It may be overwhelming to think about how much it would cost to get your two-story house painted due to its nature. Complex faces and out-of-reach areas make it a challenging project to undertake.
This article gives a rough estimate of how much it will cost to paint a two-story house and the different circumstances that may alter the cost. For more in-depth cost analysis, consult with your contractor or reputable professionals.
So continue reading to delve deeper into answering the question, how much does it cost to paint a two-story house!
How to Estimate the Cost to Paint a Two-Story House
Since houses differ in design and size, you may want to narrow them down to a smaller price range. To do this, you will have to calculate the total paintable area and then multiply it by the price per square foot of the estimates given to get the final price.
First of all, the total size of your house doesn’t necessarily count in the estimates given in this article. When you calculate the size of your home, you should subtract the area you won’t paint to get your paintable surface.
It costs different to paint your house’s exterior and interior. Calculate the sizes and add them up, then subtract the area of windows, doors, and other surfaces you won’t paint.
For your house exterior, multiply the perimeter by the house’s height and subtract the area of the doors and windows. For your house interior, calculate the paintable surfaces of each room, then add them up.
A professional can give you a detailed quote for complex surfaces.
Factors Affecting the Cost
Houses are built in various designs, with different materials, serving different purposes.
A two-story house has a ground floor and another floor on top of it and is called a duplex house when a staircase connects the two.
It is generally more expensive to paint a two-story house since you have both the exterior and interior for double the size of the average home.
- DIY or professional job
The cost to paint a two-story house depends on whether you will do the work yourself or hire a professional. You may want to hire a professional to paint the exterior while you DIY the interior.
Painting a two-story house involves a lot of safety measures, and you may need to install scaffolding apart from ladders.
Labor costs are a substantial part of the final quote, eradicating these expenses through DIY painting. This doesn’t mean that DIY painting will be cheaper since you may spend equivalent labor costs to buy or hire equipment already offered by the professionals.
- The condition of the house
Before painting, cleaning and repairing any damaged surfaces in the house is necessary. The walls may also need to be primed to protect the paint layer from water damage that may have crept into the walls.
For exterior paint, the cost of paint removal ranges from $3 to $10 per square foot.
Removing lead paint from older homes costs between $8 and $16 per square foot.
- Material of the house
The painted surface determines the type, amount of paint, and method used. The house can be made of different materials, which cost different when painting.
Some of them include :
- Brick
Brick has a very porous surface that requires thicker masonry paint designed to fill in the pores with a few coats and save on paint. It costs about $1.50-$4.50 per square foot to paint.
A gallon of paint covers about 250 square feet, making it one of the most expensive materials to paint. Priming the surface will reduce the amount of paint used and help the paint adhere to the surface.
- Concrete
Like brick, concrete is porous and also requires priming. It costs about $2-$7 per square foot to paint, including a primer.
Most porous surfaces require more than one layer, and you should account for the double layers.
Equipment You’ll Need
The equipment you need will impact the cost of painting a two-story house. To reach upper portions of your property, you may need ladders and scaffolding; consider safety.
A Paint Sprayer
A paint sprayer is a handy tool that will save you lots of time, especially if you want to DIY paint your house. For hired painters, they may include the cost within their estimate for the period they’ll be working.
Painting a two-story house involves painting many surfaces that may be made quicker and more accessible using a paint sprayer.
There are two types of paint sprayers that vary in size and capabilities. Generally, bigger paint sprayers have a more extensive application surface and can be used for large walls, while smaller paint sprayers can be used when detailing.
Sometimes it may be cheaper to buy one instead of renting one.
Before getting one, figure out how long it would take to paint your house and how much the rates are. You may also account for common paint sprayer problems such as clogging or cleaning.
Once this is done, calculate the cost of renting one vs. buying one for the period you’ll be painting. After that, determine whether buying or renting one is cheaper.
Hiring a paint sprayer is about $40-$100 per day. This price varies from place to place; some may require a deposit, while others may not even have a rental service.
For high-end versions, paint sprayers cost about $50 to more than $300.
The Cost to Paint the Exterior of a Two-Story House
The cost to paint a two-story house exterior varies with the project’s complexity, with houses having limited accessibility costing more.
The exterior of the house includes:
- The trim/baseboards ($1-$3 per linear foot)
- The fascia and soffits ($2.45-$4.85)
- Shutters ($50-$70 per shutter)
- Gutters and downspouts ($1.66-$3.36 per linear foot)
These estimates vary according to material, size, type of paint, and labor input.
The cost of paint and primer
Exterior and interior paints have distinct formulations. They cost more and have more pigment and binders to last outside.
Flat or matte, semigloss, and gloss are available in solvent- or water-thinned compositions.
You should use latex over latex and oil-based over oil-based. Oil-based paints are tougher, take longer to cure, and require cleaning solvents.
| Paint Type | Description | Cost |
| Oil-based paint | They cover more and endure longer but are more prone to cracking. | $20-$70 per gallon |
| Latex paint | These are eco-friendly and easy to apply on wooden surfaces like siding. | $20-$50 per gallon |
| Acrylic latex paint | Are lovely for vinyl and other shiny surfaces. | $20-$50 per gallon |
Mineral solvents are $15 per gallon, and mineral spirits are $8. Mineral solvents cost $10 per gallon, but odorless ones cost $15.
Use high-quality exterior paint to provide a durable finish and go longer between painting jobs. Look for paints with lots of binders and pigments for the best quality and color.
You should always prime permeable surfaces like brick and concrete because the paint will stick more evenly to the surface and use less paint overall.
If you’re using oil-based paint, utilize oil-based primers.
| Primer | Price per gallon |
| Oil-based primer | $20-$50 |
| Latex primer | $20-$80 |
| Shellac primer | $20-$60 |
The cost of painting different materials
Different exterior materials demand different paint kinds. These materials cost per square foot to paint.
- Wood: $1-$3
- Brick: $1.50-$4.50
- Vinyl: $1.25-$4.30
Trim costs 1 gallon every 6 gallons of wall paint. This can be computed with the window, door, and shutter areas, costing $1-$4 per linear foot.
Painting gutters cost $0.5-$0.7 per foot. A linear foot is identical to a square foot, so 60 linear feet = 60 square feet.
How Much Does it Cost to Paint a Two-Story House:
The house interior of a duplex house has a staircase that may have railings that have to be painted. If it is made of wood, it may be painted with varnish to preserve the natural look but give it a shine.
It is not easy to estimate the cost of painting a house’s interior because of many factors that come into play. It costs between $1.50 and $4.00 and between $3 and $6 if you add the ceiling and the trim.
More than half of this expense is due to labor, and if you decide to paint your house yourself, you’ll likely spend the same amount on tools and materials.
The cost of paint and primer
Designer brands can cost as much as $100 per gallon for a gallon of paint covering 400 square feet. As a result, you’ll have a better idea of how much paint you’ll need by knowing how much surface area you’ll be painting.
If you want to paint 1600 square feet, you need 4 gallons of paint. Between $60 and $180, one coat of paint can be purchased, but two coats of paint can cost between $120 and $360.
If you’re painting over porous material like brick or concrete, you’ll want to prime the walls first. Adding a primer to the walls ensures that the paint will seamlessly adhere and last for an extended period.
Pores in the paint will trap air bubbles, then expand and contract in response to temperature fluctuations, ruining the paintwork. They also absorb more paint due to their uneven surface, resulting in higher paint costs.
About 10–20 dollars per gallon, a gallon of primer can cover 200–300 square feet of the surface. A single layer of priming will cost between $80 and $160 for a 1600-square-foot surface that can be painted, and a double coat will cost twice as much.
There are a variety of paint brands, each with a unique recipe for its finish. For the most part, glossy-finish paints are more expensive than flat or matte paints.
In terms of price, flat is $10-$93; satin is $11-$70; semi-gloss is $11-$68; and high gloss is $17 – $71.
Cost to Paint a Two-Story House: Our Top Four Tips to Help You Save Money
Painting can be expensive but is necessary to make your house look good and last. However, you don’t have to clear out your wallet, as there are tips and tricks to try to get the job without breaking the bank.
- Get multiple estimates
There are tons of contractors out there offering the same job for different prices. Expensive and cheap contractors may do a good job, but the difference comes in the quality of the finish.
Finding the right balance between cheap, expensive, and a professionally executed job can be tricky. When hiring a contractor :
- Ask around for referrals
- Get feedback from previous clients
- Get a licensed contractor
- Get an insured contractor
After this, narrow down your list to a handful of contractors and choose your suitable one.
- Chip into the prep work
You can save a little cash here and there by doing the prep work yourself, even before bringing in the professionals. This includes cleaning, clearing furniture, items from the rooms, and other pre-painting activities.
- DIY where you can
Your line may be drawn when painting the exterior of your house and large rooms, but you’re capable of painting other smaller rooms. Take this into your capable hands and paint away!
- Ask for help
When you choose to DIY paint, you will find a spotter for your ladders and other equipment handy. Get some friends and family to help you when painting but remember to follow the safety measures to ensure no accidents occur.
You can also hire a handyperson with experience and save up on a lot. Look at this situation:
Your neighbor is experienced with painting and charges $23 an hour to paint 1600 paintable square feet and may take 42 hours to complete the job; you would then end up spending $966 on labor. Hiring a professional may cost around $1-$4 per square foot and about $1600-$6400, so you can see the massive savings on labor costs.
