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Exterior paint costs in Seattle

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

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Seattle

What it usually costs

  • Repaint the whole house$2.05 – $5.63 per sq ft
  • Paint just the trim and shutters$1.67 – $6.67 per sq ft

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

Exterior paint in Seattle

Seattle loves its trees, and your siding feels it. The city measured 28.1% tree canopy cover in 2021 and has a goal of 30% by 2037. A wall behind a big cedar or a tall hedge gets little sun and little breeze. Purdue University's guide to house-paint stains says that's exactly where mildew is most common: shaded walls behind trees or shrubs, where the air barely moves.

The rain keeps those walls damp for months. Sea-Tac's normal November, December and January each bring close to six inches, while July gets less than one. A shady wall can stay wet from fall into spring.

That changes what a Seattle repaint starts with. Purdue warns that mildew has to be killed before you repaint, or it grows right through the new coat. Expect the crew to scrub the green and gray off the shaded faces, rinse, and let the siding dry out before any primer goes on. Painting over it won't fix the problem for long.

Ask what's in the can, too. Purdue notes that a paint with a mildewcide, put on a clean surface, should keep mildew away for some time.

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.

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