How much does it cost to paint a house in Los Angeles? That’s a question we hear regularly, and fortunately, it’s pretty straightforward to answer. Painting a house is a relatively simple ‘remodeling’ project….it’s cost-effective, very impactful, and it typically only takes 3-7 days to paint a house. Whether your paint is peeling or fading, or you’re just tired of peach walls, the cost of painting your home is well worth the impact it will make.
Here at GreatBuildz, a free service that connects homeowners in Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura or San Diego with reliable painters, we speak to homeowners every day about whole house painting costs – here are some average costs to get you started.
How Much Does It Cost to Paint the Outside/Exterior of My Home?
The average cost to paint the exterior of a home in Los Angeles is approximately $4 to $6 per square foot; consequently, a 2,500-square-foot home would cost between $10,000 and $15,000. The expense of painting the interior and exterior of a property is comparable.
There is more labor involved in moving furniture and painting more surface area on the interior (all the walls and ceilings). However, exterior painting may require more work time and ladders. In addition, exterior paint is more expensive because it must resist the environment.
Costs associated with exterior painting include personnel, power-washing the walls, prepping and taping off areas such as windows, any necessary scaffolding, any stucco or wood crack/gap repairs, caulking areas, the paint itself, and other tools & materials. Therefore, if your home’s exterior hasn’t been painted or maintained in a long time, the repairs and prep work will take longer and cost more.
The following factors increase the cost to paint the outside of your home:
- Two or three-story homes
- Difficult to access regions on the outside of the house
- Lots of repair or replacement of the wood trim
- Wood siding or a material that takes a lot of sanding before painting
- Multiple coats of paint
- Additional areas that must be painted, such as fascia, casing, trim, doors, etc.
How Much Does it Cost to Paint the Inside/Interior of My Home?
The cost to paint the interior of a typical Los Angeles home costs $3 to $5 per square foot. The overall cost to paint a 2,500-square-foot home would run between $7,500 and $12,500. Obviously, every home is unique, therefore the cost of each painting project will be based on its specific requirements. The majority of the expense of painting is labor, therefore the longer your project takes, the more it will cost. The paint itself is usually not a significant part of the cost.
The cost of painting a house includes moving and covering furniture, covering and taping off sections such as windows, washing or sanding walls, repairing drywall cracks or holes, caulking certain places, priming, painting, and lastly cleaning up. If any of these tasks need additional time or effort to complete, the total cost of your painting job could be greater than the average price.
The following factors increase the cost of an interior painting job:
- Excessive wall preparation and repair requirements
- Multiple paint layers (ex. to cover an existing dark color on the walls)
- High ceilings or inaccessible locations
- High labor costs when painters and painting firms are busy.
- Use of a premium paint brand.
- Difficult property access (ex. hillside, narrow streets, etc)
How To Reduce the Cost to Paint Your Home in Los Angeles?
One way to save money when painting a whole house is doing some of the prep work yourself, especially for an interior home paint project. For example, you can start removing all the items on the walls like artwork and photos. You could also start moving furniture away from the walls, which will save the painters labor time and cost. Although it’s not always an easy task, removing wallpaper or anything stuck to the walls will also reduce your costs.
If you have the expertise, or can learn it via a YouTube video, etc., you can save costs on interior house painting costs by filling and patching any holes in your walls from nails, screws, and other picture hanging hardware. If the hole is relatively small, it’s easy enough to patch it using pre-mixed drywall compound you can buy at a hardware store. It literally takes a fingertip of this compound to fill the hole.
If you want to reduce the cost to paint your whole house exterior, one way to do so is to make it as easy as possible for the painters to access all areas of the home. If you have any items stored along the outside of your home (say in your sideyard or backyard), those will need to be moved in order to provide your painter access.
If you move these items yourself, that will save the painter time and therefore costs. Additionally, if you have any trees or plants that are growing against the exterior walls of your home, those are likely to impede the painter’s access, so you’ll save costs by trimming these or having your gardener do it.
Related: 10 Ways to Renovate on a Budget
Home Painting FAQs
- How long does painting a house take?
- It takes three to seven days to paint a house.
- In California, is a painting contractor required to have a license?
- A painter in California must hold a CSLB C-33 painting and decorating license
- Do I require a permit to paint my house?
- In most instances, a city permit is not required for home painting.
- What steps are involved in painting a house?
- The process involved in home painting is: making any necessary repairs, washing and preparing the walls, applying primer, and then typically a few coats of paint.
- How does one tell when it is time to repaint a home?
- When you notice cracking or peeling paint, when the paint is fading, or if you desire a fresh hue, it is time to repaint your home.
- How can I save money when painting my home?
- Anything that you can prepare for the painters that will make the space easier to navigate can reduce the cost to paint your home. For example, if you move your furniture away from the walls and remove any artwork, your painter may save you time and money.
- Is painting an expensive component of having my home painted?
- No, painting is a minimal expense when painting a home.
- What factors affect the price of house painting?
- The labor to prepare and paint the home is the most expensive aspect of painting, followed by the materials and paint.
- What’s the best time to paint my house?
- An exterior paint job requires dry, warmer weather, so spring or summer are the best times to paint the exterior of your home. You can paint the interior any time of year.
Related: Green Remodeling Tips for an Eco-Friendly Home
Trying to Find a Good Painter in Los Angeles?
In order to find a good painter, requesting recommendations from reliable acquaintances, neighbors, and coworkers is a solid starting point. You should only follow the suggestions of “real world” friends when seeking advice on social media. People you do not know tend to be biased, such as promoting their friend’s painting business.
Consider working with a company like GreatBuildz that performs thorough painter screening and provides personalized introductions to reputable Los Angeles and SoCal painters. It is not wise to randomly select a painting service from an advertisement in junk mail or a door flyer.
You should plan on meeting with a few different painting companies to get an accurate cost to paint your whole house. If you’re planning to do both interior and exterior paint, the combined price might be a bit lower as the painter should give you a discount for doing it all at the same time. If the painting bids you get aren’t in line with the average pricing I described above, you should request an explanation for the higher costs.
When it comes to finding the best painting contractor for your project – GreatBuildz is simplifying the contractor search. GreatBuildz is a free service that connects homeowners in Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura & San Diego with reliable, thoroughly screened contractors and provides project support from start to finish.
Call now (818.317.3567) to chat with a real person about your roofing replacement project or visit our website for more information: www.greatbuildz.com
