Painting vinyl siding costs $4,000 for a 2,000-square-foot home, but can range from $300 to $30,000 when you include repairs and siding replacement.
Whether you’re hoping to sell your home or just want to give the exterior an upgrade, a coat of new paint can turn even the shabbiest vinyl siding into a quaint abode. When budgeting for painting vinyl siding, anticipate spending anywhere between $300 and $10,000 or $4,000 on average. Learn more about the factors that affect the cost to paint vinyl siding and explore ways you can save on your project with this guide.
Exactly how much you’ll spend to paint vinyl siding depends on several cost factors, including the size of your project, materials, labor, prep work, and even the location of your siding. Here’s what you need to know to get a good estimate of your expenses.
The more area you need to paint, the more it will cost because of the required paint and labor. For materials alone, painting an average 2,000-square-foot home with vinyl siding costs between $150 and $500 per coat. A smaller, 1,500-square-foot home costs between $120 and $375, while a larger, 2,500-square-foot home costs between $200 and $625 per coat. Add in the hourly cost of labor at $60 to $100 per hour, and it adds up quickly.
A gallon of 100% acrylic exterior paint costs between $20 and $80 on average and covers roughly 400 square feet of surface area. However, you’ll need to factor in the cost of two coats of paint.
You may also need a primer if your existing vinyl siding has a bright-colored paint, it’s never been painted before, or the surface contains many dips and grooves. Primer costs between $10 and $20 per gallon.
If you have a 2,000-square-foot home, you’ll need 5 gallons of paint per coat or $100 to $400 in paint and $50 to $100 in primer. For two coats of paint and primer, the total cost of materials will fall somewhere between $300 and $1,000.
Hiring a local exterior painter costs between $60 and $100 per hour or $500 to $2,400 for a standard project lasting two to three days, for four to eight hours per day. Ask a handful of painting companies for a quote to determine local going rates.
A good paint job requires the right preparation. You could spend anywhere from $8 to $17 per square foot to strip old paint and prepare the surface for a fresh coat.
Siding that’s more difficult to access will take longer to paint, hiking up prices if you hire a professional who charges by the hour. Two-level homes, homes with stairs, and siding near downspouts or light fixtures could add up to an extra hour or two of labor or $120 to $200 more.
Before you take out your paintbrushes, consider the additional expenses that can increase your budget, including maintenance, repairs, and replacement costs.
Vinyl siding is high-maintenance. It needs a new coat of paint every five to 10 years, so you unfortunately won’t be able to paint it once and leave it until the end of time. If you’re touching up vinyl siding, you likely won’t need primer, so you’ll save on the costs of the touchup. Still, anticipate dishing out another $4,000 to repaint your vinyl siding in the future.
Vinyl siding may need repairing over time. Repairing small holes in vinyl siding costs between $50 and $100 to have a local siding repair company do the job. If you go the DIY route, you’ll spend between $10 and $25 on materials.
Replacing vinyl siding costs between $3,000 and $30,000. Whether or not you can paint vinyl siding or need to replace it depends on the age and condition of the material. The average lifespan of vinyl is between 20 and 40 years. You’ll want to replace old vinyl siding before you paint it, or you’ll risk wasting all that hard work and cash when you need to tear it down sooner rather than later.
The total cost of paint and primer is between $300 and $1,000, but you’ll also need to consider the cost of your tools and equipment. If you already have everything you need to paint vinyl siding, you could spend only $300 on materials and call it a day. If you don’t have essential painting tools and equipment, you’ll need to factor in these additional costs.
Below are some of the most common tools and their associated costs.
| Required Material | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Ladder | $150 |
| Paintbrushes | $10 |
| Paint roller | $10 |
| Roller extension pole | $15 |
| Buckets | $5 |
| Paint tray | $10 |
| Painter’s tape | $10 |
You’ll spend around $200 for all new tools, making the total for materials and tools between $500 and $1,200.
DIYing your vinyl siding paint project can save you buckets of money. It costs just $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot to DIY, compared to $1 to $3 if you hire a pro. In other words, you’ll cut costs in half if you do it yourself. But painting vinyl siding on your own is a time-consuming and laborious process.
Hiring a professional exterior painter near you costs between $60 and $100 per hour—not including the paint itself or any additional painters on the team. Most paint jobs take between four and eight hours to complete per coat, so while you’ll save in energy if you hire a contractor, you’ll pay an extra $500 to $2,400 in labor at a minimum.
It might make sense to paint your home’s vinyl siding yourself if you want to save money, have the tools on hand, and want a good workout. On the other hand, if you have concerns about ladder safety, don’t have the tools on hand, and don’t feel confident in your painting skills, you’ll want to work with a local painter.
If you decide to work with a painting pro to paint your vinyl siding, they may have related services worth considering. Most painters can help you with other painting projects around your home, be it painting your doors, window trim, shutters, brick, wood fencing, or interior. Below are some add-ons to keep in mind when painting vinyl siding.
Cost to paint garage door: $120–$500
Cost to paint a fence: $750–$4,250
Interior home paint cost: $950–$3,000
Cost to paint shutters: $125–$600
Cost to paint brick: $3,500–$10,500
You don’t have to be frugal to want to find ways to save on the cost of painting vinyl siding. With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to shaving off some unnecessary expenses for your project to save for your next home makeover.
DIY your painting project.
Borrow a ladder and other painting tools and equipment from friends or family.
Choose high-quality paint to avoid needing to do frequent, costly touch-ups.
Use an all-in-one paint and primer on previously painted vinyl surfaces to reduce the overall painting time.
Derek Rose contributed to this article.
You can save a lot of time by keeping your existing vinyl siding and giving it a new coat of paint. Replacing vinyl siding costs between $3,000 and $30,000—a steep increase from painting your vinyl siding, which costs around $4,000 on average. However, if the vinyl siding is in very poor condition—showing signs of leaks, rot, and cracks that can’t be repaired, you should replace the old vinyl siding.
Considering the large surface area involved when painting vinyl siding, it’s best to use a sprayer. You’ll save time and energy, and the paint coating will be more even and thorough than with a brush. It’s possible to paint vinyl siding with a brush, but brushes are more useful for touch-ups than the entire project. A paint sprayer can restore or change your house’s appearance faster and cheaper than by replacing the siding.
Painted vinyl siding can last between five and 10 years on average. The biggest factors in determining how long paint lasts on vinyl siding include how well the surface was prepared and the climate. Vinyl siding that’s constantly exposed to scorching heat will have a shorter lifespan than vinyl siding in cooler climates.
