Height changes everything
A two-storey exterior has about double the wall area of a one-storey house with the same footprint, but the cost difference is larger than that. The upper half of every wall is slower to reach, slower to work on and slower to protect. Gables add height again. Most of the extra cost is access.
This guide follows a two-storey repaint in Goldsboro, North Carolina and lists what moves the price. It quotes no figures and names no companies.
The station's heat and weather
These figures are the Seymour Johnson AFB station's, from NOAA's engineering weather data. In an average year at Seymour Johnson AFB, NOAA counts about 1,230 hours with the dry-bulb temperature above 80°F and 86 hours above 93°F. NOAA's engineering weather data for Seymour Johnson AFB also lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 100 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 3.8 inches per hour and about 36 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year.
Two of those numbers bear directly on a tall exterior. Heat affects how paint goes on: a hot wall in sun dries the film too fast, and the upper walls of a tall house catch more sun for longer. Wind affects ladders, lifts and spraying: gusty days end lift work and send overspray where it shouldn't go.
Access: ladders, staging or a lift
- Extension ladders reach most two-storey walls, but every move is time, and a painter on a ladder works a small patch at once.
- Staging or scaffolding costs time to set up and take down but makes long upper runs faster and safer.
- A lift suits open, level sites; slopes, beds and fences can rule it out. Rental adds to the price.
Ask which approach the painter plans for each side and whether its cost is in the proposal.
Washing and prep up high
Every high surface has to be washed and inspected, scraped where loose, sanded, primed where bare and caulked at joints. Upper fascia, soffits and the trim around upper windows often hide the worst damage, because nobody sees them closely. Expect some surprises once the ladders go up, and ask how extra repairs will be priced.
Scheduling around the hot hours
On the hottest days, a careful crew paints sides in shade, works the sunny walls early, and stops before surfaces get too hot for the label. That can stretch the calendar without changing the hours of work. Ask how many working days the painter expects, and whether hot or windy days change the price or only the schedule.
Coats and product grade
Two coats of finish over sound, primed surfaces is common. A higher-grade exterior paint costs more per gallon; over the area of a two-storey house that difference adds up, but so does the labor of repainting sooner. The exterior painting page explains product grades.
Lead dust from upper walls
If the house was built before 1978, scraping its upper walls may disturb lead paint that falls a long way and spreads. Containment on a tall house is more work. EPA lists North Carolina among the states that run their own EPA-authorized program under the federal rule. Ask the painter how they contain dust and chips at height.
Protecting what's below
Plants, roofs of porches and lower walls under the work need covering. Ask what protection is included and who moves outdoor furniture.
Judging tall-house bids
The items worth matching across bids are access method, prep by surface, repairs and extras, product and coats, schedule and protection. The pricing guide explains more.