Exterior paint costs in Washington

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

Snap a photo, get your ballpark

Free · about 15 seconds · no signup

Washington

What it usually costs

Repaint the whole house$1.83 – $4.78 per sq ft
Paint just the trim and shutters$1.63 – $6.53 per sq ft

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

Exterior paint in Washington

Here's a rule that surprises people in the Washington area. Inside the District, a home built before 1978 is presumed to contain lead-based paint. DC's Department of Energy and Environment says a permit is required to remove, repair or strip painted surfaces coated with presumed or identified lead paint, and whether your job needs one depends on how much paint gets disturbed or what the lead work costs.

That rule reaches a lot of houses. More than 1.1 million homes across the metro predate 1980, and close to 200,000 go back before 1940. In the Maryland and Virginia counties, the federal rule still applies: anyone you pay to disturb paint on a pre-1978 home has to be EPA-certified and work lead-safe. Containing the dust and cleaning up properly adds hours to the day.

Winter narrows the season. Reagan National averages around 60 sub-freezing nights, and summer brings the kind of humidity that paint makers say can keep a coat from drying properly. Spring and fall are when the work goes smoothest.

If your house is in DC and older than 1978, ask your painter early whether the job needs a DOEE lead permit. It's better to know before the scraping starts.

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.