How Much Does Exterior Painting Cost?

This Hyde Park treasure cost about $8000 to paint.

After making the decision to paint the exterior of their home, Kansas City homeowners want to know about cost. The short answer is always "it depends" because there are so many factors involved.

Crestwood Painting has done a small ranch home in Westwood for $2200. We've also painted several large, older homes that ran about $15,000 and gem just off Ward Parkway was $24,000. In general, most homes are in the $6000 to $12,000 range. Here are some of the considerations:

• Material - if we're painting vinyl or aluminum siding it only needs to be washed. But cedar clapboards, on the other hand, require hand scraping of every square inch of exposed surface.

• Prep - A home in poor condition requires more prep work than one in good condition. Prep work take time; more time certainly affects cost - something to keep in mind when considering an attractive lower price.

• Colors I - Each color adds to the complexity of the overall project and each color means another trip up the ladder. A mid-century ranch house is fine with 3 colors;  a classic Craftsman might require five colors to properly highlight the architectural details.

  Smaller houses cost less to paint.

• Colors II - Poor quality paint doesn't cover very well. Some painters charge more for a color change (e.g. dark blue over white). If that's the case you might ask that painter about product choice.

• Details I - Shutters are often an accent color. If shutters can be easily removed there's no problem; if plastic shutters are fixed with pound-in-never-come-out plastic anchors it might be necessary to leave them in place and paint around them.

• Details II - Corbels, brackets and crown molding are all often painted an accent color. Each can make the whole more impressive and each of these features requires care and attention to bring out the overall look.

Making the right decision for your home is easier when you have good information. Let us know if we can help!