The job this guide prices
This guide looks at one job: repainting the wood siding and trim on an existing house in Anchorage. We don't quote prices. Instead it walks through what a painter has to do and why each part moves the number on a proposal, so you can compare bids that describe the work differently.
Weather figures that shape the prep
NOAA's engineering weather data for Anchorage lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 100 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 0.6 inches per hour and about 65 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year. The wind and rainfall values are design figures used for buildings. For a paint job the freeze-thaw count is the telling one: each cycle is a chance for water that got into an open joint, or a crack in old paint, to freeze, expand and push the gap wider.
That's why much of the cost of this job sits in how thoroughly the joints and failing paint are dealt with.
Scraping and sanding back to a sound edge
Loose and flaking paint has to come off before new paint can hold. How much there is varies widely from house to house and wall to wall, and a sunny wall and a shaded wall on the same house can need very different amounts of time. Ask whether the proposal includes scraping all loose paint, feather-sanding the edges so they don't show through, and spot-priming bare wood. A bid that says only "prep as needed" leaves the biggest variable undefined.
Caulking and joints
Butt joints, corner boards, window and door casings and the gaps where trim meets siding are where water gets in. Old caulk that has cracked or pulled away is cut out and replaced. The time this takes depends on how many joints the house has and their condition, so a house with a lot of trim detail costs more to prepare than one with long plain runs. Ask which caulk the crew uses and whether it's rated for exterior movement and cold.
Loose boards and fasteners
Siding that has worked loose, nails that have backed out and split boards all show up once scraping starts. Resetting fasteners is quick; replacing a board is carpentry. Ask whether minor repairs are included, how larger ones are priced, and who does them. If you already know of soft spots, point them out before the bid rather than after.
Heights and access
A single-storey house is mostly ladder work. Taller walls, gables, decks built against the house and sloping yards may need scaffolding or a lift, which adds equipment and setup time. Wind affects access too: tall ladders and spraying both become harder on gusty days, and a crew may lose days waiting for calmer ones.
Coats and product class
Bare or heavily weathered wood usually needs primer before the finish coats. Ask whether the price assumes one finish coat or two, and which product line. Exterior paints differ in how flexible they stay and in the lowest temperature they can be applied at; a product meant for cooler application may cost more but widen the days a crew can work. Our exterior painting page explains primers and coats in more detail.
Older paint and the federal lead rule
Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 must hold RRP certification, firms included, even sole proprietorships, and their workers must be trained in lead-safe work practices. On a house built before 1978, scraping and sanding exterior paint is that kind of work. Lead-safe practice adds plastic sheeting on the ground, containment of chips and dust, and careful cleanup, all of which take time and materials. If your house falls in that range, ask the painter whether the firm holds RRP certification, and how containment and cleanup show up in the price.
Scheduling
Exterior work depends on runs of dry days at temperatures the product allows. Ask how the painter plans for weather delays and whether a delay changes the price. A flexible start date often helps both sides.
Comparing proposals
Line the bids up against these questions:
- How much scraping and sanding is included, and is it described?
- Is failing caulk removed and replaced, or are gaps only filled?
- Are minor repairs included, and how are larger ones priced?
- What access equipment is in the price?
- Primer, how many finish coats, and which products?
- How is lead-safe work handled on a house built before 1978?
Our pricing guide covers the general factors behind any painting price.