How much does exterior painting cost?
A straight answer, with typical UK prices — and when not to bother
22 years’ experience
Long enough to have seen most versions of a job before.
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Backed by a written guarantee on every job — ask when you quote.
Free, no-obligation quotes
We look at the job and give you a price. Nothing to pay if you don’t go ahead.
What you pay
| Property | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Terrace, front elevation only | £600 – £1,200 |
| Three-bedroom semi, all elevations | £1,500 – £3,000 |
| Four-bedroom detached | £2,500 – £4,500 |
| Large or three-storey | £4,000 – £8,000 |
| Woodwork only — windows, fascias, doors | £800 – £2,000 |
Scaffold and repair work are usually on top.
Why the quotes vary so much
It is almost never the paint. Two quotes for the same house can differ by £1,500 because they assume different amounts of preparation, and preparation is the whole job.
What a thorough quote includes:
- The elevation washed down and left to dry properly
- Cracks cut out and made good
- Blown render cut back and repaired
- Rotten timber cut out and replaced
- Bare and repaired areas treated and primed
- Two full coats
What a cheap quote often means: two coats over whatever is there. It looks identical on the day of handover and it fails in eighteen months, because paint over algae grows through and paint over an unstable old coat comes off with it.
The preparation test
Ask what happens to the existing coat. If the answer is “we’ll just go over it”, be careful.
You can test it yourself: rub the wall with your hand. If it chalks off, or if tape pulled from the surface lifts paint, the existing coat is unstable and a new one will take it with it. That has to be dealt with, and it is a real cost.
Which paint, and why breathable matters
Most houses in the north of England are solid stone or solid brick, or rendered over one of those. Those walls handle moisture by letting it evaporate out through the face.
A modern sealed, plastic-film paint stops that happening. The moisture stays in the wall, and it comes out as blown paint outside and damp inside. It is one of the most common causes of “damp” that has nothing to do with a damp proof course.
On render, match the system to what is there — silicone-based paint over silicone render.
When to do it
April to September. Masonry paint needs a surface above about 8°C and a dry wall to go onto, and a wall that has taken a soaking needs days rather than hours to dry.
Painting late in the season is the common false economy: the finish lifts in the first hard frost, and the job is done again in spring.
Getting a price on your own house
An average is not a quote. We look at the actual property, price the actual job, and fix it before anything starts — free, with no call-out fee and nothing to pay if you decide against it.
See exterior painting, or the towns we cover it in: Leeds, York, Harrogate and Bradford.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a house exterior in the UK?
£1,500 to £4,500 for a typical three-bedroom house, including washing down, preparation and two coats of masonry paint. Scaffold and any render or timber repair are usually quoted separately.
How much do exterior painters charge per day?
£150 to £250 a day per painter in the UK, with most domestic exterior jobs quoted as a fixed price rather than day rate. A three-bedroom house is typically five to ten working days depending on preparation.
How often should a house be repainted?
Masonry every eight to twelve years, exterior woodwork every four to six. South and west elevations take the weather and go first, so it is normal for one side of a house to need doing well before the others.
What type of paint is best for exterior walls?
A breathable masonry paint on almost any wall in the north of England. Solid stone and brick walls need to let moisture out, and a sealed film traps it, blows the paint and pushes damp inside. On render, match the system — silicone-based paint over silicone render.
For exterior work across Harrogate and Yorkshire, please call 07788 585240