How Much Does It Cost to Stain a Brick Exterior? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $1,200 - $10,000
Brick staining costs an average of $4,200, but prices can vary dramatically based largely on the size and height of your home and the condition and color of the bricks.
Are you looking at giving your brick facade a facelift? Freshening up your brickwork is a relatively easy way to make a tremendous transformation and increase your home’s curb appeal. And, unlike painting, it retains the natural integrity of your home’s frontage and lets the brick breathe. Exterior brick staining costs an average of $1,200 to $10,000 and ranges from $1 to $4 per square foot.
How much you spend depends on whether you go the DIY route or not, the size of your home, and the condition of the brickwork.
- Average
- $4,200
- Low end
- $900
- high end
- $12,500
How Much Does It Cost to Stain Exterior Brick per Square Foot?
Expect to pay an average of $2.50 per square foot to stain brick, including labor and materials. Typically, prices range from $1 to $4 per square foot, depending on the stain quality, brick condition, and exterior accessibility.
Staining Exterior Brick Cost Breakdown
Labor and materials are the key costs when staining your home’s exterior brick, but the quality of the product and how much work you do yourself influence the amount you spend on the project.
Materials
If you’re only staining a limited section of your home’s exterior, you might want to opt for a smaller can, but, for full exterior jobs, you’ll make savings when you buy bigger buckets. Brick stain typically costs between $30 and $60 per gallon and $130 to $170 per 5-gallon bucket.
If you're tackling the job yourself, you might also have to invest in some basic tools. Sprayers cost upwards of $100. And, if you don’t already have them, you’ll need things like drop cloths, caulk, buckets, brushes, masking tape, sandpaper, scrapers, and a ladder. You may need to add another $200 or more to your budget.
Labor
If you hire an exterior painting contractor near you to complete the job, you’ll also have to factor in their labor costs. Typically, these range from $40 to $80 per hour (not including the cost of the materials).
Brick Staining Cost Factors
The key element impacting how much you’ll pay for an exterior brick staining job is the size of your house, but there are several other important factors worth considering when evaluating costs.
Accessibility
Two- or three-story houses are trickier to stain than large bungalows. Expect a 25% to 50% labor price increase per additional story.
Condition of Brickwork
Labor costs increase when there's a lot of prep work for contractors (sometimes as much as doubling the price). DIYing non-technical prep work helps you make savings. Applying the stain to clean brickwork that’s free of debris, mold, or efflorescence ensures effective adherence.
If there is any significant damage or repointing is required, it makes sense to do these brick maintenance and repair jobs in advance to protect the integrity and longevity of the exterior. For complex repairs, you may need to hire a local masonry contractor.
Permits
For multi-story houses requiring scaffolding to complete the job, you may need to apply and pay for a permit. Regulations vary by local authority, so always check this in advance. They typically cost between $100 and $300.
Stain Used
Choosing a commonly available stain from your local hardware store can help keep costs low. But if your vision board requires something more custom or more than the average number of coats to achieve the desired look, be prepared to pay more. The most commonly used brick stain colors are brown, black, and red.
Application Technique
Most of the time, pros apply the stain using a sprayer. It’s a quick, easy method that provides even coverage. Sometimes, you may want to stain the brick but not the grout for a specific type of finish. This requires application using a brush, which is much more time-consuming and can cost more than double that of applying with a sprayer.
Cost to Stain vs. Paint Brick
Staining brick is cheaper than painting. The difference in price between staining and painting brick is small, but every dollar counts, especially if you’re tackling a large project. As noted, staining brick costs $1 to $4 per square foot, compared to $1.50 to $4.50 per square foot for painting.
Staining saves money in the long run, too, as it lasts much longer than paint. Instead of paying to repaint the brick in 3 to 5 years, stain can last for a couple of decades. Finally, brick itself lasts longer when stained, meaning there will be fewer repair costs as time goes on.
Cost to Stain Exterior Brick Yourself
If you're a savvy DIYer, you can save by staining exterior brickwork yourself (even if you have to purchase a sprayer and other application and cleanup tools)—hiring labor adds 50% or more to your project costs.
To avoid a DIY disaster and achieve an even, complete coverage, be thorough with the prep work and be ready to apply several coats because of the brick's porous nature. Safe ladder access is challenging in some homes, too. You might decide that hiring a local exterior painting contractor is a worthwhile investment to save time and stress.
How to Save on the Cost to Stain a Brick Exterior
The pros might charge less if you do the prep work yourself. So crack out the bucket of soapy water and scrubbing brush (or the power washer, if you have one) to clean the brickwork before staining.
Another way to help save money during your brick staining project is to buy the stain in bulk if it makes sense. This can be especially helpful if you have more than one brick staining project lined up, say for example your home's exterior and brick pavers. While it might be cumbersome to store this much stain, you might get a better deal upfront if you buy a larger volume.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to costquotes@angi.com. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Exterior brick stain can last between 10 and 20 years, on average. A number of factors can impact the longevity of the stain though, including your location and climate. Other factors like the condition of your brick, the quality of stain you choose, and the overall stain type can also alter how long your bricks look new.
Yes, brick should be clean before staining to ensure the best results. Dirt, dust, mold, mildew, and other substances on the brick can prevent the stain from properly adhering to it. Thoroughly cleaning the brick allows the stain to penetrate and bond to the surface more effectively. Cleaning typically involves using a pressure washer or a stiff brush with mild detergent. However, stubborn residue may require a specialized masonry cleaner.
One of the biggest advantages of staining is that it lets the bricks breathe. It soaks into the surface rather than sitting on top and sealing in moisture as paint can. Plus, paint doesn’t last as long and chips and peels (rather than just fading) as it ages, and it doesn’t show off the brick’s natural textures like a stain does.
However, you can't stain over bricks that already have a sealant, and removing it can be a challenge, and it often needs more coat applications than paint to achieve an even finish.
You can turn a red brick white through a process called whitewashing. Whitewash isn’t a stain but rather is made from water and white latex paint. Adding more water to the mix will make the solution look lighter when applied, and adding more paint will make it look more white.