-family home.

  2. Local labor factorx1.182

    Minneapolis-area trade labor rates, weighted at 74% of this job.

  3. Material factorx1.081

    Material and delivery pricing into Hennepin County, weighted at 26%.

  4. Regulatory factorx1.068

    Local code, product-approval and inspection load, applied at 5% for this project type.

  5. Applied multiplierx1.160

    Blended Minneapolis adjustment specific to exterior painting.

  6. Permit component$0 – $0

    Budgeted separately from the contract price because it is paid to the jurisdiction.

Because labor, material and regulatory factors are weighted per project, exterior painting in Minneapolis carries a different local adjustment than other trades in the same market.

Reviewed by

Hometriva Cost Data Desk

Maintains the unit-cost baselines, local adjustment factors and material pricing. Reviewed for exterior painting pricing in Minneapolis, MN.

  • National unit-cost baselines against current trade pricing
  • Local labor and materials factors for the market
  • Material installed-cost ranges and service life

Last reviewed August 2026 · Editorial standards · Report an error

Frequently asked questions

How often should a Florida house be repainted?

Expect 5 to 7 years for standard acrylic on stucco in coastal Florida and 8 to 12 years for a properly applied elastomeric coating. South-facing walls fail first.

Sources

Sources & verification

Last verified August 2026. Cost figures are modeled estimates based on national baselines adjusted for local labor and material pricing — they are not quotes. Permit rules change; confirm with the building department before starting work.

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