Exterior painting prices in Los Angeles
Exterior work is priced per square foot of wall area. Washing, scraping, stucco crack repair, caulking, primer on repairs and two coats of exterior paint are always included. Rotten wood is priced separately if we find any.
| Surface | Price from | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Stucco repaint | $2.75 / sq ft | Sound stucco, two coats of premium exterior acrylic |
| Elastomeric coating | $3.75 / sq ft | Cracked, chalky or porous stucco |
| Wood siding and trim | $3.50 / sq ft | Siding, fascia, eaves and doors, brushed and rolled |
| Home | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Single-story, sound stucco | $4,500–$9,000 |
| Two-story, sound stucco | $9,000–$16,000 |
| Larger homes, elastomeric, heavy wood trim or difficult access | Up to about $25,000 |
HomeGuide's national figures are $3,000–$10,000 for an average 2,000 sq ft house and $2–$5 per square foot for a stucco house (HomeGuide (opens in a new tab), checked September 2026). Most of the gap between a low quote and a repaint that lasts in LA is in the prep, so compare what is included before you compare totals.
What drives the cost of an exterior repaint
Sun, heat and the marine layer
Exterior paint in Los Angeles is not worn out by rain and frost. It is worn out by ultraviolet light, day-to-night heat swings and, near the coast, a marine layer that keeps walls damp until noon. South and west elevations chalk and fade years before the shaded side of the same house, and hairline cracks in stucco let water in behind a film that still looks fine from the street. Most of an exterior job is spent dealing with that before the color goes on.
Stucco condition: acrylic or elastomeric
Sound stucco gets a premium acrylic from $2.75 per square foot; it breathes well and is easy to repaint later. Cracked, chalky or porous stucco needs more than paint: larger cracks routed out and patched, masonry primer, then a high-build elastomeric from $3.75 per square foot that bridges hairline movement. We tell you which your walls need at the walkthrough, and we do not sell elastomeric to walls that do not need it.
How much wood there is
Wood siding, fascia, eaves and trim are slower than stucco: loose paint scraped and sanded to a sound edge, bare wood spot-primed with oil-based primer, every joint and nail head caulked or filled, then two coats of exterior enamel brushed and rolled. That is why wood is priced from $3.50 per square foot. Any rotten wood we find is priced separately before it is replaced.
Height and access
A two-story house has more wall and more of it out of reach, which is most of the jump from $4,500–$9,000 to $9,000–$16,000. Hillside lots, narrow side yards and heavy planting against the walls slow the work further. Windows, doors, lights, plants and hardscape are covered before any paint is opened.
Older homes and lead
On homes built before 1978, older paint may contain lead. Scraping more than 20 square feet of painted exterior surface brings in the federal Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (EPA (opens in a new tab), checked September 2026). We are an EPA Lead-Safe certified firm and work with containment on the ground, no dry sanding or open burning, and a full cleanup.
HOA colors
In Irvine, Mission Viejo, Calabasas and most newer tracts, the association sets the palette. We paint from the approved sheet and prepare the submittal with colors and locations, so the approval is a formality rather than a delay.
Gutters, doors and the extras
On a stucco repaint, gutters, downspouts and vents are painted to match as part of the price, so they do not stand out against fresh walls. The front door and garage door can be included on request. Ask for them in the quote rather than on the last day: adding them while the crew and the colors are already on site costs less than a separate visit later.
How long an exterior repaint lasts in LA
With proper prep and a premium paint, expect roughly 8–12 years on stucco and 5–8 years on wood trim facing south or west, where the sun is hardest on it. Elastomeric coatings on stucco usually last longer. The shaded side of the house will always outlast the side that faces the afternoon sun. Most homes take three to seven days, and we follow the shade so paint never goes on a wall that is baking in direct sun.
How to keep exterior painting cost down
- Repaint before the stucco fails. Sound stucco takes a two-coat acrylic repaint from $2.75 per square foot; once it is cracked and chalky it needs elastomeric from $3.75. Waiting costs about a dollar a square foot.
- Use elastomeric only where it is needed. On sound stucco a premium acrylic is the better and cheaper answer.
- Pick from your HOA palette first. An approved color means no resubmittal and no delay.
- Deal with rot early. A soft fascia board is a small repair this year and a bigger one after another winter.
- Keep the deposit small. California caps a home improvement down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, and later payments cannot run ahead of the work done (CSLB (opens in a new tab), checked September 2026). A contractor asking for more upfront is telling you something.
Getting a fixed price
We walk every elevation, check the stucco and wood for cracks, rot and failing paint, measure the wall area and send a written fixed price with a color plan, including anything your HOA needs to approve. We work one side of the house at a time, and at the end we walk the whole house with you and fix anything you want looked at before the crew packs up. Leftover paint is labeled by color and area and left with you. See the full scope on our exterior painting page.