Are you wondering how much it costs to paint a stucco house?
You’ve come to the right place!
In this ProPaintCorner.com guide, you’ll learn:
- The typical cost of DIY painting a stucco house
- How to save money when painting a stucco house
- How much it usually costs to hire a professional vs do it yourself for a stucco house
- The estimated cost of labor and supplies to paint a stucco house
And much more!
So, if you want to learn how much you should plan on spending to get your stucco house painted, then keep reading for all our tips and insights below!
How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Stucco House?
Painting a 2,000 square foot 2 story home will cost anywhere from ~$500-$8,000+ depending on whether or not you hire a professional for the job.
Read further down our cost guide for more valuable details about painting stucco.
Why Hire A Pro?
Here are some good reasons to hire a pro painter for the gig:
Licensed and Insured
Professional painters protect customers by being certified for the job.
This means they'll be able to properly prep and paint without the risk of a costly injury or mistake.
More Knowledge
A pro painter is going to know what to do in certain situations where an amateur might not.
For example, a pro might tell the customer that their wood siding needs to be replaced before painting because of extensive water damage.
Listen to what the experts have to say when it comes to evaluating the damage and prepping for paint.
Better Quality
You don't want to decrease the value of your home with an inexperienced paint job. That's wasting money twice.
Instead, you can hire a professional that will add value to the home by painting it up real nice.
Pros Paint Fast
You can pretty much guarantee that a professional painter will prep and paint stucco twice as fast as you doing it yourself because they are experienced.
Why Do Pros Charge More?
Aside from liability insurance, professionals also have expenses like vehicles and employees that they rely on to get to the job and get it done in a timely fashion.
Average Cost To Paint A Stucco House If You Do It Yourself?
Are you looking to increase the curb appeal of your home? We don't blame you. A good paint job can add significant value to your home that will help when you want to sell.
Painting a $2,000 square foot stucco home will cost about ~$600+ to paint yourself.
How did we get this number?
Well, if each stage of painting requires two coats and each gallon of paint covers ~200 square feet(when two coats are applied), then that means you'll need about 10 gallons of paint and primer for the job.
If you purchase 20 gallons of paint and primer for an average price of ~$25/gallon, that's $500.
Add on paint prepping materials and even a cheaper HVLP paint sprayer, and you are looking at about an extra $100-$200 for the job.
Needless to say, DIY painting a stucco house will save you lots of money, BUT it won't save you time.
Average Cost To Paint A Stucco House If You Hire a Professional Company?
The national average that a professional company will charge you is anywhere from $3,000-$8,000+ for an exterior paint job on a 2,000 sq ft home.
Variables:
Water Damage: Your exterior stucco might need to be completely renovated before painting, which will add thousands of more dollars to the cost.
One thing you don't want to do when painting the exterior of your home is paint over mildew and other damage. You should have a professional(or use your best judgment) evaluate whether or not your house is good for another paint job without repairs first.
Type of paint: A higher quality paint will add more to the cost.
We recommend something like an exterior eggshell latex semi-gloss.
How To Estimate The Cost To Paint A Stucco House?
DIY Stucco Painting Cost Estimate
There are a few key things you need to do in order to properly estimate the cost of DIY painting your stucco house. So make sure you take these steps before you decide whether or not you want to tackle the project yourself!
Measure the house
It's time to pull out your tape measure and find a more exact square footage of how much surface area you are going to need to cover.
Find the appropriate paint
Paint costs vary quite drastically, and when painting the exterior of your house, you'll want to use a quality paint that will last for more than a year.
You'll also want to consider how many sq ft each gallon of paint covers. 1 gallon generally covers 400 square feet (or 200 square feet with two coats applied), so you can use that as your general rule of thumb.
Evaluate the materials needed
You will need more than just paint and tape to paint your stucco house.
For example, exterior painting usually even requires that you spray the house off with a pressure washer. Power washing maximizes paint adhesion.
Here are some more essential materials you'll need for painting the exterior:
Ladders
Ladders are a must-have when performing exterior paint jobs.
Caulk/caulking gun
You'll want to caulk in any cracks that exist to seal in the paint and lock the water outside.
Paint masker
A paint masker is going to save you tons of time when prepping for exterior paint.
Use a paint masker and some masking film to cover up windows, soffit/fascia, electrical boxes and more for a quick and easy pass with a paint sprayer or roller
Paint sprayer
Using a paint sprayer will shave even more time off your painting project, and you can purchase an inexpensive HVLP paint sprayer for super cheap, so it's worth it.
Drop cloth
You don't want to get paint on concrete surfaces, plants, etc so that's why it's great to have some drop cloths to protect what lies below.
Utility blade
You'll need a utility blade for various reasons like cutting tape and masking.
Painter's tape
You'll need a quality painter's tape that is specifically for exterior painting so that you aren't spending hours peeling paint off of window trim.
Power washer
Give the house a good power wash, and let it dry before taping. This will make everything easier.
Stucco repair/patching kits
You will likely need to repair some of the stucco before painting. You can certainly repair stucco yourself, but a professional will do a better job as stucco repair is something that takes practice.
Evaluate time necessary
Remember, time is money, so you'll want to ask yourself how many hours it will take to finish the job and if it's worth doing it yourself.
We say for a 2,000 square foot house, it will take you at least 40 hours to complete the job.
Read More >> How Do You Paint Your Home's Exterior Yourself?
Painting Cost When Hiring a Professional Painter?
Let's say you hire a pro for the job, and they charge you $5,000 for the same 2000 square foot job.
$5,000 / 2,000 square feet = ~$2.50 per square foot
This professional price will range from area to area, and it also depends on the price the painters bid you with.
But in general, you'll probably see professional painters bid anywhere between $1-$3 per square foot.
Estimated Cost of Paint For A Stucco House?
The specific estimated cost of paint depends on the quality of paint you decide on.
You are going to want something like an exterior acrylic latex primer and paint to cover your stucco properly from the elements.
And don't forget to buy your paint and supplies off of Amazon for the lowest price and the highest quality.
We estimate that you'll need about 10 gallons of primer and 10 gallons of finish coat for applying 2 or more coats on a 2,000 square foot surface.
On the cheapest front, you'll pay $20/gallon for primer, and $20 for paint for a total cost of $400 on paint.
Read More >> What Are The Best Paints For Stucco?
Estimated Cost of Labor For A Stucco House?
Labor cost depends on who you hire for the job!
For example, you might hire a licensed handyman that can get the job done at a cheaper hourly rate than a professional painting company.
It might take 80 hours for a handyman to paint your house at a reasonable rate of $25/hour.
That means you will spend $2000 on labor when hiring a handyman compared to double or more when hiring a professional company.
How To Save Money When Painting A Stucco House?
The Most Obvious: Paint It Yourself
You will save in the thousands by painting the house yourself, however, painting a house is a time-consuming task. One that you could probably leave up to somebody else while you are working your day job, and earn more money to cover the cost without the hassle.
Having said that, we highly recommend you paint the house yourself if it is a simple layout that doesn't require too much prep or dangerous climbing.
Read More >> What Are The Best Extension Ladders For Painting?
Hiring a Pro? Get Multiple Bids
One of the quickest ways for painting contractors to make money is by overbidding the project.
Take into consideration that professionals(and their salesmen) will want to add imaginary costs to your paint job, so the best way to get the best price is by considering all of your options.
Use The Internet To Educate Yourself
Not sure how to properly paint your stucco? Tutorials on Youtube and other Google sites will help you do it like a pro. There's really no need to hire someone if you already know what to do.
Buy And Sell Paint And Supplies On Marketplace
Searching the online marketplace for paint materials isn't a bad idea when looking to save money on your repaint.
And, not only that, but you can sell your supplies after you are done with the job to save even money.
Buy Paint In Bulk
Paint can get really expensive when purchased in smaller quantities.
We recommend buying 5-gallon buckets of paint on your project especially because stucco is a very porous surface, and might need more than 2 coats of primer and paint.
Ask Us Questions!
We know all about exterior house painting. Don't forget to hit us with all your paint-related questions on our Pro Paint Corner forum.
