How Much Does It Cost To Paint Aluminum Siding? (2023 Estimates)

How Much Does It Cost To Paint Aluminum Siding?

If you're looking to repaint your aluminum siding with a fresh coat of paint and you're wondering how much you can expect to pay, it's truthfully going to depend on a variety of factors.

For example, if your current siding is worse for wear and has a bunch of grime on it or cracks, you'll need to get to scrubbing and make sure you use caulk to seal up cracks and then do a thorough power wash to prepare the surface for paint.

Obviously, different siding materials age differently and therefore require different levels of prep work.

But, even though aluminum siding doesn't age as poorly as wood siding, it still has it's share of problems.

House painting is not a simple task, especially if you're not a skilled painter or home improvement master. But, there are still ways to save money on repainting your aluminum siding.

In this article, I'm going to break down some of the costs you can expect to run into during this painting project and give you a few cost estimates for the DIY approach as well as estimates for hiring a professional painter to do it for you.

The shortest answer I can give you here is that - according to HomeAdvisor - painting aluminum siding can cost between $1 to $3 per sq ft. 

And when you compare that with a full siding replacement job done by professional contractors, repainting the siding will save you more than 50% of your money if you can extend its life a few years. 

Here are a few price estimates based on the average two-story home sizes:

National Average Cost for a Professional Repaint of a 2,500 sq ft. home: $5,500

DIY High-End Cost: $1,500

DIY Low-End Cost: $775

Professional High-End Cost: $8,500

Professional Low-End Cost: $2,500

But, these numbers - as you can see - vary a lot and in order to estimate the overall costs for your home, you need to take into consideration all the factors that determine the project costs.

Let's break those down a bit further below!

Average Cost To Paint Aluminum Siding If You Do It Yourself?

If you're handy and have a decent grasp on home improvement projects, giving your siding a new look without breaking the bank, painting your siding yourself can drive down the overall paint cost dramatically!

But, before you get your paint supplies together, make sure you consider all the things that this painting job might entail.

For example, while repainting your existing siding is much less expensive than paying for new aluminum siding (and usually paying for professional new siding installation), there are other aspects of this project that can drive up costs. This can include things like power washing, caulking, 

Supply Costs

There are several key painting supplies you'll need to get this job done properly.

Below, I'll break them down in an itemized list so you can total up the supplies you'll need and get a more precise idea of the supply and paint costs you'll incur if you decide to DIY this paint job:

• Drop Cloths (2 packs at least) - $22
• Painter's Masking Tape (2 rolls) - $15
• Paint Sprayer - $55
• Power Washer (Rental) - $40/day
  
• Paint Tray - $6
• Paint Brushes (For Detailing) - $10
• Disposable Painter's Masks - $20 
• Disposable Painting Gloves - $8
• Safety Goggles - $12
• 1 Gallon of High-Quality Acrylic Latex Exterior Paint - $65
• 1 Gallon of Regular Quality Acrylic Latex Exterior Paint - $38
• 1 Gallon of Acrylic Primer - $38

Now, if you've painted before or you have access to some (or all) of these supplies already that will drive down your total costs, but I'm going to assume you'll need to buy everything on this list - including a reasonably priced paint sprayer - to get the paint job done.

Based on that assumption, and based on the national average size of a 2,500 sq ft. home, the range of costs for painting aluminum siding is:

$775 - $1,500

While this might seem like a high project cost, it's mostly based on the assumption that you have a 2,500 square foot home to paint and you need about 8 gallons of paint and primer to cover the surface well.

But, the overall project costs will depend greatly on the type of paint you choose and the type of paint finish you choose.

For instance, if you're trying to cover up a darker color with high-quality eggshell paint, it's going to cost more than if you're just repainting the siding the same color and can use a lower-priced paint like KILZ to get the job done.

Even if you are going the high-quality route, however, the total cost of your paint job is still going to save you plenty of money in the long run compared to hiring a professional painter. 

Plus, the amount of curb appeal it can add to your home's exterior can increase your resale value significantly, so the higher total cost of the project might pay for itself if you're planning to sell soon.

Read More >> How Do You Paint Your Home's Exterior Yourself?

Estimated Cost of Paint For Aluminum Siding?

One thing I want to make sure I mention is that in order to get the best results on repainting your aluminum siding, it's imperative that you use 100% acrylic latex paint and acrylic latex primer.

This is going to offer the best adhesion on the surface area of the aluminum.

Choosing the right type of paint for your given painting project is an essential part of getting great results, and when you're dealing with something as important as your home's siding, you don't want to skimp out.

The thing about paint is the higher quality paint you choose, generally, you're going to get higher quality results.

But, I understand that paint can cost an arm and a leg for something as big as a 2,500 sq ft home.

If you want to get a better idea of which high-quality exterior paint to choose for painting vinyl siding, I'd recommend checking out our price guide article on Benjamin Moore paint.

You could also purchase Sherwin Williams or Behr paint as well as these are the top quality brands on the market, but in my opinion, Benjamin Moore makes the best exterior paints for the price.

That said, my estimates for this article account for about 8-9 gallons of paint for a 2,500 sq ft home because - in general - a can of paint can cover about 300 sq ft of surface area.

It's also important to note that with aluminum siding, it is much more important to use a proper primer before you paint and to apply 2 coats of paint to get the best results. 

With other forms of siding like wood siding or vinyl siding you could skimp on this if your really had to, but with aluminum, you want to ensure maximum adhesion by priming your surface really well.

With all that said, the overall estimated cost of just the paint and primer for this project is:

High-End Paint Cost for 2,500 sq ft. house: $875

Low-End Paint Cost for 2,500 sq ft. house: $650

How Can You Save Money When Painting Aluminum Siding?

If you're determined to save as much money on painting your aluminum siding as possible by doing it yourself, there are a few ways you can save money in the process.

Lowering the total cost of your painting project ultimately comes down to finding the right places to cut costs without sacrificing the overall quality of your finished painting job.

Types Of Paint

One of the best ways to save money is to choose the type of paint you're using carefully.

Typically, high-gloss and semi-gloss paints cost more than eggshell or flat paints.

Also, latex paints are typically cheaper than oil-based paints, so you're in luck there because that's the exact type of paint you'll be using to paint aluminum siding.

Read More >> What Are The Best Exterior Primers For Covering Peeling Paint?

Renting vs. Buying Supplies

Did you know you can actually rent certain painting supplies rather than having to buy them?

Most Home Depot stores and Lowe's stores have a rental program where you can rent out certain painting and home improvement supplies. 

So if you know you'll only need those supplies for this particular project, that can be a much more cost-effective way to get the things you need.

Here's another thing that blew my mind: some libraries rent out basic home improvement supplies!

Check with your local library to see if they have any tools like paint rollers and paint trays on hand that you can borrow. That'll save you lots of money on your painting project and you'll still be able to get the job done right.

Read More >> What Are The Best Paint Rollers To Use?

Sales And Dented Cans

Another way you could try to save money on paint is by waiting for your local hardware store to run a sale. Even if they knock off a few dollars on a can of paint, this can save you a bunch of money if you know you have a bunch of square footage to cover.

You can also see if they have any dented or otherwise blemished cans that they could sell to you.

Hot Tip: One more place you can look for cheap paint is Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. This works best if you're not picky on color or you're going with a standard color like white.

Final Thoughts On Painting Costs For Painting Aluminum Siding

Now that we've broken down the estimated costs for painting your siding, these cost estimates should give you a good idea of the overall price you're looking at.

Plus, it can help you decide whether you want to hire a painting service to help you avoid the time-consuming undertaking of painting it yourself.

No matter how you decide to get your house painted, I wish you the best of luck on your painting project.

As always, happy painting!