Exterior House Painting Cost in the Lehigh Valley - 2026 Price Guide

Exterior painting quotes in the Lehigh Valley vary widely - often $2,000 to $8,000+ for the same house. Here's what that range actually means, what drives costs up or down, and what you should realistically expect to pay for a quality exterior paint job in 2026.

Exterior Painting Cost by Home Size (Lehigh Valley, 2026)

Home Type	Siding + Trim	Siding Only	Trim Only
Small ranch (900-1,300 sqft)	$2,200-$4,000	$1,500-$2,800	$500-$900
Medium colonial (1,400-2,000 sqft)	$3,500-$6,000	$2,500-$4,200	$700-$1,400
Two-story (2,000-2,800 sqft)	$5,000-$8,500	$3,500-$6,000	$900-$1,800
Large home (2,800-4,000 sqft)	$7,000-$13,000	$5,000-$9,000	$1,200-$2,500

Prices include pressure washing, surface prep, two coats of paint on all quoted surfaces. PA contractor with insurance and PA license. Free estimates are the only way to know your exact price.

What Determines the Price

1. Surface Area

More square footage = more materials and more time. A two-story colonial has roughly 50% more surface area than a single-story ranch of the same square footage.

2. Surface Condition and Prep Required

The difference between a $3,500 and $6,000 quote on the same sized house is often prep work. A house with peeling paint, failing caulk, rotted wood needing replacement, or multiple layers of old paint to deal with takes far longer to prep than a house in good condition. Prep typically represents 50-70% of the total job time on exterior work - it's where quality lives or dies.

3. Number of Stories

Second-story and gable work requires scaffolding or extension ladders, which adds time, risk, and cost. Most contractors add a significant premium for two-story work relative to the same home's single-story square footage.

4. Siding Type

• Vinyl siding: Fast to paint if in good condition, but requires the right paint. Medium cost.
• Wood clapboard: Most prep-intensive. May need scraping, sanding, caulking of many joints. Typically higher cost.
• Stucco/EIFS: Masonry primer required, often elastomeric topcoat. Can be faster on smooth surfaces.
• Brick: Only the mortar joints need attention typically; if painting full brick, masonry primer and breathable topcoat required.
• T1-11 or hardboard: Absorbs more paint, often needs more coats. Medium-high cost.

5. Number of Colors

Body + trim = 2 colors is standard. Adding a third color for shutters, doors, or accents adds masking time. Each color transition requires tape, cuts, and cleanup that adds time.

What's Included in Our Exterior Painting Price

• Power washing the entire exterior
• Scraping all loose and peeling paint
• Sanding rough edges smooth
• Caulking all gaps around windows, doors, and trim
• Priming all bare wood, metal, and problem areas
• Two coats of premium exterior paint (Sherwin-Williams Duration or Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior)
• Painting doors, windows, fascia, and soffits unless specified as excluded
• Final cleanup of the property

The Cheap Quote Warning

When you get three exterior painting quotes and one is dramatically lower, something is being skipped. Common shortcuts on cheap exterior jobs:

• No power washing (dirt and mildew painted over)
• Minimal scraping (painting over peeling paint)
• No caulking (immediate water infiltration)
• One coat instead of two (halved coverage, halved life)
• Interior grade paint used outdoors (fails in 2-3 years)

A paint job done wrong costs more than a paint job done right - because you pay twice.