Compare your painting quotes

How to compare painting quotes correctly

Painting quotes are deceptive because most homeowners focus on the price and ignore the prep. A $4,000 exterior quote and a $9,000 exterior quote often differ almost entirely in surface prep — scraping, sanding, priming, and caulking.

Paint brand and line matters more than most realize. Sherwin-Williams Emerald and Benjamin Moore Aura cost 3x the contractor-grade lines and last 2-3x as long. A quote that just says 'premium paint' without a line name is hiding a cheap product.

Always confirm how many coats are included, whether trim, doors, and ceilings are in scope, and what warranty is offered on peeling or fading.

Most important fields to compare

• Square footage
• Coats included (1 vs 2)
• Surface prep (scrape, sand, prime)
• Paint brand & line (SW Emerald, BM Aura, etc.)
• Caulking & patching
• Trim included?
• Doors included?
• Ceilings included?
• Warranty length
• Final cleanup

Helpful Painting Guides

• Painting quote analyzer
• Painting cost guide

Popular metros for painting pricing

City pages with metro-specific painting cost ranges, contractor signals, and quote benchmarks.

• New York, NY
• Los Angeles, CA
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Phoenix, AZ
• Dallas, TX
• Atlanta, GA
• Denver, CO
• Seattle, WA
• Austin, TX