Why window painting costs what it does
A wood window looks like a small surface, and it is slow to paint well. Every sash has muntins, glazing putty, a sill, a frame and edges that have to be cut in by hand, and the paint has to stop exactly where the glass begins. Windows also take the worst of the weather. A painter pricing them is pricing hours of close work, not square feet. Here are the factors, without dollar figures; those depend on your windows.
Repair, then paint
Winchester's Historic District Design Guidelines say to retain and repair original windows, to replace windows only when they are missing or beyond repair, and not to change the number, location, size or glazing pattern of windows on primary elevations.
For a house covered by those guidelines, that makes paint and repair the normal way of looking after its windows. And on any house with old wood windows, a good paint job is part of what keeps them repairable.
What a painter counts
- The number of windows, and how many sashes each has.
- The pane pattern. A window with many small panes and muntins takes far longer than a single pane.
- Both faces. Exterior only, interior only, or both.
- Storm windows and screens, which may need to come off and go back.
- Height. Upper-floor windows need ladders or staging, and each move takes time.
Glazing putty
The putty that seals the glass into the sash dries out, cracks and falls away. Paint over failing putty doesn't hold. Loose putty is removed, the wood primed, new putty applied and given time to skin over before paint. Reglazing is slow, patient work, and it's often the biggest single variable in a window bid. Some painters do it; others bring in a window specialist.
Sills and lower rails
Water sits on sills and the bottom rails of sashes, so that's where rot starts. Soft wood may be consolidated and filled with epoxy, or a section replaced by a carpenter. Each repair is priced separately, and the extent often isn't known until scraping starts. A proposal should say how surprises will be handled.
Stripping or scraping
Windows with many layers of old paint may stick, and the paint may be cracked to the wood. Scraping loose paint and feathering the edges is the standard approach; full stripping costs more but can return a sash to bare wood. Ask which your painter plans and why.
Keeping windows working
Paint sealing a sash shut is common. A careful painter cuts sashes free, keeps paint off the parts that slide, and makes sure the window still opens when the job is done. That extra care is part of the price.
Lead-safe work
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.
Windows are a part of a house where paint gets scraped, sanded and rubbed by moving sashes, so on a pre-1978 home lead-safe methods aren't optional. Containment inside and out, wet scraping and careful cleanup add time and materials. You may ask whether the firm holds RRP certification.
Products
Window paint has to resist water, sun and constant handling. Painters often use an oil-based or bonding primer on bare wood and putty, then a durable exterior enamel. Interior faces usually take a semi-gloss or satin trim enamel. Our paint sheens and finishes guide explains why.
A window proposal should list
- the number of windows and sashes, and which faces;
- glazing work, sill repairs and who does them;
- the removal method, and lead-safe steps on pre-1978 homes;
- primer and finish products;
- a promise that windows will open when finished.
See the exterior painting page and the pricing guide for the rest of an exterior bid.