Key Takeaways
- Exterior painting averages $3,178. Most homes land between $1,819 and $4,551, or $1.50 to $4 per square foot of paintable area.
- Angi lists 1,500 square feet of paintable area at $2,250 to $6,000 and 2,000 square feet at $3,000 to $8,000.
- Extra stories and hard-to-reach spots such as dormers can raise the cost by about 50 percent per story.
- On the Jersey Shore, September is the practical month: the siding can dry, and nights are more likely to stay above the minimum printed on the can.
The average cost to paint the exterior of a house is $3,178, and most homeowners land between $1,819 and $4,551. The rate is about $1.50 to $4 per square foot of paintable area. The full national spread runs from $600 to $7,700. In Ocean Township and the rest of Monmouth County, two stories, cedar or older wood, and salt air push quotes toward the upper half of that band. September is when the weather finally cooperates.
Price by Size
Angi publishes this size table:
| Paintable area | Average cost to paint the exterior |
|---|---|
| 1,000 sq. ft. | $1,500–$4,000 |
| 1,500 sq. ft. | $2,250–$6,000 |
| 2,000 sq. ft. | $3,000–$8,000 |
| 2,500 sq. ft. | $3,750–$10,000 |
| 3,000 sq. ft. | $4,500–$12,000 |
A 2,000 square foot colonial in Tinton Falls is not automatically a $3,000 to $8,000 job. If the paintable skin is closer to 2,500 square feet once you count gables, that row is the one to use. Angi also says extra stories and hard-to-reach spots such as dormers can raise cost by around 50% per story. A lot of Long Branch and Asbury Park houses are two stories with a tight side yard. The ladder time is real.
Angi's regional split lists the Mideast at $4,300, against New England at $4,800 and the Southeast at $3,315. Treat $4,300 as a regional average, not a Monmouth County quote. Local bids still have to be walked.
Price by Siding
| Siding | Cost per sq. ft. | Typical total range |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | $1–$3 | $700–$3,000 |
| Vinyl | $1.25–$3 | $600–$3,500 |
| Stucco | $1.50–$4 | $1,400–$6,000 |
| Brick | $1.50–$4.50 | $3,500–$10,000 |
| Metal | $1.50–$2.50 | $400–$3,500 |
Source: Angi, exterior painting cost, 2026. Those totals are material-specific examples, not the whole-house average of $3,178. A full two-story wood house in Ocean Township will not come in at $700.
Peeling cedar, bare wood, and failed caulk at the window flanges are normal on houses within a couple of miles of the ocean. Salt and wind-driven rain get behind a thin coat. If the siding itself is soft, painting is the wrong trade. That is a siding repair, then paint. Our breakdown of DIY painting versus hiring it out covers the labor you do not see on the paint can.
Power washing is part of prep, not a separate luxury. Angi says to account for paint stripping, power washing, and permits in a band of about $200 to $300 on top of the paint job. For a wash-only visit, the pricing is in our NJ power washing cost guide.
When to Paint, and When Not To
PAA results keep asking what month is best. On this part of the Shore, late summer into early fall is the practical window. July and August air is often too humid for a clean cure. By late November the overnight temperature fights the product. September, the month this runs, is the overlap: warm enough days, fewer afternoon thunderstorms than July, and time for a coat to cure before the first hard cold.
Do not paint when:
- The siding is wet, or it rained and the wood has not dried.
- The forecast puts a nor'easter or a multi-day rain on top of a fresh coat.
- The overnight low will drop below the minimum printed on the paint can. Follow that number, not a rule of thumb from a blog.
- You are about to scrape paint on a pre-1978 house. The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule covers work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978. That is a containment job, not a Saturday scrape.
Color does not change the labor much. A deep red or a near-black may need an extra coat to cover a light base, and that is a material and time add. "What color looks expensive" is taste. What lasts here is a coating rated for exterior wood or masonry, with the caulk joints done before the finish coat.
How the Job Actually Runs
- Walk the house and mark rot. Soft trim gets carpentry before paint, or the new coat cracks at the same spot.
- Wash the surface. Mildew under paint comes right back through.
- Scrape and sand failed film. Prime every bare spot the same day so the wood does not sit open overnight in humid air.
- Recaulk window and door perimeters and the joints in the trim.
- Finish coats, cut in at the body color, then the trim.
- Check from the ground in raking light. Shore sun shows holidays a painter cannot see at noon.
Ladders on two-story homes are the hazard, not the paint. OSHA treats falls as one of the leading causes of death in construction. We do not send a homeowner up a tall ladder over a sloped side yard because the soffit only needs a touch. If the project is large enough to need scaffolding at the street, ask the town. Ordinary repainting of a house is not usually a building permit in Ocean Township. A lead job or work that blocks a sidewalk can be a different filing.
Windows with failed glazing compound often show up during the scrape. If the sash is rotten, painting the frame will not fix the glass. That is the moment to look at window replacement instead of encapsulating a failed unit.
If you want a walked number before the good weather window closes, call (732) 333-7800. Free estimates, licensed and insured, Ocean Township and Monmouth County. Start from our painting services page or the main handyman services page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much should it cost to paint the exterior of a 2,000 square foot house?
A: Angi lists 2,000 square feet of paintable area at $3,000 to $8,000, inside a national average of $3,178. Extra stories can add about 50% per story. Confirm the bid is using paintable area, not heated living space.
Q: How much does it cost to paint the exterior of a 1,500 sq ft house?
A: Angi's table puts 1,500 square feet of paintable area at $2,250 to $6,000. Wood in poor shape, or a tight lot that slows the ladders, sits at the top of that range.
Q: What time of year is best to paint a house in New Jersey?
A: Late summer through early fall, when the siding can dry and nights stay above the minimum on the can. In Monmouth County, September is the month that usually clears both bars. Do not paint into a coastal storm or onto wet wood.
Q: When should you not paint outside?
A: Skip wet siding, a rain forecast on fresh paint, and any night that will fall below the temperature on the product label. Also stop if the wood is soft or the failing coat may be lead-based on a pre-1978 house. Fix the substrate first.
Sources
- Angi : Cost to Paint the Exterior of a House (2026 Data)
- Angi : Interior and Exterior Painting Costs
- EPA : Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program
- OSHA : Fall Prevention
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