Painting the outside of a house costs $3,000 to $10,000 for an average 2,000 square foot home in 2026, by national published figures. Most San Bernardino houses are stucco, so this page leads with stucco. We do not publish a local price list, because the walls, the trim and the amount of repair set the price.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Local labor, paint prices and the condition of your own walls move the number up or down. Last checked October 2026.
How much does it cost to paint the exterior of a house?
It costs $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot to paint the exterior of a house, or $3,000 to $10,000 for an average 2,000 square foot home, by the national figures. HomeGuide's page on hiring a painter gives a lower range for a whole house exterior, $2,600 to $5,700. The two pages do not agree.
| Home size | Paintable area assumed | National range |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | 800 sq ft | $1,200 to $4,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | 1,200 sq ft | $1,800 to $6,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 1,700 sq ft | $2,600 to $8,500 |
| 2,500 sq ft | 2,100 sq ft | $3,200 to $10,500 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 2,500 sq ft | $3,800 to $12,500 |
How much does it cost to paint a stucco house, and what about vinyl or brick?
The cost to paint a stucco house is $1.00 to $5.50 per square foot, or $2,400 to $8,100 for an average home, by HomeGuide's stucco page. Its national average is $5,000. Stucco is what most of San Bernardino is built of, so this is the figure that fits most local homes.
| Stucco home size | National range |
|---|---|
| 1,000 to 1,500 sq ft | $1,000 to $6,600 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft | $1,200 to $9,400 |
| 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft | $1,700 to $11,600 |
| 2,500 to 3,000 sq ft | $2,100 to $13,800 |
Vinyl siding is listed at $1 to $3 per square foot ($1,500 to $5,000 for an average house) and brick at $1.50 to $4.50 per square foot ($2,000 to $8,000). Both are uncommon as whole-house walls here. The same source says elastomeric paint adds $900 to $2,000 over acrylic on a 2,000 square foot stucco house.
How much to paint a two-story house outside?
A two-story house costs more to paint than a one-story house of the same floor area, because there is more wall and it takes ladders or scaffolding. HomeGuide's main exterior page does not publish a figure by number of stories, and neither does its stucco page.
Figures by height exist only for other materials. For vinyl siding, two stories (1,500 to 2,500 square feet) are listed at $1,500 to $7,900. For brick, two-story work is $2.50 to $3.50 per square foot against $1.50 to $2.50 for one story. Treat those as a sign of the step up, not as a stucco price. We price two-story stucco after we see the access.
How much for a small single-story ranch house?
A small single-story ranch falls at the low end of the tables. By the national figures, a 1,000 square foot home is $1,200 to $4,000 and a 1,500 square foot home is $1,800 to $6,000 on the general exterior page. On the stucco page, 1,000 to 1,500 square feet is $1,000 to $6,600.
San Bernardino has thousands of postwar ranch houses in areas such as Del Rosa and the north end. They are quick to reach from the ground. What moves the price on them is the wood: fascia boards, eaves, rafter tails and patio covers that the sun has dried and cracked.
How much to paint just the trim, shutters and front door?
Exterior trim costs $1 to $4 per linear foot, or $1,000 to $2,500 for a house, by the national figures. Shutters are listed at $50 to $100 per pair and a front door at $125 to $225. A garage door is $150 to $550. Eaves, fascia and soffit are listed at $2 to $6 per linear foot.
A trim-only repaint makes sense here when the stucco color is still good but the fascia and eaves are peeling. Wood fails years before stucco in our sun.
Does the exterior price include power washing, scraping and caulking?
In our quotes, yes. Washing, scraping loose paint, caulking open joints and spot priming are included and written down. Not every painter includes them, so ask. As a guide, HomeGuide's stucco page lists pressure washing before painting at $175 to $360. No published figure exists for scraping a whole house or for caulking labor, so those are priced after a walkthrough.
How much more if the old paint is peeling?
Peeling paint adds cost, because it has to come off before new paint goes on. HomeGuide's painter page lists stripping at $1.91 to $2.38 per square foot, patching and sanding at $3.68 per square foot and priming at $2.63 to $7.05 per square foot. Those apply only to the areas that need the work, not the whole house.
On local houses, peeling is mostly on wood: fascia, eaves, window trim and garage doors. On stucco the usual problem is chalking and cracks instead. Stucco repair is listed at $8 to $50 per square foot. If the house was built before 1978, scraping also has to follow lead-safe rules.
Spray or roll outside: is there a cost or quality difference?
Spraying is faster, and rolling pushes paint into the surface. On textured stucco the best result often comes from doing both: spray the paint on, then roll it in while it is wet, which is called back-rolling. It fills the pores and small cracks. No published figure separates spray from roll, so we cannot give a number.
Wind matters here. Rialto, Fontana and the north end of San Bernardino get strong winds from the Cajon Pass. Spraying on a windy day is a mistake, because overspray lands on cars, windows and the house next door.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (909) 487-2695.