Why peeling changes everything
A house whose paint is faded but sound is a straightforward repaint: wash, spot-prime, two coats. A house whose paint is curling, flaking and lifting in sheets is a different job. Most of the cost sits in what happens before any new paint goes on, and if the house was built before 1978, in how that work is contained. This guide explains each part. We don't publish prices.
Diagnosing why it peeled
Before pricing, a good painter tries to find out why the paint failed. The answer changes the scope.
- Moisture from inside pushing out through the walls often shows as peeling on bathroom and kitchen walls.
- Water from outside, through failed caulk, open joints or gutters spilling over, usually shows as peeling around trim, sills and lower boards.
- Too many layers, built up over decades, can lose adhesion across whole walls.
- Paint over a surface it couldn't grip, such as chalky old paint or a glossy oil finish, peels in broad sheets.
If moisture is the cause, painting alone won't hold. Ask the painter what they think the cause is.
How far to scrape
There are levels of preparation, and the price follows them.
- Scraping loose paint only, then feathering edges with sandpaper so they don't show, is the common standard.
- Scraping and sanding to a smooth surface across whole walls takes much longer.
- Removing paint to bare wood, by hand, with a heat tool or with a chemical stripper, is the most thorough and the most expensive.
Ask which level the bid is based on, and on which walls.
Lead-safe work on a pre-1978 house
Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 must hold EPA lead-safe firm certification and use trained workers, and this applies to all firms, even sole proprietorships; the rule generally does not apply to homeowners working on their own pre-1978 homes. Scraping a peeling exterior disturbs paint by definition.
Lead-safe exterior work adds cost in a few ways:
- plastic sheeting on the ground around the house to catch chips;
- closing nearby windows and doors and protecting plants and play areas;
- methods that limit dust, such as wet scraping, instead of dry power sanding or open-flame burning;
- daily cleanup of chips and a careful final cleanup;
- disposal of the collected debris.
You may want to ask whether the painter's firm holds that EPA certification. We don't check. The second fact card lists the states that run their own EPA-authorized programs.
Wood repair
Years of peeling usually leave some rot behind it. Window sills, the bottoms of trim, porch parts and lower siding boards are the usual places. Replacing or consolidating rotted wood is carpentry, priced by the piece or by time. Get it as its own line in the bid.
Primer and coats
Scraped areas show bare wood, and bare wood needs primer. Some painters spot-prime only the bare patches; others prime whole walls when the old paint is weathered. A full prime coat costs more but gives the top coats an even base. Two finish coats are common on a peeling house. Ask how many, and which products.
Height and setup
Two-storey walls, gables and steep yards need ladders, scaffolding or a lift. Lead-safe sheeting has to be laid and moved with the setup. A tall house with a lot of peeling takes much longer than a single-storey one with the same square footage.
Weather days
Exterior paint and primer need dry wood and temperatures inside the label range. Scraped wood that gets rained on has to dry again before primer. A long prep phase is exposed to more weather, so peeling-house jobs can stretch. Ask how the painter protects scraped areas overnight.
Comparing bids
- What does the painter think caused the peeling?
- Which level of scraping is quoted?
- What lead-safe setup and cleanup is included?
- Which wood repairs are listed, and how are surprises priced?
- Spot-prime or full prime, and how many top coats?
See our exterior painting page for the full prep sequence.