Raleigh averages $3,589, above the national figure because the houses here are bigger. The most useful thing on this page is the distinction every quote comparison gets wrong: per square foot means wall, not floor.
The short version
What it costs, and the trap
Two numbers, then the thing that makes quotes comparable.
Exterior painting in Raleigh averages $3,589, with most jobs between $2,196 and $5,240, or $1.70 to $4.50 per square foot. Above the national $1.50 to $4, and the published reason is size: the average Raleigh house is over 2,700 square feet, roughly 44% larger than the national average.
Per square foot means paintable wall, not floor area. This is the single most useful line on this page. A one story house has roughly 1,000 to 1,500 square feet of paintable wall, a two story 1,500 to 2,500, a three story 2,500 to 3,000. So your 2,700 square foot Raleigh house does not have 2,700 square feet of wall.
We are spelling that out because the sources do not. Angi runs the identical size table headed Paintable Area on one page and Exterior Home Size on another. Same numbers, opposite meaning. If you compare two quotes without knowing which basis each used, you are comparing nothing.
By paintable area
Raleigh against national, by wall area
Square feet of surface to be painted, not the size of the house.
Paintable area
Raleigh
National
3,000 sq ft
$5,075 to $13,550
$4,500 to $12,000
2,500 sq ft
$4,250 to $11,300
$3,750 to $10,000
2,000 sq ft
$3,400 to $9,050
$3,000 to $8,000
1,500 sq ft
$2,550 to $6,775
$2,250 to $6,000
1,000 sq ft
$1,700 to $4,525
$1,500 to $4,000
Figures from Angi's Raleigh painting page, last updated 6 November 2025. That Raleigh page is the oldest source on this guide, so treat it as directional. National column from the same publisher (20 October 2026).
This Old House prices the same work higher at every size, for example $4,400 to $8,800 at 2,000 square feet against Angi's $3,000 to $8,000. It builds estimates from Homewyse and Home Depot pricing rather than from invoiced jobs, which is most of the gap.
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A two story house can cost up to 50% more than a single story. The published height ladder is more precise: add 30% above eight feet, 60% above 13, 90% above 17 and 120% above 19. That is staging, ladders and the pace a painter can safely work at, which is also why labor is 70% to 90% of the total. In Raleigh, labor runs $1.15 to $3.95 per square foot or $28 to $113 per hour per painter.
By siding
What your walls are made of
Cheapest first, ordered by midpoint of the published Raleigh range.
Siding
Raleigh, per sq ft
Notes
Metal
$1.70 to $2.80
The narrowest range on the list.
Wood
$1.15 to $3.40
The lowest starting rate on the list, but it needs redoing most often, every three to seven years.
Vinyl
$1.40 to $3.40
One of the two most common sidings in Raleigh. Smooth enough that one coat sometimes does.
Fiber cement
$1.40 to $3.65
The other common Raleigh siding. Only one source anywhere prices painting it.
Concrete
$1.15 to $3.95
Porous, so it drinks the first coat.
Stucco
$1.70 to $4.40
Texture doubles the surface the paint has to cover.
Brick
$1.70 to $5.10
Dearest, and the one job worth thinking twice about, because it cannot be undone.
Figures from Angi's Raleigh painting page, last updated 6 November 2025. This is the only source anywhere that prices painting fiber cement, which matters because vinyl and fiber cement are the two most common sidings in Raleigh.
One honest caveat. The two main publishers invert each other on vinyl. Angi has brick dearest and vinyl among the cheapest. This Old House has vinyl the most expensive at $2.80 to $5.20 and wood the cheapest. We are not presenting either ordering as fact, which is why the table above is Raleigh figures from one source rather than a blended ranking.
Brick is the one decision worth sitting on. It costs most, needs specific prep and paint, and it cannot be undone.
Prep, coats and paint
Where the rest of the money goes
Prep is most of the difference between a job that lasts five years and one that lasts ten.
Item
Cost
Note
Power washing
$240 to $400
Angi publishes $200 to $450 on another page. Wash two to three days before painting.
Paint stripping
$0.55 to $2.30 per sq ft
Raleigh figure. Only where the old coat has failed.
Primer
$17 to $90 per gallon
Raleigh figure. Most pros include it in the total.
Two coats is standard. One is enough refreshing the same color over a previously painted smooth surface like vinyl or aluminum. Stucco, wood, new construction, damaged surfaces and light over dark all want two, and light over dark sometimes wants three. An extra coat beyond two adds about $50 to $70 per 300 to 400 square feet. More is not better: excess layers add weight to the siding and can shorten the life of the finish.
An average exterior takes about 12 gallons, at 350 to 400 square feet per gallon with 10% to 15% for waste. On paint price the sources diverge: Angi says $20 to $50 a gallon for latex and acrylic, This Old House says $30 to $50 for standard exterior latex and $45 to $85 for premium 100% acrylic. This Old House is higher at every tier and names brands, so it is the better specified of the two.
Timing
Temperature, season and pollen
The Triangle adds one constraint the national guidance does not.
Paint between 50 and 85 degrees for latex and 40 to 90 for oil based, with humidity between 40% and 70%. Spring or fall. Start around 10am, once dew has dried. Aim for no rain in the forecast for five days, even though the paint can handle rain about six hours after finishing. Avoid painting above 85 degrees, below 40, or in the evening.
The local complication is pollen. The published advice is to pick a window when there is not much of it, which in the Triangle quietly rules out a good part of spring. That pushes most Raleigh exterior work to late spring after the pine pollen clears, or to fall.
Expect three to four days for two or three painters on an average three or four bedroom house, five to six on something larger. Allow two to four days between washing and painting; the sources say two to three on one page and three to four on another.
One thing worth checking first: homes built before 1978 may carry lead based paint, and sanding or scraping it makes it airborne. Have a certified inspector look before any prep starts on an older Raleigh house.
Questions
Exterior painting cost FAQs
What homeowners ask before booking.
How much does it cost to paint a house exterior in Raleigh?
Raleigh averages $3,589, with most jobs between $2,196 and $5,240, or $1.70 to $4.50 per square foot of paintable area. That is above the national $1.50 to $4, and the published reason is house size: the average Raleigh home is more than 2,700 square feet, roughly 44% larger than the national average.
Is that per square foot of house or of wall?
Of wall, and this is where almost every quote comparison goes wrong. The rate applies to paintable surface, not floor area. A one story house has roughly 1,000 to 1,500 square feet of paintable wall, a two story 1,500 to 2,500, a three story 2,500 to 3,000. So a 2,700 square foot Raleigh house does not have 2,700 square feet of wall to paint. Angi labels its own table Paintable Area on one page and Exterior Home Size on another, with identical numbers under both, so the confusion is in the sources rather than in your reading of them.
How much more does a second story cost?
Up to 50% more than a single story, and the premium is about height not area. The published ladder adds 30% above eight feet, 60% above 13 feet, 90% above 17 feet and 120% above 19 feet. That is ladders, staging and the pace a painter can safely work at, which is also why labor is 70% to 90% of the bill.
How many coats, and does a third cost much?
Two coats is standard. One coat is enough refreshing the same color over a previously painted smooth surface such as vinyl or aluminum siding. Stucco, wood, new construction, damaged surfaces and going light over dark all want two, and light over dark sometimes wants three. An extra coat beyond the standard two adds about $50 to $70 per 300 to 400 square feet. More is not better: too many layers add weight to the siding and can shorten the life of the finish.
When is the best time to paint in the Triangle?
Spring or fall, between 50 and 85 degrees for latex and 40 to 90 for oil based, with humidity between 40% and 70%. Start around 10am once the dew has dried. Aim for no rain in the forecast for five days even though the paint can handle rain about six hours after finishing. The local complication is pollen: the published advice is to pick a window when there is not much of it, which in the Triangle rules out a good part of spring.
How long will it last?
Five to 10 years for a properly applied job, with the full published range running three to 17 depending on substrate. Wood wants redoing every three to seven years, aluminum about every five, and painted brick can hold up to 17. This Old House splits it by paint instead: standard latex five to seven years, premium 100% acrylic eight to 12 or longer. In Raleigh the stated local factor is hot, sunny summers fading paint faster, which is an argument for spending on prep.
Keep reading
Related guides and calculators
Color, trim, and the parts of the outside that are not wall.
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