Exterior
Exterior Painting: Cost, Permits & Timeline
Pressure washing, patching and repainting stucco, siding and trim.
Model reviewed August 2026
Typical cost
$6,400
$2,800 – $15,000
per sq ft of wall area
$2.2 – $6
Permit
Rarely
No permit fee in most jurisdictions
Timeline
4-8 days of work
4-8 days of work
Do you need a permit for exterior painting?
Usually no
Exterior Painting is normally treated as maintenance or landscaping, so most jurisdictions do not require a permit. Exceptions show up where the work touches drainage, irrigation backflow, a right-of-way, an easement or an HOA-controlled area — confirm with your local building department before starting.
What drives the cost
- 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
Permit, inspections and documents
| Permit status | rarely required |
|---|---|
| Typical permit fee | No permit fee typical for this work |
| Licensed contractor required | Not always |
| Owner-builder allowed | Yes, on owner-occupied homes |
| Inspections | |
| Timeline | 4-8 days of work |
| DIY difficulty | 3/5 difficulty |
Documents typically required
- • HOA color approval where applicable
Exterior Painting cost by city
Local labor and material pricing applied to the national baseline.
| City | Typical range | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $4,600 – $24,400 | +63% |
| Los Angeles | $3,800 – $20,600 | +37% |
| Miami | $3,400 – $18,300 | +22% |
| Chicago | $3,400 – $18,500 | +23% |
| Phoenix | $2,900 – $15,400 | +2% |
| Dallas | $2,700 – $14,700 | -2% |
| Houston | $2,700 – $14,600 | -2% |
| Tampa | $3,000 – $15,800 | +5% |
| Denver | $3,200 – $17,100 | +14% |
| Orlando | $2,900 – $15,400 | +2% |
| Atlanta | $2,800 – $14,900 | -1% |
| Fort Lauderdale | $3,300 – $17,600 | +17% |
Exterior Painting across the country
National pricing, state-by-state pricing, and the tools behind both.
Frequently asked questions
How long does exterior painting take?
4-8 days of work. Permit review and inspection scheduling are usually the largest source of variation.
What changes the price the most?
The largest cost drivers are wall square footage and number of stories; stucco crack patching before painting; elastomeric versus standard acrylic coating.
Sources
Sources & verification
Model vintage August 2026. The links above are the issuing agencies' own pages — we publish them so you can confirm the current rule yourself, not as evidence that each fact on this page was re-checked with them today. Cost figures are modeled estimates based on national baselines adjusted for local labor and material pricing, not quotes. Permit rules change; confirm with the building department before starting work.