Let's dig in

1. Size of home: The size of the house is usually the single biggest factor in determining how much exterior painting costs. The paintable square footage of the exterior walls directly impacts the amount of paint and labor required. Soffits, gables, facia, and chimneys all add to the paint and labor required. 
2. Height of the house: Single-level ranch homes would definitely require less labor & tools than a two-level plus a walk-out basement. The ladders required plus the amount of time to safely move and adjust the ladders play a large part in the cost of labor for an exterior house painting project. A 2-story house can cost 50% or more than a similarly sized one-story house. This is also where you should put some serious thought into the project if you're considering doing it yourself. A major consideration when evaluating professional paint crews is ensuring you select a properly insured painter. If one painter slips off a ladder and gets injured, you'll want to be confident that they have their own insurance.
3. Quality of paint: The price of paint varies greatly. A gallon of paint can run from $20 for the low-end cheap stuff to over $80 for the top-quality acrylic options. If you are painting over brick, the paint will cost more. It is important to understand that choosing paint is far more than a cosmetic decision. You'll want to consider the protective qualities of the paint as well as the expected longevity. Simply put, better paint will last longer, and that's important in our harsh Colorado climate. The sun hits harder and wears down paint quicker. Hail will crack old and weak paint sooner than a new coat of high-quality paint. Cheaper paints will also fade sooner than quality paint. Keep in mind that even high-quality paint will fail earlier if the surface area is not prepped well. Have a conversation about the prep work your painter will do prior to applying paint to your home's exterior, and make sure they follow through. Untrustworthy painters might tell you what you want to hear, but if you're not there when the job is being done, they still may cut corners at this phase of the project.
4. Painting Method Employed: Rolling and brushing vs. spraying and brushing has a big impact on labor. You should know which method your painter is using and why. You should also understand if the paint application method complies with the manufacturer's recommendations. 
5. Current condition of the exterior: Has it been 15 to 20 years since your house was last painted? If so, your siding may have sustained damage that needs repair prior to applying a fresh coat or two of paint. Has it been attacked by our local woodpeckers or nuthatches? Or have squirrels found a gap in a soffit and made a nest inside your attic? Is the caulk around your trim and seams failing? Has hail caused your paint to chip and expose the underlying wood to the elements? A good painter will consider all these conditions in the estimate. A painter who is trying to win your business on a low bid will ignore the repair and prep work that goes into a quality job. 
6. Amount of doors, windows, and trim: Doors, windows, and accent trim all play into the labor cost because they all need to be carefully taped off prior to painting. If you want straight lines between your primary color and your trim color, good taping around all the trim is a must. Another consideration here is if you want "wrapped trim" where the trim paint wraps around the sides to the main body of the house, or will you just paint the flat surface of the trim as an accent color and paint the sides of the trim the same as the house. While wrapping the trim gives a nice visual depth, it requires more prep time, and the labor will be higher. 
7. Additional materials: Particularly considering damaged siding and repair work, there will be a materials component to your paint job beyond just the paint. A trustworthy painter will assess all the exterior and let you know if any pieces should be replaced prior to painting. Again, a sketchy contractor will just paint over weak spots in order to keep the cost of the job down. Instead, you should appreciate a professional who will be straight with you when discussing repairs that should be addressed. A legitimate painter who cares about his reputation doesn't want an unhappy homeowner a year down the road when the paint job fails due to rotting siding underneath. 
8. Travel required: Yes, if a weeklong project requires unusual travel to the remote cabin in the mountains, don't be surprised if a painter adds a travel fee either as a separate line item or simply embedded into the cost of the job. Considering the record-high cost of fuel these days, many industries are faced with the challenge of raising prices or adding a separate fuel surcharge to their estimates. Be sure to ask about travel-related charges before hiring any painting contractor in Colorado Springs.

How does all this factor into understanding how much exterior painting costs?

In general, an exterior paint job can run anywhere from $3,500 on the low end for a smaller single-story home to $10,000 or more for a larger home. Higher-end homes tend to have significantly more accent features, larger decks, and elaborate porches that will drive the cost even higher. If you consider all these factors we laid out above, you might get an idea if your home would be on the lower end of that scale, in the middle, or on the higher end. 

In terms of paint, you do get what you pay for. If you go for the cheapest paint applied by the lowest-priced painter, you will very likely have to paint your house again sooner than if you choose quality paint and a well-experienced professional painter. Check reviews and references!

We hope you will consider Front Range Painters in Colorado Springs for your exterior painting needs this season. If you are thinking about getting this done this year, you should definitely be calling around now as the good painters may get booked out longer than you prefer. We have several paint crews, so we can do multiple projects simultaneously, and the owner personally manages every one of them, beginning to end!