House Painting Costs
Posted on January 31, 2022
Painting a house is expensive, both monetarily and mentally. Painting a 2,500-square-foot home that’s two stories can cost several thousand for the exterior and even more on the interior. To help trim the price down, put in some work yourself. There are plenty of opportunities to contribute to the project, thus reducing the price. Click here for even more information about house painting costs.
Here are 6 tips to save on the cost to paint a house.
With a bit of planning and work you can reduce the costs to paint your house whether it’s exterior or interior work. You don’t need to be a professional painter to accomplish these pieces of work.
Costs to Paint
There are several factors that affect the cost of painting a house. The cost of materials, labor and geographical location. Even with these, your estimates will cover two main areas of cost: labor and materials.
Labor
This is paying for the painter’s time and expertise. This includes preparation, repairs, painting and clean up. Every hour on the jobsite will cost you money. There is a large potential savings by contributing some of the work yourself. Reducing the hours on the job will reduce the bottom line.
Materials
Paint is expensive but by far less than the painter’s time. Expect to pay $20-$70 per gallon, depending on grade, sheen and any extra features. For paints that are mold resistant or heat blocking, you will expect to pay more. Others reduce smells or require less coats. Some have extended warranties. What you opt for is ultimately up to you.
Painters will have manufacturers that they lean on for their jobs. This will be a paint that they have used successfully many times over. While you can rely on their knowledge, feel free to voice your opinion as well.
In addition to the paint itself, this is the area of the estimate that you will find supplies, like tarps, tapes, brushes, rollers and equipment rentals. They might not be broken out individually by cost, but the amount expected will be there.
How to Save
Since labor is the biggest cost, work with your painting company to see if you can pare back the cost to paint. Some painting companies shy away from allowing the homeowner to contribute to the job. Others will just warn you that their guarantees may not stand if you complete some of the work. Mostly, painting crews are fine with you helping out.
Look for things on your estimate that you are comfortable with completing. For example, the bushes will need to be trimmed away from walls for an exterior paint job. If you regularly take care of your lawn and have the tools, this could be an area where you are happy to help. For interiors, ask to reduce man hours by moving the furniture from the room and removing faceplates and fixtures. These are items the crew normally does and by reducing their workload, you reduce the bottom line.
There are many more places to contribute to the work. They include prep work like sanding and patching, taping and draping or purchasing some supplies on your own. Keep in mind that not all of these will work out to big reductions in cost but it will help.
Paint Regularly
It goes against common knowledge that painting more often means it will cost less per paint job but it’s true. If you proactively paint the exterior of your home before the paint fails, you are heading off what could be expensive repairs lying underneath the surface. Repairs mean more costs on a paint job, so if you can avoid them altogether, it’s worth it.
Trim Scope
It’s easy to talk in grandeur with your estimator. Sure you need a room painted, but do you really need the ceiling, trim and windows done too? Likely, some of it could wait until the next time around. By removing one area alone you’ll see big cost savings.
Consider Color Choices
Changing the color of a room dramatically can cost you money. By going from pastel to deep or back again, you’re looking at extra coatings and primer layers that need to be applied. Each time a painter opens a can, it costs you money. To save here, consider colors that are similar to what’s on the walls. The painters have an easier time changing a muted color to another muted color. You’ll still get great results but it will take far less coatings.
Reserve deep colors for accents or trim. If you are set on a dark wall, try to add it to smaller square footage. The vibrant color will look just as stunning as an accent wall as it does all over the room.
Get Estimates
If you’re ready for a paint job, we’re here to help. Our teams are comfortable working within requests and budgets to get you the look you dream of without making a nightmare for your wallet.
