What to Know About Getting Your Home’s Exterior Trim Painted
Learn when it makes sense to change the color of your exterior trim and how much this project might cost
Erin Carlyle
July 31, 2018
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes to remodel. Former Forbes real estate reporter. Fascinated by cool homes, watching the bottom line.
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes... More
Whether you’ve purchased a home recently or had yours for a while, changing your trim color can be an effective way to give your house a new look. Here’s what to know about working with a pro to paint your exterior trim, including how much it might cost.
What Is Trim?
Trim on a home’s exterior typically includes the material that edges the windows and doors, the fascia board that runs along the lower edge of the roof and the soffits beneath the roof. Depending on the style of your home, your trim could include more elements, like a horizontal trim board that runs beneath the fascia.
A Victorian home may have corbels and carvings, scalloped gable board, shutters around the windows and spindles that line a porch — all features that would be considered part of the exterior trim. Traditionally, whether a home has brick, stucco or stone siding, the trim material is wood.
Is It a Good Idea to Paint Just Your Home’s Trim?
If you’re considering changing your home’s exterior trim color, you might as well think about whether it’s also time to paint the main body of your home. Generally, it’s a good idea to paint your house about every 7 to 10 years, says Jeff DuPont of Sound Painting Solutions in Seattle. Paint jobs on siding and trim usually fail at the same rate, so most of his exterior jobs involve refreshing both, he says.
But if the paint on the body of your home is in good condition, which means not peeling or curling up, it’s fine (and quite a bit less expensive) to paint just the trim of your home, DuPont says. “The most common thing we see is Mrs. Jones bought a house last year and she likes the soft green body color, but the trim is gray and she wants it to be white,” DuPont says.
How to Get Your Home’s Exterior Painted
Trim on a home’s exterior typically includes the material that edges the windows and doors, the fascia board that runs along the lower edge of the roof and the soffits beneath the roof. Depending on the style of your home, your trim could include more elements, like a horizontal trim board that runs beneath the fascia.
A Victorian home may have corbels and carvings, scalloped gable board, shutters around the windows and spindles that line a porch — all features that would be considered part of the exterior trim. Traditionally, whether a home has brick, stucco or stone siding, the trim material is wood.
Is It a Good Idea to Paint Just Your Home’s Trim?
If you’re considering changing your home’s exterior trim color, you might as well think about whether it’s also time to paint the main body of your home. Generally, it’s a good idea to paint your house about every 7 to 10 years, says Jeff DuPont of Sound Painting Solutions in Seattle. Paint jobs on siding and trim usually fail at the same rate, so most of his exterior jobs involve refreshing both, he says.
But if the paint on the body of your home is in good condition, which means not peeling or curling up, it’s fine (and quite a bit less expensive) to paint just the trim of your home, DuPont says. “The most common thing we see is Mrs. Jones bought a house last year and she likes the soft green body color, but the trim is gray and she wants it to be white,” DuPont says.
How to Get Your Home’s Exterior Painted
How Much Does It Cost to Paint Exterior Trim on a House?
The cost to paint your trim can range from the low $1,000s into the tens of thousands depending on your home’s size, the complexity of the project and the cost of labor in your area. In Seattle, where DuPont lives, painting the trim on a typical 1,500- to 1,800-square-foot home would cost about $2,900 to $3,500. A similar job would cost $3,000 to $6,000 in Marblehead, Massachusetts, says John Speridakos, who runs Cosmos Painting Co. there. Outside Mobile, Alabama, in Spanish Fort, the job would cost $1,800 to $3,000. Call around to get a sense of rates where you live.
In most cases, painting the whole house would double the cost — so if it’s not necessary to paint the siding, updating just the trim can be a cost-effective way to refresh your home’s exterior. Keep in mind that hiring painters to do both the body and trim can save on total cost, since part of what’s built into the price of each job is the time it takes to set up and clean up.
Find painting professionals in the Houzz directory
The cost to paint your trim can range from the low $1,000s into the tens of thousands depending on your home’s size, the complexity of the project and the cost of labor in your area. In Seattle, where DuPont lives, painting the trim on a typical 1,500- to 1,800-square-foot home would cost about $2,900 to $3,500. A similar job would cost $3,000 to $6,000 in Marblehead, Massachusetts, says John Speridakos, who runs Cosmos Painting Co. there. Outside Mobile, Alabama, in Spanish Fort, the job would cost $1,800 to $3,000. Call around to get a sense of rates where you live.
In most cases, painting the whole house would double the cost — so if it’s not necessary to paint the siding, updating just the trim can be a cost-effective way to refresh your home’s exterior. Keep in mind that hiring painters to do both the body and trim can save on total cost, since part of what’s built into the price of each job is the time it takes to set up and clean up.
Find painting professionals in the Houzz directory
How Long Does It Take to Paint Trim?
Painting the trim on a 1,500- to 1,800-square-foot home typically takes two to four days. Adding the main body of the home to the job would typically double the time.
“Sometimes people are taken aback by the fact that it’s almost the same investment for trim” as for the siding itself, says Katie McCarron of Pro 1 Painters in Spanish Fort, Alabama. Trim is typically painted with brushes, which is slow detail work compared to the speed of spraying or rolling paint onto large swaths of siding.
Painting the trim on a 1,500- to 1,800-square-foot home typically takes two to four days. Adding the main body of the home to the job would typically double the time.
“Sometimes people are taken aback by the fact that it’s almost the same investment for trim” as for the siding itself, says Katie McCarron of Pro 1 Painters in Spanish Fort, Alabama. Trim is typically painted with brushes, which is slow detail work compared to the speed of spraying or rolling paint onto large swaths of siding.
How to Get Started With Painting Your Exterior Trim
Find the right painting pro. The first step is to choose a professional painter to work with. Look for one with good reviews and who is licensed and insured. If your house was built before 1978, make sure your painter is certified to work with lead paint. If not properly handled, lead paint can “make you sicker than you realize quicker than you realize,” McCarron says.
Also find out if your paint company would handle any needed repairs to rotted wood trim, or if you’d need to hire a carpenter separately. You also want your painter to be someone who communicates clearly and whom you feel comfortable working with. As with any pro, it’s a good idea to speak with two or three professional painters before you select one to work with.
How to Find Your Renovation Team
Before work starts. Most professionals will come to your home for a free consultation and come up with a cost estimate for painting your trim. An experienced pro will be able to spot most of the rotted or damaged trim that needs carpentry work to repair, though damage could also show up during the job.
Before work starts you should get a contract spelling out what specifically is to be done, how much it will cost and how and in what timeframe you will pay. You also want to be clear on the cancellation terms, meaning what would happen if for some reason you should have to cancel the job. Finally, a contract should include information about how long the contractor warranties the work.
Before the painters arrive, you should remove any lights or other accessories attached to the home and trim any bushes or branches brushing up against the siding. Planters or plants that will be in the way should also be moved.
Find the right painting pro. The first step is to choose a professional painter to work with. Look for one with good reviews and who is licensed and insured. If your house was built before 1978, make sure your painter is certified to work with lead paint. If not properly handled, lead paint can “make you sicker than you realize quicker than you realize,” McCarron says.
Also find out if your paint company would handle any needed repairs to rotted wood trim, or if you’d need to hire a carpenter separately. You also want your painter to be someone who communicates clearly and whom you feel comfortable working with. As with any pro, it’s a good idea to speak with two or three professional painters before you select one to work with.
How to Find Your Renovation Team
Before work starts. Most professionals will come to your home for a free consultation and come up with a cost estimate for painting your trim. An experienced pro will be able to spot most of the rotted or damaged trim that needs carpentry work to repair, though damage could also show up during the job.
Before work starts you should get a contract spelling out what specifically is to be done, how much it will cost and how and in what timeframe you will pay. You also want to be clear on the cancellation terms, meaning what would happen if for some reason you should have to cancel the job. Finally, a contract should include information about how long the contractor warranties the work.
Before the painters arrive, you should remove any lights or other accessories attached to the home and trim any bushes or branches brushing up against the siding. Planters or plants that will be in the way should also be moved.
During the paint job. Once work gets started, your painters will scrape and sand the existing paint. This will expose the condition of your trim and potentially any additional rotted wood that wasn’t visible before, which could add to the cost of the job. Painters may repair window casings, corner boards or fascia boards themselves, or the company may have a carpenter on staff who can do the work. If the needed repairs are extensive or your painting company doesn’t handle these types of repairs, your pro may call in a carpenter, or ask you to do so. If making the call is left to you, your painter may be able to refer you to some good carpenters.
Find carpenters in your area
Once any rotting is repaired, the painter will caulk any holes or gaps in the trim’s seams to keep moisture out. Then the painter will apply primer to the trim and paint it. Oil-based primers are popular for penetrating and sealing wood trim and providing good adhesion. The finish color is typically done with water-based latex paint.
Should You Paint Your Trim Yourself?
Many people hire pros to paint their trim simply because they don’t have the time to do it themselves, says Speridakos, the Massachusetts painting pro. It’s also nice to know that your home is in the hands of an experienced professional who stands behind his or her work. And there’s another reason that the budget-minded might consider: Professionals already have the required tools.
“Most homeowners don’t have 24-foot ladders and tarps,” DuPont says, and purchasing a ladder (or a few) tall enough to reach the upper trim on your second story plus dropcloths and brushes isn’t cheap. And hiking up one of these ladders and waving a paintbrush around can be dangerous.
Find carpenters in your area
Once any rotting is repaired, the painter will caulk any holes or gaps in the trim’s seams to keep moisture out. Then the painter will apply primer to the trim and paint it. Oil-based primers are popular for penetrating and sealing wood trim and providing good adhesion. The finish color is typically done with water-based latex paint.
Should You Paint Your Trim Yourself?
Many people hire pros to paint their trim simply because they don’t have the time to do it themselves, says Speridakos, the Massachusetts painting pro. It’s also nice to know that your home is in the hands of an experienced professional who stands behind his or her work. And there’s another reason that the budget-minded might consider: Professionals already have the required tools.
“Most homeowners don’t have 24-foot ladders and tarps,” DuPont says, and purchasing a ladder (or a few) tall enough to reach the upper trim on your second story plus dropcloths and brushes isn’t cheap. And hiking up one of these ladders and waving a paintbrush around can be dangerous.
What Color Should You Paint Your Exterior Trim?
A professional designer or color consultant can help you select a specific exterior paint palette. Some paint companies have designers on staff or can recommend one to help you choose the right color. To get inspired, search through photos of home exteriors that have the same main color as your home, noticing which trim colors you’re most drawn to. Before you invest in the final paint selection, you might get samples of your favorites and put them on large sections of the trim on each side of your house to see how the colors look against your home in real life.
Find professional color consultants
When Is the Best Time to Paint Your Trim?
Exterior painting is a weather-dependent project, so the best time of year will depend on your local climate. If you’re in a year-round warm and arid region, painting can be done any time; if you live in a place where the temperature dips below freezing or there are seasonal heavy rains, wait for mild weather to get your trim painted.
More
How to Choose the Right Exterior Color
How to Paint Your Front Door, From Start to Finish
How to Touch Up Your Home’s Exterior Paint
Browse designer exterior palettes
A professional designer or color consultant can help you select a specific exterior paint palette. Some paint companies have designers on staff or can recommend one to help you choose the right color. To get inspired, search through photos of home exteriors that have the same main color as your home, noticing which trim colors you’re most drawn to. Before you invest in the final paint selection, you might get samples of your favorites and put them on large sections of the trim on each side of your house to see how the colors look against your home in real life.
Find professional color consultants
When Is the Best Time to Paint Your Trim?
Exterior painting is a weather-dependent project, so the best time of year will depend on your local climate. If you’re in a year-round warm and arid region, painting can be done any time; if you live in a place where the temperature dips below freezing or there are seasonal heavy rains, wait for mild weather to get your trim painted.
More
How to Choose the Right Exterior Color
How to Paint Your Front Door, From Start to Finish
How to Touch Up Your Home’s Exterior Paint
Browse designer exterior palettes
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"The only time" - that is a broad brush to use. My trim is one color. I think it looks better. Different places different ways of doing things - it is what travel is all about.
I disagree strongly with just simply "painters will scrape and sand the existing paint." If paint looks failing or cosmetically poor, strip it all off for a nice new paint job. Otherwise, the repainted surface will look uneven and pocked when light shows on it. Why spend all that money or your personal time doing a job that looks low quality.
I found an as-seen-on-TV kind of product that actually works very well and is inexpensive and light weight - especially on old crackled lead paint.
https://www.amazon.com/SPECIAL-MACHINE-TOOL-Coarse-Stripper/dp/B00002N9E2/ref=asc_df_B00002N9E2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241914349407&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8514546462091651187&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017959&hvtargid=pla-440961210378&psc=1
There is fine version too.