Painting the outside of a house costs $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot in 2026, by national published figures, or $3,000 to $10,000 for an average 2,000 square foot house. In Pittsburgh the real driver is the house itself: its height, the slope of the lot, the kind of siding and how much old paint has failed.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Local labor, the paint you choose and the condition of your own walls move the number up or down. Last checked October 2026.
How much does it cost to paint the exterior of a house?
Nationally it costs $3,000 to $10,000 to paint the exterior of an average 2,000 square foot house, at $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot of painted surface. HomeGuide says the average job takes 4 to 5 days.
| Home size | Paintable area assumed | National range |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | 800 sq ft | $1,200 to $4,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | 1,200 sq ft | $1,800 to $6,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 1,700 sq ft | $2,600 to $8,500 |
| 2,500 sq ft | 2,100 sq ft | $3,200 to $10,500 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 2,500 sq ft | $3,800 to $12,500 |
Many Pittsburgh houses are brick, so the exterior job is trim, windows, doors, porch and gables only. That is a smaller area but more detailed work, and a house-size table does not fit it well.
How much does it cost to paint a two-story house outside?
A two-story house costs more than a one-story house of the same floor area, because of ladders, staging and slower work up high. HomeGuide's main exterior page gives no figure by number of stories. Its vinyl siding page lists $1,500 to $7,900 for two stories (1,500 to 2,500 square feet). Its brick page lists $2.50 to $3.50 per square foot for a two-story house.
Hills matter here. A house in Beechview or Mt. Washington can be two stories at the street and three or four at the back. We price the high side after we see how it can be reached.
How much does it cost to paint a small single-story ranch?
A small ranch is the least costly house to paint. HomeGuide's vinyl siding page lists $1,000 to $3,600 for one story (1,000 to 1,500 square feet), and its brick page lists $1.50 to $2.50 per square foot for a one-story house. By house size, a 1,000 square foot home is listed at $1,200 to $4,000.
Postwar brick ranches in Penn Hills, Bethel Park and West Mifflin usually need the gables, soffits, trim, garage door and porch rails painted, not the walls.
How much does it cost to paint just the trim, shutters and front door?
Exterior trim costs $1 to $4 per linear foot, by the national figures, or $1,000 to $2,500 in total. Shutters are $50 to $100 per pair. A front door is $125 to $225.
- Eaves, fascia and soffit: $2 to $6 per linear foot.
- Exterior window frame: $40 to $150 per window.
- Garage door: $150 to $550.
- Porch or deck railing: $2 to $8 per linear foot.
This trim-only job is the most common exterior work on brick houses in the city. Old wood windows and porch parts take the most prep.
Does the exterior price include power washing, scraping and caulking?
Our written quote includes the prep: washing, scraping loose paint, sanding, caulking and priming bare spots. Ask every painter the same question, because some list washing or heavy scraping as an extra.
As separate national figures, pressure washing a house is listed at $170 to $360. No published price exists for scraping a whole house or for caulking labor alone, so those are priced after a look at the walls.
How much more does it cost if the old paint is peeling?
Peeling paint does add to the price, because every loose edge has to be scraped, sanded and primed before new paint goes on. No national per-house figure is published for scraping. HomeGuide's painter page lists stripping at $1.91 to $2.38 per square foot and trim paint removal at $1.50 to $5.00 per linear foot.
On a house built before 1978 the scraping must follow lead-safe rules, which adds set-up and clean-up time. See our lead paint page. Heavy peeling on a north wall or near the ground also points to moisture, and that has to be solved or the new paint will peel too.
How much does it cost to paint vinyl siding, brick or aluminum siding?
The cost to paint vinyl siding is $1 to $3 per square foot, or $1,500 to $5,000 for an average house, by HomeGuide's page for that siding. Each material has its own page and range.
| Siding | Per square foot | Average house |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $1 to $3 | $1,500 to $5,000 |
| Aluminum | $1 to $4 | $1,500 to $7,000 |
| Brick | $1.50 to $4.50 | $2,000 to $8,000 |
| Stucco | $1.00 to $5.50 | $2,400 to $8,100 |
| Wood | $1.50 to $5.00 | No house total published |
The cost to paint brick is higher than vinyl because brick is rough and soaks up primer and paint. Aluminum is the one we see most on frame houses here, and it paints well when the chalk is washed off first.
Is it better to spray or roll the outside, and is there a cost or quality difference?
Spraying or rolling can both give a good exterior job. Spraying is faster on large plain walls. Brushing and rolling push paint into rough wood and give more control near windows, cars and neighbors.
Many painters spray and then back-roll, which means rolling the wet paint into the surface. On tight city lots, where the next house is a few feet away, brush and roller is often the safer choice. No national figure separates the two methods for exteriors. Ask how the painter plans to apply the paint and how overspray will be controlled.
A free estimate and a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (412) 668-1875.