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Exterior Painting Cost in New Jersey (2026)

Repainting a 1,500 sq ft home in New Jersey typically runs $3,800–$10,800, with wood lap or shake siding the dominant residential substrate driving prep scope. New Jersey's combination of Atlantic coastal salt-spray on every Cape May, Atlantic, and Monmouth county exposure, persistent I-95 corridor humidity, and the highest pre-1978 housing-stock density in the Mid-Atlantic drives the most expensive average exterior repaint cycle in the Garden State — Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, and Elizabeth wood-lap repaints typically average 25-40% higher per-square-foot than national norms once NJ DCA lead-safe procedures, HIC compliance, and Jersey Shore marine-grade primer specs are factored into contractor pricing.

State New Jersey
Cities Covered 22
Typical 1,500 sq ft single-story exterior repaint $3,800 – $10,800
BLS painter wage $31.84/hr

New Jersey climate & coatings drivers

  • IECC climate zone: 4A-5A
  • Dominant residential substrate: Wood lap or shake — dominant pre-1990 substrate, drives full prep + caulk + prime + 2-coat
  • Annual humidity tier: Moderate — typical continental humidity, standard topcoat formulations adequate
  • UV exposure: Moderate — typical continental UV, standard binder packages adequate
  • Salt-air corrosion zone: High-corrosion coastal — marine-grade alkyd primer + stainless fastener replacement on every coastal repaint
  • Freeze-thaw cycling: High — 60-100 freeze-thaw cycles drive sealant inspection on every repaint
  • VOC architectural coatings rule: OTC Phase II — 100 g/L flat exterior topcoat limit (Northeast/Mid-Atlantic)

New Jersey licensing, lead-safe & permits

  • License status: Statewide registration required (no exam)
  • License board: New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs — Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration; NJ DCA Lead Evaluation Contractor for pre-1978 work (official site)
  • Permit: no permit required for repaint; HIC registration required above $500 contract; NJ DCA Lead Evaluation Contractor required for pre-1978 prep

How exterior repaint costs vary in New Jersey

State-specific code or insurance rule: New Jersey N.J.S.A. 56:8-136 (Contractors' Registration Act) requires every New Jersey painting contractor exceeding the $500 residential threshold to register with the Division of Consumer Affairs as a Home Improvement Contractor — and N.J.S.A. 52:27D-437.16 separately requires NJ DCA Lead Evaluation Contractor or Lead Abatement Contractor credentialing on every pre-1978 rental-housing repaint that disturbs more than 1 square foot of painted surface, with the New Jersey Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act capturing the majority of urban pre-1978 New Jersey residential repaint scope.

Cities in New Jersey

Compare exterior repaint pricing for 22 cities across New Jersey.

Atlantic City, NJ

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Bayonne, NJ

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Camden, NJ

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Clifton, NJ

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East Orange, NJ

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Elizabeth, NJ

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Hackensack, NJ

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Hoboken, NJ

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Jersey City, NJ

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Kearny, NJ

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Linden, NJ

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New Brunswick, NJ

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Newark, NJ

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Passaic, NJ

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Paterson, NJ

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Perth Amboy, NJ

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Plainfield, NJ

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Sayreville, NJ

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Trenton, NJ

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Union City, NJ

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Vineland, NJ

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West New York, NJ

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Pricing ranges reflect New Jersey market labor (BLS OEWS painter (construction & maintenance) mean $31.84/hr) and Woogoro regional cost modeling. For the most localized estimate, see your nearest city page above.