Exterior painting costs $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot in 2026, by national published figures. In Brooklyn the outside job takes many shapes. It can be a full wood-frame house in Flatbush, a vinyl or aluminum sided row house in Greenpoint, or only the cornice, windows, door and ironwork on a brownstone.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Brooklyn labor, parking, walk-up access, building rules 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 a house of about 2,000 square feet, or $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot of painted surface.
| House 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 |
An attached row house has only a front and a back to paint, so its paintable area is smaller than the table assumes. A detached house on a narrow lot has all four sides, with tight side alleys that are slow to work in.
How much to paint a two-story house outside?
HomeGuide's main exterior page gives no figure by number of stories. Its vinyl siding page lists a two-story house of 1,500 to 2,500 square feet at $1,500 to $7,900, and a three-story house at $3,200 to $13,100. Its brick page lists two-story brick at $2.50 to $3.50 per square foot.
Height is the main cost driver here. Most Brooklyn houses are two to four stories and sit right on the sidewalk. Tall ladders, staging or a lift are needed, and work over a public sidewalk has to be protected.
How much for a small single-story house?
A one-story house of about 1,000 square feet is listed at $1,200 to $4,000 on the national table. The vinyl page lists a one-story house at $1,000 to $3,600, and the brick page lists one-story or ranch brick at $1.50 to $2.50 per square foot.
True ranch houses are rare in Brooklyn. The closest are the bungalows and small detached houses near the water in the south of the borough. They are quick to reach but take the hardest weather.
How much to paint just the trim, shutters and front door?
Exterior trim costs $1 to $4 per linear foot, or $1,000 to $2,500 in total, by the national figures. Shutters are $50 to $100 per pair. A front door is $125 to $225 and double front doors are $250 to $400. An exterior window frame is $40 to $150.
This is the most common exterior job on a masonry row house. The stone or brick is left alone, and the wood cornice, window frames, doors and iron railings are scraped, primed and painted.
Does the exterior price include power washing, scraping and caulking?
It should, and a good quote says so line by line. Washing, scraping loose paint, spot priming and caulking open joints are part of the prep on our exterior jobs.
Where a painter lists washing as an extra, the national figure for washing a house is $170 to $360. No national labor price is published for caulking alone. Ask each painter which prep steps are in the price and which are extra, so you compare like with like.
How much more if the old paint is peeling?
Peeling paint adds cost because the loose layers have to come off first, and the price depends on how much. No published figure exists for scraping a whole house. HomeGuide lists stripping at $1.91 to $2.38 per square foot and paint removal from trim at $1.50 to $5.00 per linear foot.
On houses built before 1978, scraping also has to follow lead-safe rules, which adds set-up and clean-up time. See our lead paint page.
How much does it cost to paint vinyl siding, brick or stucco?
Each wall type has its own national figure. These come from HomeGuide's page for each material.
| Wall type | Per square foot | Average house |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $1 to $3 | $1,500 to $5,000 |
| Aluminum siding | $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 siding | $1.50 to $5.00 | No table published |
In Brooklyn the common painted walls are wood clapboard and shingle, vinyl and aluminum siding over old frame houses, painted brick and stucco. Brownstone and limestone fronts are stone and are normally repaired by a mason, not painted.
Spray or roll outside: is there a cost or quality difference?
Spraying is faster on large open walls, and brushing and rolling give more control. Neither is better by itself. A sprayed coat that is rolled back into the surface while wet holds well on rough wood and stucco.
On most Brooklyn blocks spraying is limited. Houses are attached, cars are parked a few feet away and people walk under the work. Brush and roller are the normal method here, with spraying kept for shutters, doors and parts that can be taken to a shop.
Why do exterior quotes differ so much in Brooklyn?
Exterior quotes differ mostly on access and prep. One painter plans for staging and a sidewalk shed. Another plans to work from ladders. One allows for full scraping and wood repair. Another prices a wash and one coat.
- How the crew reaches the top floor and the cornice.
- How much scraping, priming and wood repair is allowed for.
- Number of coats.
- Whether windows, doors and ironwork are included.
- Lead-safe set-up on pre-1978 paint.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (917) 746-3274.