Planning a full repaint
A house painting project may cover the outside, the inside or both. On the outside, the scope usually includes siding, trim, porches, windows, doors and shutters. Inside, it covers walls, ceilings, trim and doors. Some homeowners do the exterior one year and the interior the next, while others combine them so the colors feel connected and the painter has indoor work for rainy days.
In Sleepy Hollow, where many homes are a century old or more, the house sets the pace. A simple modern colonial and an ornate older home of the same size can take very different amounts of time.
What older homes need
Paint on an old house fails where water gets in: sills, porch floors, the bottom edges of clapboards and joints around trim. Before new paint goes on, a painter should wash and dry the surfaces, scrape and sand loose paint, repair or replace rotted wood, reglaze or caulk windows where needed and prime bare wood. Those steps usually take longer than painting itself.
- Clapboard and wood shingle siding
- Porches, spindles, brackets and porch ceilings
- Old window sashes and storm windows
- Doors, shutters and decorative trim
- Plaster walls and layered interior trim
Lead-safe practice
Most Sleepy Hollow homes with original wood have paint layers from before 1978. Federal rules require paid contractors who disturb that paint to be EPA Lead-Safe Certified firms, to cover the ground and contain chips, to limit dust and to clean up thoroughly. Ask how the painter will do this and how they will dispose of debris.
Questions for the estimate
Ask each painter to list the surfaces, the prep and repair steps, the paint brand and line, the number of coats and the payment schedule. Ask how they handle surprises, such as rot that shows up after scraping. When two prices differ widely, look at prep and repair before anything else.
Typical house painting costs
Published ranges from This Old House.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Exterior, 1,200 sq ft home | $2,600 to $5,300 |
| Exterior, 2,000 sq ft home | $4,400 to $8,800 |
| Exterior, three stories, 2,000 sq ft | $8,300 to $15,200 |
| Interior, 1,500 sq ft home | $1,500 to $6,000 |
| Interior, 2,500 sq ft home | $2,500 to $10,000 |
National ranges from the published sources below, shown as a guide only. They are not quotes, and older homes in the lower Hudson Valley often cost more to paint.
Sources: This Old House, exterior house painting costs; This Old House, interior painting costs
Questions homeowners ask
How long does it take to repaint an older house?
It depends on size, detail and condition. Heavy scraping and wood repair can double the time compared with a newer house. Ask the painter for a written schedule.
Should I strip all the old paint?
Full stripping is rarely needed and adds cost and lead exposure. Most painters remove loose paint and feather the edges. Ask what your house actually needs.
Can I stay in the house during the work?
Usually yes for exterior work. For interior rooms, painters often work a few at a time. On older homes, ask how work areas will be sealed.
Can painters work around old landscaping?
Yes. Painters tie back shrubs, cover beds with drop cloths or sheeting and keep ladders off delicate plantings. Mention any plants or garden areas you want protected.
Other services
Exterior house painting
Siding, porches, sashes and trim on older homes.
Interior painting
Plaster walls, ceilings, trim and doors.
Kitchen cabinet painting
Paint solid cabinets instead of replacing them.
Deck and fence staining
Clean and stain decks, porches, rails and fences.
Wallpaper removal
Strip old paper and prepare walls for paint.
Trim and siding painting
Sills, sashes, brackets, fascia and siding sections.