Exterior House Painting cost: Amarillo vs Dallas (2026)
The two metros aren't quite in sync on exterior house painting: Amarillo sits 2% below Dallas, or roughly $3,100 versus $3,150 — about $50 apart.
Amarillo TX
Lower costTypically around $3,100
Dallas TX
Typically around $3,150
Amarillo vs Dallas: full breakdown
| Factor | Amarillo | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Typical 2026 cost | $3,100 | $3,150 |
| Estimated range | $1,750–$4,400 | $1,800–$4,500 |
| Labor index (vs US) | ×0.94 | ×0.97 |
| Climate zone | Hot | Hot |
| Climate factor | ×1.03 | ×1.03 |
| Local permit | None | None |
| Labor share | $2,150 | $2,200 |
| Materials/equipment | $950 | $950 |
Treat these as 2026 localized estimates for exterior house painting, not quotes from a contractor.
How much should this gap actually matter?
2% is within noise for exterior house painting — contractor selection and timing move the price more than which of these two metros you're in.
Exterior house painting by type: Amarillo vs Dallas
Below, each exterior house painting option is priced independently for both cities, with identical local labor, climate and permit logic applied — so the comparison holds up.
| Type | Amarillo | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $1,650–$3,900 | $1,700–$4,000 |
| Wood siding | $1,850–$4,400 | $1,900–$4,500 |
| Fiber-cement | $2,150–$4,950 | $2,200–$5,100 |
| Stucco | $2,150–$4,850 | $2,200–$5,000 |
| Brick | $2,450–$5,350 | $2,500–$5,500 |
Exterior house painting numbers here are 2026 planning ranges, adjusted per city — useful for budgeting, not a substitute for an actual quote.
Exterior house painting by home size: Amarillo vs Dallas
Exterior painting is priced by the siding area, which tracks home size and the number of stories. Expect roughly $1–$4 per square foot of wall area; prep — scraping, sanding, and washing — often costs as much as the paint itself.
| Size | Amarillo | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft home (1 story) | $1,450–$3,400 | $1,500–$3,500 |
| 1,500 sq ft home | $1,750–$4,400 | $1,800–$4,500 |
| 2,000 sq ft home | $2,150–$5,350 | $2,200–$5,500 |
| 2,500 sq ft home (2 story) | $2,900–$6,800 | $3,000–$6,950 |
| 3,000 sq ft home | $3,700–$8,250 | $3,800–$8,450 |
| 3,500+ sq ft home | $4,400–$9,700 | $4,500–$9,950 |
These are 2026 planning figures for exterior house painting, localized to each city — not formal quotes.
What painting pros earn in each metro
About 70% of a exterior house painting bill goes to labor, so wage differences between these two metros matter more than almost anything else. These are real, government-sourced (BLS OEWS) installer wages, not estimates.
No BLS metro wage series for Amarillo; we use Texas regional price parity instead.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro · about 5% below the US average installer wage.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metro wages for HVAC installers (used as a trade-labor index).
Cheapest time for exterior house painting in either city
Summer is peak season for exterior painting because the weather demands it, and prices follow demand. Interior painting isn't weather-dependent at all, which makes it the cheapest job to book in a slow winter month.
What are you really paying for in a paint job?
A painting bid can look cheap and still deliver a bad result, because the number rarely reflects the prep behind it. Here's how our editors think about it.
The prep-first case
Surface prep — patching, sanding, caulking, washing — is most of a lasting finish. A bid that's cheap because it skips prep will peel within a year. Pay for the prep, not the brand name.
The timing case
Book interior rooms during the slow winter stretch and you get first-string crews without the summer premium. Outside work can't be pushed against the weather: wait until the siding is dry and temperatures hold, or the coat fails to bond and the whole wall comes back around.
The coverage case
Two coats over primer is the honest standard; one-coat bids hide thin coverage. Confirm coats and primer in writing so a "lower" price isn't just less paint on the wall.
Don't shop a painting quote on price alone — shop it on prep and coat count. Get those two right and the season timed correctly, and the result beats a bargain bid every time.
Amarillo vs Dallas
Is exterior house painting cheaper in Amarillo or Dallas?
Amarillo comes out ahead here, at roughly $3,100 for exterior house painting compared with $3,150 in Dallas — a 2% ($50) gap as of 2026.
Why does exterior house painting cost more in Dallas than Amarillo?
Labor rates explain most of it — 0.97 in Dallas vs 0.94 in Amarillo. A hot climate versus hot accounts for the rest.
How much is exterior house painting in Amarillo, TX?
In Amarillo, exterior house painting typically runs $1,750–$4,400 in 2026, with most homeowners paying around $3,100.
When is the cheapest time to buy exterior house painting — and does it differ by city?
It doesn't vary by location — Winter for interior; dry spring/fall for exterior is the discount window in both Amarillo and Dallas (roughly 10–20% (interior, off-season) off), while mid-summer (exterior peak) tends to be the most expensive in either city.
Should I choose where to live based on exterior house painting cost?
That would be a stretch. $50 is a one-time difference, not an ongoing one, and off-season buying plus apples-to-apples bids in Dallas can close a good chunk of it. What matters more long-term is energy costs, climate and the condition of the home.
Compare exterior house painting in other cities
Updated June 2026 · By Serhat Özçelik