Metal is priced by detail, not by area
A flat steel door is quick to paint. A decorative iron gate with scrolls, pickets and finials is slow, because every bar has four sides and every joint is a corner. Window guards, stair railings and balcony rails are the same. Painters price ironwork by the piece or the linear foot and adjust for detail and condition, not by the square footage it covers. That's the first thing to understand when you compare quotes.
Heat on metal
NOAA's normals for its Laredo 2 station average about 177.6 days a year with a high of 90°F or more, including about 74.2 days at 100°F or more. Metal in direct sun gets much hotter than the air, and paint applied to hot metal can dry too fast to level, leave thin spots, or fail to bond. So ironwork is often painted early in the day or in shade, and a job that would take one afternoon on a mild day may be split across several mornings. That scheduling is part of the price.
The state of the rust
The condition of the metal sets most of the labor:
- Sound paint, light dulling: clean, scuff-sand and recoat.
- Spot rust: wire-brush or sand rust spots to bright metal, prime them the same day, then coat everything.
- Widespread rust or flaking: remove loose paint and rust over the whole piece, prime all of it, then coat.
- Heavy scale or holes: beyond painting. A welder or metalworker should repair it first.
Prep can be done by hand with scrapers and wire brushes, with power tools, or, for removable pieces, by sending them out for blasting. Each costs differently, and some aren't suitable on site. Ask which method is priced.
Primer is not optional
Bare steel and iron rust quickly once exposed; primer should go on soon after prep. Use a rust-inhibiting primer made for metal. Galvanized or aluminum pieces need a primer made for those surfaces, or the paint won't stick. Ask what primer is planned for each.
Finish coats
Metal is usually finished with an exterior enamel made for metal, often in satin or gloss, which sheds water and resists wear. Some products combine primer and finish; they can work over clean, sound metal but aren't a substitute for primer on bare rusted steel. Two finish coats give better protection on exposed rails and gates. The paint sheens and finishes guide explains how sheen relates to durability.
Brush, spray or both
Brushing is the common method for ironwork on site; it works paint into joints. Spraying is faster on complex pieces but drifts, so walls, windows, floors and cars must be covered. On gates set into stucco or masonry, masking the wall around each post adds time. Ask how overspray and drips will be handled.
Gates and moving parts
Hinges, latches and locks should be masked or removed. Gates should be propped open while drying so they don't stick. A gate that drags or a hinge that's seized is a repair, not painting.
Old paint and lead
Many coats of paint on old ironwork can include layers with lead, and scraping or power-sanding them makes chips and dust. Under EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, beginning April 22, 2010, firms doing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes built before 1978 must hold EPA or state approval and use trained renovators who follow specific lead-safe work practices. For railings and window guards on such a house, expect ground sheeting, careful chip collection and cleanup in the price. You can ask whether the firm holds that approval.
Comparing metal-painting quotes
Line up the pieces counted, the prep method, the primer, the finish product and coats, masking and overspray protection, and any repairs excluded. For more on exterior surfaces see exterior painting, and the pricing guide explains how painting prices are built.