What actually sets the price of painting a house in Dallas–Fort Worth

The short answer before the details

The price of painting a house in Dallas–Fort Worth is set mostly by labor, and labor is set by the condition of the surfaces, how hard they are to reach and how much preparation they need before any paint goes on. Size matters, but a smaller house with peeling trim and soft sills can cost more than a larger one in good shape. That is why I do not publish a per-square-foot price: the honest number comes from walking the house, and what I can give you here is the list of things that move it.

I am Andrey Shelokovskiy, owner of Nomad Painting. I trained as a petroleum engineer, spent six years at PPG Protective and Marine Coatings and I am a member of NACE, the corrosion engineers' association. I price jobs the way I was taught to think about coatings: the surface and the preparation decide how long the paint lasts, and they also decide most of what you pay.

Where the money in a paint job actually goes

A gallon of good paint is a small part of a typical bill. The large part is hours: moving furniture and covering floors, washing and scraping, filling and sanding, priming bare spots, caulking joints, masking windows and trim, and then applying two coats carefully enough that the lines are sharp. Our own estimate covers four broad things, the same ones listed in our FAQ: the size of the home, its condition, the materials chosen and the location.

Of those, condition is the one homeowners underestimate. A wall that only needs a fresh color goes fast. A wall with nail pops, patched holes that flash through the old paint, and a glossy surface that needs cleaning and scuffing before new paint will bond takes far longer. The same is true outside, where every peeling edge has to be scraped back to a sound line before primer goes on.

Protection and cleanup are real hours as well. Covering floors and furniture, masking windows and hardware, storing tools and materials at the end of each day and removing every piece of tape and plastic at the end are part of every job we do. A quote that seems to skip them either hides them somewhere else or leaves them to you.

What moves an exterior quote

Outside, the biggest swings come from how much failed paint there is and how high the work goes. A one-story ranch with intact paint that has simply faded is a different job from a two-story house with tall gables and curling trim on the sunny side.

• Amount of scraping, sanding and spot-priming the old coating needs
• Height and access: second stories, gables, steep lots and landscaping close to the walls
• Ratio of trim to flat siding, since trim is slow detail work
• Wood that is soft and has to be repaired or replaced before painting
• Open joints that need recaulking around windows, doors and siding
• Surface type: wood siding, fiber cement, brick and metal each take different products
• Extras such as garage doors, shutters, fences or a deck added to the scope

What moves an interior quote

Inside, the count of rooms matters less than what is in them and what is on the walls. Ceilings, trim and doors each add time, and so does every color change that needs an extra coat to cover.

• Number and size of rooms, and ceiling height
• Whether ceilings, baseboards, crown molding, doors and closets are included
• Drywall repair and texture matching before paint
• Strong color changes, such as dark to light, that need more coverage
• Furniture that has to be moved and protected
• Cabinets, wallpaper or popcorn ceiling removal added to the job

Specialty surfaces are priced on their own terms

Some surfaces are not really wall painting at all, and they carry their own logic. Kitchen cabinets are a good example. We remove and label doors, drawers and hardware, clean off grease, fill and sand, prime, and spray two coats of enamel in a contained spray area with sanding between coats. That is closer to furniture finishing than to rolling a wall, and it is priced that way, though it still costs far less than replacing the cabinets.

Brick, decks and floors each have their own variables too. On brick the choice between a standard acrylic system, a mineral paint or a limewash changes both the product cost and the method. On a deck or fence the condition of the wood and how much cleaning it needs before stain goes on drive the time. A garage floor coating depends heavily on the state of the concrete, which is why our floor page says preparation is where quality is won or lost. If you are getting one of these done alongside regular painting, ask for it as a separate line so you can see what it costs on its own.

Paint grade: the line item worth spending on

The product you choose changes the material line, and it is the one place I usually encourage clients to spend a little more. We work with Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore and PPG. On exteriors our standard choices include Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint, Duration or Emerald Rain Refresh. Inside, every paint we use is low- or zero-VOC, and kitchen cabinets get Benjamin Moore Scuff X, a cabinet-grade enamel.

A higher-grade paint costs more per gallon, but labor does not change much between a good product and a mediocre one, so the better paint adds a small percentage to the total while adding years to the result. Our FAQ says a properly prepared exterior with our materials should last about 7 to 10 years. Cut the preparation or the product and you shorten that, which means paying for the labor again sooner.

Costs that surprise people halfway through

Most budget surprises come from things nobody looked for during the estimate. Rotten wood is the classic one: it only shows once the old paint is scraped, unless someone pressed a screwdriver into the sills before quoting. A good estimate names the areas that might need carpentry and says how that work will be priced if it turns up.

Age of the house is another. Under the EPA's lead renovation rule, anyone paid to disturb paint in a home built before 1978 must be certified and follow lead-safe work practices, and the EPA notes that about three-quarters of pre-1978 homes still contain some lead-based paint. Containment and cleanup on those jobs take more time, and that belongs in the price from the start, not in a change order.

Finally, color. Basic color guidance comes with our estimate. If you want a deeper design consultation, we recommend a trusted color consultant, which is a separate cost worth deciding on early.

Reading an estimate line by line

An itemized estimate is the best tool you have for comparing painters. Ours lists the preparation, the products, the number of coats and what each part costs, with no hidden fees, so you can see exactly what you are paying for. A single lump sum tells you nothing about what was left out.

When you lay two estimates side by side, check that they describe the same work. Does each one include washing, scraping, priming bare wood and caulking? Does each name the product for each surface? Does each say two coats? If one is far cheaper, the gap is almost always in preparation. I wrote a separate list of the questions to ask a painter before you hire one that goes deeper on this.

Also look at what the price buys after the job ends. A written warranty has a real value, and it is worth understanding what a painting warranty covers and what it does not before you compare totals.

Lowering the price without cutting the wrong corner

There are honest ways to bring a quote down. Clear rooms of small items and fragile pieces yourself before the crew arrives. Group rooms into one project rather than three separate visits. Limit the number of colors, since every extra color adds cutting-in and cleanup. Decide on colors before the job starts, so nobody waits on a decision.

What I would not cut is preparation or primer on bare wood. A cheaper coat over chalk or peeling paint fails early, and the repaint costs more than the savings. If your exterior is already peeling, my guide on what peeling and chalking paint is telling you explains why the prep is the job.

If you are painting to sell, talk to your listing agent about which rooms buyers will notice most. A Dallas agent's view on pricing a home before you list can help you decide where paint money actually changes the result.

Getting a number for your own house

The way to get a real price is a free in-person estimate. A project manager or I walk the house with you, look at the surfaces, talk through finishes and paint types and note anything that needs repair. You then receive an itemized quote, and the scope and timeline are confirmed in a simple written agreement before work is scheduled.

You will get a more accurate quote if you prepare for that visit. Know which rooms or elevations you want done and which are optional. Point out anything that bothers you: a stain on a ceiling, a soft spot on a sill, cracks over a doorway. Mention any deadline, such as a listing date or a family event, and whether the house was built before 1978. Each of those changes the scope, and it is better to have them in the estimate than discovered on day two.

From there the same crew works the job from start to finish, cleans up daily and walks the house with you at the end for touch-ups. The work carries our two-year limited warranty on labor and materials. Whatever painter you choose, insist on that kind of clarity before you agree to a number.

Questions people ask me