The average cost to paint a brick house ranges from $3,500 to $10,500, with a national average of $7,000. Besides your home's size, the type of paint finish impacts price the most.
A new coat of paint can majorly refresh your brick home, boosting curb appeal and protecting your brick from damage. On average, painting a home’s brick exterior ranges from $3,500 to $10,500. This guide explains how the cost can vary based on where you live, the finish you choose, house size, and more.
The price you’ll pay to paint your brick house varies depending on where you live. Costs for exterior painting materials, labor, and equipment each vary by state and city. For instance, in Hawaii, it can cost as much as $13,000 to paint a brick home, whereas the high-end to do the same project in Tennessee is around $8,000.
The costs to paint a brick house break down into three categories: materials, labor, and pressure washing.
To paint a brick house, you’ll need a gallon each of primer and paint for every 250 square feet. Primer costs $7 to $15 per gallon, while paint averages from $30 to $70 for a gallon. For a 2,500-square-foot home, this means you’ll spend $370 to $850 total for primer and paint. Other painting supplies, including trays, brushes, tape, drop cloths, and caulk will cost another $100 if you plan to DIY.
Before you head to the store, it’s a good idea to know which brick stain colors and paint colors you’re most interested in. Your actual costs will vary depending on the paint type and brand you decide to go with.
Professional labor to paint a brick house ranges from $150 to $350 per hour, though this varies between contractors. Labor encompasses planning, preparation, the removal of any existing paint, caulking of edges and gaps, setup, and cleanup.
Your painting contractor will also likely need to pressure wash the exterior before painting. Expect an additional charge of $35 to $100 to have this service done professionally.
When painting a brick exterior, you can choose from a unique range of finish options to help your house look its best.
A standard paint coating for brick will cost an average of $7,000. Keep in mind that painted brick will fade over time and become susceptible to chipping. Experts recommend repainting your brick house about every seven to 10 years.
Whitewashed brick is a popular trend that gives your home exterior a rustic or vintage look. By applying diluted white paint to the brick, you really let the material’s texture show through. Costs for whitewashing a 2,500-square-foot brick house range from $2,225 to $4,000.
You might choose to go for a limewashed brick facade. This technique involves adding a thin layer of chalky, bright white, or tinted paint made with water, hydrated masonry lime, and salt to the brick facade. With this method, some even make the stylistic choice to leave some of the original brick exposed. The average cost to limewash a brick house is $2,000.
German Schmear costs $1,500 to $3,000 and involves adding a white wash to your dark-colored brick. This option can be great for DIYers that have the time to devote to the project. Note that you can’t do German schmear on painted or varnished brick.
You can expect to pay $1.40 to $4.20 per square foot to paint a brick home. This comes out to a range of between $3,500 and $10,500 for 2,500 square feet of brick exterior, or about $7,000 on average.
| House Size | Cost to Paint Brick Siding |
|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | $1,400 – $4,200 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $2,100 – $6,300 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $2,800 – $8,400 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $3,500 – $10,500 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $4,200 – $12,600 |
| 3,500 sq ft | $4,900 – $14,700 |
Prices could also depend on how many coats of paint a house needs. In most cases, you can expect to pay your painting contractor a 20% to 30% deposit upfront, although when to pay a painter varies by company.
As previously mentioned, the average cost to paint a brick house is $3,500 to $10,500, with a national average of $7,000. Staining brick exterior costs $1,200 to $10,000 on average or $1 to $4 per square foot. In other words, painting may be slightly more expensive, but costs will vary by location so you may find staining cheaper where you live. The condition of the brickwork and the size of your home, among other factors, will affect the cost of either job.
Painting a brick house yourself can save you a few hundred or even a couple thousand dollars in labor fees, but you’ll still have to pay for tools and materials. Keep in mind, DIY exterior house painting costs include several days of your time and working at dangerous heights. Even if you recruit a few volunteers to help, the job may take three to four days for a medium-sized home or a week for a larger home without weather delays.
Since you don’t want to paint a dirty exterior, one of your first costs will be cleaning materials. For a smooth application, you’ll need to sufficiently clean the brick with a pressure washer, which can cost about $40 per day to rent. If you purchase a pressure washer, costs typically range from $100 to $380.
You’ll pay $370 to $850 on primer and paint for a 2,500-square-foot home. To apply the paint to your brick house, you’ll also need a paint sprayer. This can cost about $430 per week to rent. If you don’t already own a ladder or scaffold, these cost $130 to $160 per item to rent.
And while you’re at it, you might even go ahead and tackle other painting projects around the house. For example, it might be worth your time to repaint your deck. The cost to paint a deck is $2 to $5 per square foot.
If you want your home to look its best, consider hiring a painting contractor. It can cost about the same to hire a pro because they already have the proper training and necessary equipment to do a quality job with longer-lasting results.
Painting the house yourself likely won’t save you money on materials. Professional painters buy paint in bulk and usually get a better rate from suppliers. If you hire a professional exterior painter near you, the $1.40 to $4.20 per square foot average rate includes not only labor, but material costs as well.
Nick P. Cellucci and Lawrence Bonk contributed to this article.
In most cases, painting your brick house is a fine idea that can open up new aesthetic possibilities. However, the paint can slightly shorten the life span of brick, especially if moisture gets trapped underneath the paint layer. Once you paint, you’ll have to keep up with maintenance to avoid flaking and blisters.
Spraying is much faster but may not penetrate the bricks beyond a surface layer. Rolling penetrates the bricks but doesn’t work as well on the mortar. A combination of painting and rolling is your best bet. Using a brush to paint brick isn’t advised because it is time-consuming and won’t penetrate beyond the surface.
There are tons of paint colors to choose from for your brick house, but here are some great choices you should consider. Different shades of white can add a modern vibe. Instead of a bright white, try off-white or cream-white.
If you’re not into the idea of a white house, then you might go the opposite route and go with a matte black tone. Black painted brick houses have their own contemporary aesthetic that might fit your vision.
Additionally, some great barndominium colors include gray, blue, and sage green.
