Exterior Painting Cost in New York (2026)

Repainting a 1,500 sq ft home in New York typically runs $4,200–$12,400, with wood lap or shake siding the dominant residential substrate driving prep scope. New York's combination of 100+ annual freeze-thaw cycles in Upstate climate zones 5A-6A, Long Island Sound and Atlantic coastal salt-spray, and the highest pre-1960 housing-stock density in the country drives the most expensive average exterior repaint cycle in the Northeast — NYC, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany wood-lap and brick-veneer repaints typically run 30-60% higher per-square-foot than national norms once NYC HIC compliance, NY State DOH lead-safe procedures, and Long Island marine-grade primer specs are factored into contractor pricing.

State New York
Cities Covered 17
Typical 1,500 sq ft single-story exterior repaint $4,200 – $12,400
BLS painter wage $35.42/hr

New York climate & coatings drivers

  • IECC climate zone: 4A-5A-6A
  • 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: Moderate-corrosion coastal — marine primer recommended on bayfront and tidal exposures
  • Freeze-thaw cycling: Very high — 100+ annual freeze-thaw cycles drive caulk-and-recaulk on every repaint
  • VOC architectural coatings rule: OTC Phase II — 100 g/L flat exterior topcoat limit (Northeast/Mid-Atlantic)

New York licensing, lead-safe & permits

  • License status: No statewide license — municipal credentials only
  • License board: No statewide painting license — NYC Department of Consumer & Worker Protection issues municipal contractor credentials; NY State DOH Lead Hazard Reduction Contractor required for pre-1978 work (official site)
  • Permit: no permit required for repaint; NYC HIC license required above $200 contract within five boroughs; NY State DOH Lead Hazard Reduction Contractor required for pre-1978 prep

How exterior repaint costs vary in New York

State-specific code or insurance rule: New York City Administrative Code §20-386 imposes the most restrictive municipal home-improvement contractor scheme in the country — every NYC residential painting contractor exceeding the $200 contract threshold must hold a NYC Department of Consumer & Worker Protection HIC license with a $20,000 surety bond on file, and Local Law 1 of 2004 plus NYC Health Code §173.13 separately impose enhanced lead-safe work practice requirements on every pre-1960 NYC residential repaint that disturbs more than 2 square feet of painted surface, the most restrictive municipal lead-safe trigger in the country.

Cities in New York

Compare exterior repaint pricing for 17 cities across New York.

Got a quote? Check if it's fair.

Upload your estimate for an instant price and scope review tuned to New York labor and material rates.

Analyze your quote

More state guides