Exterior paint costs in Los Angeles

Here’s the ballpark for common exterior paint jobs around Los Angeles, CA. Want one for your own project? A photo is all it takes.

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Los Angeles

What it usually costs

Repaint the whole house$1.75 – $5.50 per sq ft
Paint just the trim and shutters$1.70 – $6.82 per sq ft

A ballpark, not a quote. Some of these are national averages adjusted for Los Angeles prices, so your job could land outside them.

Exterior paint in Los Angeles

Inside one of Los Angeles's 35 Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, your paint color isn't only your call. City Planning says every exterior project in an HPOZ gets reviewed by staff or the zone's board before work starts, and it names exterior paint, even though paint needs no building permit. Angelino Heights became the first HPOZ in 1983, and the largest covers more than 4,000 properties. If you live in one, get that review done before you book the crew.

The weather helps. Downtown highs sit somewhere between the mid-60s and the low 80s in every month, and nearly all the rain comes November through April. You can scrape, prime and lay down two coats for most of the year.

What slows an LA repaint is usually under the old paint. About two in three homes in the metro were built before 1980, and roughly one in nine before 1940. EPA requires anyone paid to disturb paint in a home built before 1978 to be lead-safe certified. On a 1920s bungalow, careful scraping and a clean worksite are a real part of the job, not an extra.

Sources

Questions homeowners ask

How accurate is a photo estimate?

It’s a ballpark, not a quote. One photo rarely shows the whole house, so a local painter who walks the property will always be more precise. Use our number as the range to expect before you start calling around.

What changes the price of an exterior paint job?

Square footage is the biggest factor, then how much prep the old paint needs — bare wood or peeling paint takes far more work than a clean recoat. Trim, multiple stories, and a color change add to it too.

Do I need to measure my house?

A rough guess at the wall square footage helps a lot, but if you don’t know it, just skip the question and we’ll estimate from your photo.

Is this really free?

Yes. No signup, no credit card, no spam. We only make money if you choose to connect with a local pro — and that’s up to you.

What photo works best?

A shot of the front of the house, plus any sides showing wear like peeling or bare spots, gives us the best read.