What actually drives the price, and how to compare estimates like a pro.
It's the first question every homeowner asks, and the honest answer is: it depends on more than square footage. Here's what actually drives the price of a painting project in the Chicago suburbs, so you can read any estimate you receive with confidence.
Surface condition is the biggest one. A home with peeling, cracking, or chalking paint needs scraping, sanding, priming, and sometimes wood repair before a single coat goes on. Prep work can be half the labor on an older exterior, and it's the half that determines how long the finish lasts.
Size and height. A one-story ranch and a three-story Victorian with dormers are very different jobs, even at similar square footage. Ladders, lifts, and steep rooflines all add labor time.
Paint quality. Premium coatings cost more per gallon but hold color and resist Midwest freeze-thaw cycles far longer than budget paint. Over the life of the finish, better paint is usually the cheaper choice.
Trim, detail, and color changes. Crisp multi-color trim work takes more time than a single-color refresh, and going from a dark color to a light one (or vice versa) can require extra coats.
Every home is different, but broadly: interior room repaints often land in the hundreds per room, full interior repaints in the low-to-mid thousands, and full exterior repaints anywhere from several thousand to well beyond, depending on size and condition. Anyone who quotes you a firm price without seeing the house is guessing, which is exactly why we do free on-site estimates with written, itemized quotes.
The lowest bid isn't automatically the best value. When comparing quotes, check that each one specifies: the extent of prep work included, the brand and line of paint being used, the number of coats, and whether the contractor is licensed, bonded, and insured. A bid that's vague on prep or paint quality is usually cheap for a reason.
Curious what your project would actually cost? Request a free estimate and we'll give you a real, written number, no pressure attached.
Skip the guesswork. Get a free, written, itemized estimate from a licensed and insured local crew.
