In this article
- The job: 2,400 sq ft two-story, full exterior repaint
- The full estimate, line by line
- What the homeowner is paying for, in plain English
- Prep (46 hours, $2,760 in labor)
- Paint (56 hours, $3,360 in labor + $1,658 in materials)
- Margin (21.5%, $1,742)
- The same job at three quality tiers (so you can spot the cheap quote)
- Common mistakes painters make on exterior estimates
- When this example stops being relevant to your job
- Frequently asked questions
- Keep reading
- 2026 industry benchmarks for sanity-checking
Quick answer: Below is a real exterior painting estimate, anonymized, line by line. The job: a 2,400 sq ft two-story suburban home in the mid-Atlantic, full exterior repaint with color change, 2-coat finish, total $9,840. Every line in the estimate is explained so you can see why each charge exists and where the margin lives. This is what a homeowner reading a quote should look for, and what a painter writing one should include.
Reviewed by John Miller
Licensed painter, 15 years in the field
“Exterior estimates are where margins live or die. A 10% prep miscalculation on a 2,400 sq ft home is 8 hours of unbilled work — the difference between a profitable job and a break-even one. Use this example as a sanity check on quotes you receive or write.”
Free download — Exterior estimate example (.pdf)
180 KB · No signup, no email, just the file.
What’s inside:
- Real anonymized estimate for a 2,400 sq ft two-story home
- Line-by-line annotations explaining each charge
- Side-by-side comparison: same job at three quality tiers
- Blank version you can adapt for your own jobs
The job: 2,400 sq ft two-story, full exterior repaint
Anonymized profile of the home behind this estimate:
- Size: 2,400 sq ft above grade, two-story colonial, 1992 build.
- Siding: 4-inch lap fiber-cement (Hardie). Original paint chalking moderately, no major failure.
- Trim: Wood fascia, soffits, window/door surrounds. Cream color, some peel on south-facing trim.
- Doors and windows: 1 front door, 1 side door, 18 windows (6/6 grids).
- Scope: Full exterior repaint, color change from beige to navy body + cream trim. Front door accent (deep red).
- Region: mid-Atlantic suburb (Virginia / Maryland / Pennsylvania pricing tier).
- Customer expectation: 2-coat finish, 5-year warranty on labor, premium paint product.
The full estimate, line by line
| Line item | Hours | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Prep phase | ||
| Power wash entire exterior + soffits | 8 | $480 |
| Scrape failing paint, sand transition edges | 14 | $840 |
| Caulk siding gaps, trim seams, window perimeters | 10 | $600 |
| Spot-prime bare wood + chalky cement-board areas | 6 | $360 |
| Mask windows, doors, landscaping, fixtures | 8 | $480 |
| Paint phase | ||
| Body paint — 2 coats SW Duration, navy | 28 | $1,680 |
| Trim paint — 2 coats SW Resilience, cream | 12 | $720 |
| Door accent — 3 coats SW Emerald enamel, deep red | 3 | $180 |
| Cut-in around all 18 windows + fascia | 9 | $540 |
| Final inspection + touch-ups + cleanup | 4 | $240 |
| Labor subtotal | 102 hrs | $6,120 |
| Materials | ||
| SW Duration body paint, 14 gallons | $1,120 | |
| SW Resilience trim paint, 6 gallons | $510 | |
| SW Emerald enamel (door), 1 quart | $28 | |
| Primer + caulk + sundries | $320 | |
| Materials subtotal | $1,978 | |
| Direct cost | 102 hrs | $8,098 |
| Overhead + profit margin (21.5%) | +$1,742 | |
| Customer-facing total | $9,840 | |
Schedule: 12–14 working days, weather permitting. Power-wash on day 1, dry day, then prep through day 5. Paint phase days 6–12. Punch-list day 13–14. Payment: 10% deposit ($984), 40% at prep completion, 50% on final walkthrough. Warranty: 5 years on workmanship, manufacturer warranty on paint (SW Duration = 10 year).
What the homeowner is paying for, in plain English
Prep (46 hours, $2,760 in labor)
This is what makes the paint last 8 years instead of 3. Power-wash removes mildew and chalky residue; scraping removes loose paint; caulking seals moisture entry points; spot-priming locks down bare wood. A painter who skips any of these steps to lower a bid is selling you a 3-year repaint at 10-year prices.
Paint (56 hours, $3,360 in labor + $1,658 in materials)
Two coats of body paint (the navy) and two coats of trim paint (the cream). The hours include all the cut-in work around windows, fascia, and corners — the slow, careful brushwork that a sprayer can’t do. Premium paint (SW Duration) costs $80/gallon and lasts 10–15 years on Hardie siding; economy paint at $35/gallon would save $600 in materials but force a repaint at year 5.
Margin (21.5%, $1,742)
This is the painter’s overhead (insurance, vehicle, equipment depreciation, sales time, taxes) plus profit. 20–25% on exterior work is industry-standard. If a competing painter quotes the same job at $7,500, they’re either undercutting their own margin (won’t be in business next year) or skipping line items you’ll discover during the job.
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The same job at three quality tiers (so you can spot the cheap quote)
Tier 1: Premium ($9,840 above)
2-coat SW Duration / Resilience, 5-year workmanship warranty, full prep with spot-priming, fascia + soffits + door accent included.
Tier 2: Mid-tier ($7,400)
2-coat SW SuperPaint (one tier below Duration), 2-year workmanship warranty, light prep (power-wash only, no scraping), trim repaint, soffits skipped from scope. Same painter could quote this job either way — difference is what’s in writing about prep.
Tier 3: Low-bid ($5,200)
1-coat application (despite often advertised as 2-coat), economy paint ($35/gallon), no warranty in writing, prep limited to a rinse, trim quoted as “included” with no specifics. This is the quote you find someone left in your mailbox. It will look fine for 12–18 months and start failing by year 3.
Common mistakes painters make on exterior estimates
- Under-quoting prep hours. Almost every painter under-quotes prep on their first 20 exterior jobs. Use this estimate as a benchmark: 45% of total labor in prep is correct for moderate-condition homes.
- Forgetting weather contingency. Mid-Atlantic exterior season has 3–5 rain days in any 2-week window. Bake that into the schedule (12–14 working days for a 10-working-day job).
- Specifying “premium paint” without naming the product. Specify SW Duration, SW Emerald, BM Aura, or BM Regal Select — the actual product. “Premium” is ambiguous and gets downgraded silently.
- Not separating the front door from the body. Door accents need 3+ coats and are often a different color/sheen. Charge separately so the customer sees the value.
- Single-line warranty. “Warranty included” means nothing in court. Specify duration (5 years), what’s covered (workmanship), what isn’t (manufacturer paint failure, fading from UV, structural movement).
When this example stops being relevant to your job
This estimate fits 2,000–2,800 sq ft suburban homes in mid-cost markets. Adjust for: ranch homes (subtract 20–30% — no second story), three-story or large colonials (add 20–40%), high-cost markets like Bay Area / NYC / Boston (add 30–60%), low-cost markets like rural Midwest / Deep South (subtract 25–40%). For your specific job, PaintPricing’s free calculator applies regional and prep-condition multipliers automatically — you get a tailored version of this estimate in 4 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a 2,400 sq ft house exterior?
In 2026, a full exterior repaint on a 2,400 sq ft two-story home runs $7,500–$14,000 depending on prep condition, paint quality tier, and region. The example above is $9,840 for a mid-Atlantic mid-quality job with moderate prep. Add 30–60% for high-cost metros (LA, NYC, Bay Area); subtract 25–40% for rural markets.
What percentage of an exterior estimate should be prep?
40–50% of total labor hours should be prep on a moderate-condition exterior repaint. The example above shows 46 of 102 labor hours (45%) in prep. A bid showing less than 30% prep is either skipping necessary steps or hiding them in unspecified labor — in either case, ask for a written prep scope.
How many gallons of paint for a 2,400 sq ft exterior?
14–18 gallons of body paint plus 5–7 gallons of trim paint for a 2-coat exterior application on a 2,400 sq ft home. Coverage runs lower than interior because cement-board and rough surfaces consume more paint. Use 280 sq ft per gallon for exterior calculations, not the 350 sq ft printed on the can.
What’s the difference between Sherwin-Williams Duration and SuperPaint?
Duration is one tier higher than SuperPaint — thicker film build, 10-year warranty vs 7-year, $80/gal vs $60/gal. Duration is what professional painters use on Hardie siding and high-end exteriors. SuperPaint is fine for mid-grade jobs where the homeowner is cost-sensitive but still wants a brand-name product.
How long does an exterior painting job take?
10–14 working days for a 2,400 sq ft two-story, weather permitting. The example above shows 12–14 calendar days with weather contingency. Faster crews (4+ painters) can compress to 7–9 days; smaller crews (1–2 painters) extend to 18–20 days. Always pad for rain days — humid days delay paint application even when it’s not raining.
Should I get multiple quotes for an exterior repaint?
Yes — three is the right number. Fewer than three leaves you no way to triangulate fair pricing; more than three wastes time and confuses the decision. Compare prep scope first, paint product second, total price third. The cheapest quote is usually the one missing prep details.
What questions should I ask before signing an exterior estimate?
(1) How many hours of prep are quoted? (2) Exactly which paint product? (3) Does the price include power-washing? (4) What’s the warranty on workmanship in writing? (5) What happens to the schedule if it rains? Any painter who can’t answer all five in 60 seconds isn’t ready to bid your job.
How much deposit should I pay for an exterior painting job?
10–15% is industry-standard for residential exterior repaints over $5,000. The example above uses 10% ($984) on a $9,840 job. Anything above 25% is a red flag; many states cap legal deposits at 10% or $1,000. Progress payments (10% deposit, 40% mid-job, 50% on completion) are safer than a single large deposit.
Your version of this estimate, 4 minutes.
Walk your job, tap the surfaces, pick the paint product. PaintPricing builds the estimate with the same level of line-item detail you just saw — on your phone, in your customer’s driveway. Free to try.
Keep reading
Painting Estimate Example (overview) →
The hub page comparing how interior, exterior, and cabinet estimates differ.
Painting Estimate Template (all formats) →
The blank versions of the same documents these examples are filled in versions of.
Free Painting Estimate Calculator →
Generate your own version of these estimates in 4 minutes from your phone.
PaintPricing Lifetime Deal ($249) →
Unlimited branded proposals, one-time payment, first 50 painters only.
Cost to Paint a House (2026 ranges) →
Regional pricing benchmarks for full house repaints.
Exterior Painting Estimate Template →
The blank template for filling in your own exterior estimate.
How we source this data
Prices reflect 2026 U.S. averages. We combine contractor-reported rates, manufacturer spec sheets, and federal wage data, then cross-check against John Miller’s 15 years of field experience pricing residential and commercial jobs. Numbers are updated quarterly.
Primary sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics: Painters, Construction and Maintenance (2024)
- Sherwin-Williams product data sheets (Emerald, SuperPaint, Duration)
- Benjamin Moore technical data sheets (Aura, Regal Select, Ben)
- HomeAdvisor / Angi national cost reporting (2025 survey data)
- PaintPricing field data from licensed contractor John Miller (2010–2026)
- Sherwin-Williams — Duration and Resilience product data sheets
- James Hardie — ColorPlus paint recommendations for fiber-cement
2026 industry benchmarks for sanity-checking
Whether you’re writing the estimate or reading one, the numbers below are the 2026 industry baselines for U.S. residential painting. Use them to cross-check anything that feels off — on either side of the bid.
Pricing reference (mid-cost markets, 2026)
- Interior repaint, walls only: $1.50–$2.80 per sq ft (floor area), 2 coats.
- Interior repaint, walls + ceilings + trim: $3.00–$5.00 per sq ft.
- Exterior repaint, vinyl or Hardie siding, moderate prep: $3.00–$5.00 per sq ft.
- Cabinet painting (per door): $75–$110 per door, $35–$55 per drawer front.
- Deck staining: $2–$4 per sq ft including light cleaning and 1 coat.
- High-cost metros (LA, NYC, Bay Area, Boston, Seattle, DC): multiply above by 1.4–1.6x.
- Rural / low-cost regions (rural Midwest, Deep South): multiply by 0.70–0.85x.
Timeline reference (working days, 2-painter crew)
- Single room repaint: 1–2 working days.
- Interior whole-house, 1,500–2,000 sq ft: 4–6 working days.
- Exterior whole-house, 2-story 2,000 sq ft: 10–14 working days, weather permitting.
- Cabinet kitchen repaint (22 doors): 5–8 working days plus 5–7 days enamel cure.
Business-side benchmarks for painters
- Gross margin target: 30–50% on residential work, 25–35% on commercial.
- Loaded labor cost: 1.4–1.8× wage rate (covers payroll tax, workers comp, insurance, overhead).
- Material vs labor split: Materials are 15–25% of direct cost on interior, 20–30% on exterior.
- Standard deposit: 10–15% on residential under $3,000; phased progress payments on jobs over $5,000.
If a bid you’re looking at — whether you’re writing it or reading it — is more than 25% outside these ranges, dig into why. Either the scope is different than you think, or the painter is in a different cost environment, or someone’s math is off. Use PaintPricing’s free calculator to generate a tailored estimate against these benchmarks in about 4 minutes.
