Exterior House Painting Cost in Portland & Seattle

Your price depends on the home’s size, layout and number of stories, the condition of the siding and trim, how much prep the surfaces need, access, and the paint system you choose.

What Affects the Cost to Paint a House?

Six things move a painting quote up or down:

• Home size, layout and number of stories. Larger homes and homes with more stories cost more.
• Condition of the siding and trim. Older or weathered surfaces need more work before painting.
• Surface preparation and moisture remediation. Washing, scraping, sanding, caulking, priming and mildew treatment all add time.
• Paint quality, brand and product line. Premium paint costs more up front but lasts longer.
• Access and safety requirements. Hard⁠-⁠to⁠-⁠reach areas add to the job.
• Detail work. Trim, doors and other detailed areas take extra time.

How to Get an Accurate Painting Estimate

A price range is a good starting point, but an on⁠-⁠site inspection gives the most accurate price. A thorough estimate accounts for:

• Square footage
• Surface condition
• The primer and paint system
• Timeline and seasonal constraints
• Warranty coverage

You can book a free in⁠-⁠home estimate on our Portland exterior painting page or Seattle exterior painting page. Homze’s Vancouver, WA office serves the Portland⁠-⁠Vancouver metro area and its Kent, WA office serves the Seattle metro area, each within about 50 miles. Financing is available, including interest⁠-⁠free and deferred⁠-⁠payment options for well⁠-⁠qualified buyers, on approved credit.

Timing matters too. Exterior painting works best from late May through September, and summer schedules fill quickly, so see the best time to paint a house before you pick a start date.

Why Portland and Seattle Weather Adds Prep Work

Here’s how much rain each city gets, according to NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals:

• Portland: the airport averages about 37 inches of rain a year, and nearly 33 of those inches fall from October through May.
• Seattle: Sea⁠-⁠Tac Airport averages about 39 inches of rain a year, with November the wettest month at more than 6 inches and July the driest at about 0.6 inches.

That rain adds time at every stage of an exterior job:

• Projects have to line up with dry⁠-⁠weather windows.
• Surfaces need deeper cleaning before any paint goes on.
• Siding has to dry after it’s washed. Sherwin⁠-⁠Williams calls for at least 24 to 48 hours.
• Paint needs warm, dry conditions after it goes on, too. Sherwin⁠-⁠Williams wants the temperature in range and above the dew point for at least 48 hours after application.
• Longer drying times add labor hours.

Constant moisture also means many homes in both cities need extra priming, caulking and mildew treatment before painting can begin, and many Portland homes need extra sanding too. That prep adds labor, but skipping it is the most common reason paint fails early in the Pacific Northwest.

Is Premium Paint Worth It in Portland and Seattle?

Yes. Sherwin⁠-⁠Williams puts the life of an exterior paint job at 7 to 10 years, depending on climate, the surface and the quality of the paint, and says a high⁠-⁠quality paint like its Emerald Exterior line can stretch that. On a house that sees this much rain, paint that holds up to moisture is how you get to the long end of that range. Better paint is cheap insurance: most of what you pay for is the labor, so a coat that lasts longer pushes the next repaint further out.

Homze paints with premium Sherwin⁠-⁠Williams paint. To see how long paint lasts on each surface, read when to repaint your house.

Is Hiring a Professional House Painter Worth It?

For an exterior in Portland or Seattle, usually yes. Labor is most of the bill: Angi’s cost data for each city puts it at 80% to 95% of a professional exterior job, so painting it yourself does save money. What the labor buys you is moisture control:

• Moisture⁠-⁠resistant surface preparation
• Products chosen for Pacific Northwest weather
• Faster completion
• Lower risk of early paint failure

DIY exterior painting often ends in peeling, blistering or mold when moisture isn’t handled correctly, and a two⁠-⁠story wall means hours on a tall ladder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do You Need a Permit to Paint a House in Portland and Seattle?

No in Portland, and usually not in Seattle.

• Portland: no building permit is needed. The City of Portland lists painting buildings among home projects that don’t require one, though the work still has to follow the city’s zoning rules.
• Seattle: Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections lists painting or cleaning a building among projects that usually don’t require a permit, unless the property is in an environmentally critical area. Even without a permit, the work has to meet code.

What If Your House Was Built Before 1978?

Plan for lead⁠-⁠safe work. Federal EPA rules require firms that disturb lead⁠-⁠based paint in homes built before 1978 to be EPA or state certified and to use certified renovators who follow lead⁠-⁠safe work practices.

• Oregon: the Construction Contractors Board presumes homes built before 1978 have lead paint unless testing shows otherwise, and only contractors licensed for Lead⁠-⁠Based Paint Renovation can bid or work on those homes when the job disturbs more than 20 square feet of exterior paint.
• Washington: the Department of Commerce runs the state certification for anyone doing renovation, repair or painting on pre⁠-⁠1978 homes.

Tell us your home’s age when you book, and ask about lead⁠-⁠safe work at your free estimate.

How Long Does It Take to Paint a House Exterior?

Angi estimates that a professional crew can usually finish a house in three to four days, with extra time when the weather turns. The size of your home and the prep it needs set the real number, and you’ll get a clear timeline at your estimate.

How Many Coats of Paint Does a House Exterior Need?

Sherwin⁠-⁠Williams recommends two coats for the best results, with the first coat fully dry before the second goes on. Bare wood, brick or stucco gets a coat of exterior primer first.

Why Do Painting Quotes Vary Between Painters?

Bids often cover different work, and many are vague about what’s included. When Consumers’ Checkbook had painters in the Washington, DC area bid one job, painting the siding, soffits, fascia, trim, door frames and shutters of a two⁠-⁠story, 2,300 sq ft home, quotes ranged from $6,556 to $14,479. Ask every company for a detailed bid on the same written scope so you’re comparing like with like.

Does Exterior Painting Increase Home Value?

It’s one of the first things real estate agents suggest before a sale. In the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, painting the entire home topped the list of projects Realtors recommend sellers take on before selling, named by 50% of them.