Localized for 1,000+ U.S. cities — adjusted for local labor, climate & permits
City comparison

Exterior House Painting cost: Brooklyn vs Fordham (2026)

Brooklyn and Fordham are a near-perfect match on exterior house painting cost in 2026, both landing around $3,750.

Brooklyn NY

$2,150 $5,350

Typically around $3,750

Fordham NY

$2,150 $5,350

Typically around $3,750

Side by side

Brooklyn vs Fordham: full breakdown

FactorBrooklynFordham
Typical 2026 cost$3,750$3,750
Estimated range$2,150–$5,350$2,150–$5,350
Labor index (vs US)×1.16×1.16
Climate zoneColdCold
Climate factor×1.02×1.02
Local permitNoneNone
Labor share$2,650$2,650
Materials/equipment$1,100$1,100

Exterior house painting numbers here are 2026 planning ranges, adjusted per city — useful for budgeting, not a substitute for an actual quote.

The verdict

No real cost edge either way

This is a statistical tie on exterior house painting cost, so let contractor reputation and project timing decide, not geography.

By type

Exterior house painting by type: Brooklyn vs Fordham

Every exterior house painting type gets its own localized price for each metro, using the same labor, climate and permit adjustments — a true apples-to-apples comparison.

TypeBrooklynFordham
Vinyl siding$2,000$4,750$2,000$4,750
Wood siding$2,250$5,350$2,250$5,350
Fiber-cement$2,600$6,050$2,600$6,050
Stucco$2,600$5,900$2,600$5,900
Brick$2,950$6,500$2,950$6,500

Exterior house painting numbers here are 2026 planning ranges, adjusted per city — useful for budgeting, not a substitute for an actual quote.

By size

Exterior house painting by home size: Brooklyn vs Fordham

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.

SizeBrooklynFordham
1,000 sq ft home (1 story)$1,800$4,150$1,800$4,150
1,500 sq ft home$2,150$5,350$2,150$5,350
2,000 sq ft home$2,600$6,500$2,600$6,500
2,500 sq ft home (2 story)$3,550$8,300$3,550$8,300
3,000 sq ft home$4,500$10,050$4,500$10,050
3,500+ sq ft home$5,350$11,850$5,350$11,850

Localized 2026 planning estimates — not quotes. Each city adjusts the national exterior house painting range for local labor, climate and permits.

Local labor reality

What painting pros earn in each metro

Since labor accounts for around 70% of what a exterior house painting job costs, it's the biggest lever behind any price gap between cities. What you're seeing below is actual BLS metro wage data for skilled installers — not a guess.

Brooklyn, NY
$38.3/hr

New York-Newark-Jersey City metro · about 23% above the US average installer wage.

Fordham, NY
$38.3/hr

New York-Newark-Jersey City metro · about 23% above the US average installer wage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metro wages for HVAC installers (used as a trade-labor index).

Best time to buy

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.

Best window
Winter for interior; dry spring/fall for exterior
Avoid
Mid-summer (exterior peak)
Off-peak savings
10–20% (interior, off-season)
Editors' roundtable

What are you really paying for in a paint job?

Most of a paint quote is labor and prep, not paint. Our editors on where the money should go.

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.

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

Interior work in the trade's slow winter season catches the best crews at the best price. Save exterior jobs for dry weather — rushing paint onto a damp or cold wall guarantees a redo.

Our take

The headline price on a painting bid tells you almost nothing — ask about prep and coat count instead. Two coats over primer, done in the right season, consistently outperforms the cheapest quote.

FAQ

Brooklyn vs Fordham

Is exterior house painting cheaper in Brooklyn or Fordham?

Practically identical — expect around $3,750 for exterior house painting whichever city you're in.

Why does exterior house painting cost more in Fordham than Brooklyn?

It comes down to labor: Fordham indexes at 1.16 against Brooklyn's 1.16. The cold-vs-cold climate difference adds to the gap.

How much is exterior house painting in Brooklyn, NY?

In Brooklyn, exterior house painting typically runs $2,150–$5,350 in 2026, with most homeowners paying around $3,750.

Do painting pros really charge more in one city?

Real wage data backs this up — skilled installers earn roughly $38.3/hr in New York-Newark-Jersey City compared with $38.3/hr in New York-Newark-Jersey City (BLS OEWS). Labor is about 70% of a exterior house painting job, so that wage gap is what mostly drives the price difference.

When is the cheapest time to buy exterior house painting — and does it differ by city?

The best window is the same in both Brooklyn and Fordham: Winter for interior; dry spring/fall for exterior, when demand drops and installers discount to keep crews busy — typically 10–20% (interior, off-season) off peak pricing. The most expensive time anywhere is an emergency replacement during mid-summer (exterior peak).

Should I choose where to live based on exterior house painting cost?

Not on this basis — Brooklyn and Fordham cost about the same. Weigh contractor quality, scope, equipment tier and timing instead.

Keep comparing

Compare exterior house painting in other cities

Updated June 2026 · By Serhat Özçelik