For example, you will need to think about what kind of paint you plan on buying, the cost of labor, the size of your house, and so on. When you start to pile up all of these factors, the cost to paint a house exterior in Colorado may be more or less expensive than you thought.

Keep reading and learn more about how to save a bit of money when repainting your house and what factors you should consider when it comes to calculating the final cost.

How to Save Money When Repainting Your House

No matter how large or small your house might be, repainting the entire exterior of a house can be a big task. It can also be an expensive task. For that reason, before you buy any paint or hire any professional painters, you should know a few tips for how to save a bit of money during the painting process.

One of the first things you should know is that you shouldn't wait too long to repaint your house. As mentioned before, exterior house paint can last anywhere from 6 years to 15 years. Once the pain surpasses its lifespan, it will start to break down, peel, and chip. 

This might not seem like a big deal to you since the professionals should be able to paint right over it. But this might not be the case. If your house's paint is too damaged, your professional painters might have the scrape the paint off before they can put on a new coat. This will cost you even more money and time, so think ahead and repaint your house before the paint decays too much. 

To save a bit more money, you can try painting some of the exterior yourself. After all, there's nothing stopping you from painting some of the easier areas of the house such as around the doors and windows. However, while it will save you money when it comes to labor costs, doing this will take up a lot of time. 

If you have a busy schedule, this may not be the best idea for you. Also, professionals will be able to do a better job since they have more experience and the right tools. However, if you are on a tight budget, painting part of the house yourself can still be a good idea. 

Consider the Size of Your House

When it comes to the average cost to paint a house exterior, you will want to calculate the size of your house. The size of your home plays a large part in the final cost of the paint job. The larger the house is, the more you are going to pay. 

On average, you should expect to pay between $.50 and $3.50 per square foot when painting your house. The price will vary according to your exact location. Houses closer to the city tend to warrant more expensive services compared to houses that are out in the country. 

If you have a two-story house, you will likely have to pay up to 50% more. After all, professional painters will have twice as much surface area to work with. This is not to mention that painting the second story is more difficult than painting the first since the workers will require ladders and other tools to reach higher up. 

This is especially true if your house has any hard-to-reach areas. For example, it may be hard to reach some areas around the edges of the roof. If this is the case, the professional painters will need to make an extra effort and use different tools to make sure that these areas are painted over. 

If your house is small, the entire project may only cost you between $1,000 and $2,000. On the other hand, if your house is large or has a second story, you might have to pay several thousand dollars to have the entire house painted. While this may sound like a lot, keep in mind that by paying this amount, you don't have to do the labor yourself. 

This can save you plenty of time and stress.

Consider the Material of Your House’s Exterior

Not all houses have the same type of exterior. Some may be made out of vinyl siding while others may have metal siding or stucco. Whatever the case, the material of your house's exterior can play a big part in determining how much it will cost you to have the house painted.

Why might this be, you ask? Some house materials are easier (or harder) to paint than others. For example, wood and vinyl siding are not very porous and for that very reason, they are much easier to paint. 

That's because the professional painters won't have to use as many layers of paint to cover wood or vinyl siding. Painting siding of this type will save you a couple of dollars per square foot. Of course, if your house doesn't have wood or vinyl siding, there isn't much you can do about it.

What if your house's exterior consists of stucco or brick? The painters you hire will need to examine the type of stucco or brick you have because some types may be covered with paint easier than others. Usually, these materials need to be covered with a primer before the paint goes on. 

Otherwise, the paint would soak into the stucco or brick and the result would not look good. Because the painters will need to apply the primer to the house before the paint, this will cost you more because of the increased labor. But what if your house's exterior is made out of unusual material such as metal siding?

In this case, you should expect to pay more for the paint job because metal and other uncommon materials usually need special types of paint. Regular paint usually won't do the trick and won't stick well to metal.

Consider If Your House Needs Prep Work

As mentioned before, if you're looking to save money while painting your house, you will want to make sure that you don't wait too long to paint the house. Otherwise, the old house paint will start to peel and chip and the professional painters won't be able to paint right over it. But if your house's paint is already peeling and chipping, you will unfortunately need to pay for the extra cost of prep work before your house can get a new coat of paint.

Prep work can go beyond chipping paint. If the siding of your house is damaged in some way, you might need to have that siding replaced or repaired before the painters can go ahead and do their jobs. For example, if several pieces of siding have holes in them, you should go ahead and have those pieces repaired so your house can look as good as new even it will cost you extra.

This is also true for cracks in the siding. If your siding has some cracks, you should repair them before painting over them since the cracks will only get worse with age and can damage the new paint job. Prep work also can include power washing the exterior of your house and stripping away old paint. 

You can expect to pay anything from $.50 to $2.50 per square foot for stripping old paint off of your house. Power washing may be more expensive. But once all of this prep work is done, your house will be a clean canvas for the professionals to work on. 

Even if you don't think your home will need prep work, you should calculate it into your budget anyway. Your home may have damage that you don't even know about. 

Choosing the Right Kind of Paint

Not all paint is made equal and you will be able to see what for yourself when it comes to paint of different qualities. Many people make the mistake of choosing paint based on the price alone. This is not a good idea, especially if you care about how your house is going to look in a few years.

Low-quality paint may be cheap, but it isn't a great investment for several reasons. For one, cheap paint tends to be thinner than high-quality paint.

For that reason, the professional painters you hire will likely need to put on several layers of paint on your home's exterior before the result looks right. This will cost you a lot more money when it comes to labor even if you are saving money on the paint itself. 

At the end of the day, the costs will start to even out. More than that, low-quality paint doesn't last as long as good paint. After a few years, you might start to notice that the paint is starting to peel or chip in several places. 

That means you'll have to soon have your house repainted which will cost you even more money. For that reason, even though you might be saving money upfront with cheap paint, you will actually be spending more money in the long run. 

To save some real money, you will want to invest in more expensive paint. This doesn't mean that you should buy the most expensive paint you should find, but you should do some research and learn about the highest-quality paint brands you can afford. Expensive paint is thicker than cheap paint so your painters won't have to put as many layers on your house.

Expensive paint also tends to last and holds up against the elements. 

Choose the Right Professional Paint Contractors

Of course, besides the paint itself, much of your money is going to go to the labor of the professional painters you hire. Many people make the mistake of hiring the cheapest painters they possibly can to save some money, but this is a terrible idea. This is especially true if you want your freshly painted home to look good and withstand the test of time. 

When choosing the right painters, you will want to do plenty of research on the internet. Browsing the online customer reviews for different painting companies is often a good idea. They can give you a better idea of what kind of service and quality a given company might provide. 

For example, while a painting company might be affordable, you'll be able to tell from the customer reviews that the services the company provides aren't great. On the other hand, another painting company might be more expensive but you'll be able to see from the reviews that it provides reliable and high-quality services. 

You also shouldn't hesitate to compare quotes from different companies. For example, suppose that you've found two painting companies that you both like and you can decide between them. By comparing quotes, you'll be able to see which company can best accommodate your budget. 

As long as you do this research, you shouldn't have to put a hole in your finances when repainting your house with professional painters.

How Much Does It Cost to Paint a House?

How much does it cost to paint a house? It will depend on a variety of factors such as the size of the house, the paint you pick, whether or not your home needs prep work, and the painting company you hire. 

To learn more about home painting services, contact us here.