Exterior House Painting cost: Brooklyn vs Philadelphia (2026)
Budget-wise, exterior house painting in Brooklyn ($3,750) runs 10% more than in Philadelphia ($3,400), a roughly $350 spread.
Brooklyn NY
Typically around $3,750
Philadelphia PA
Lower costTypically around $3,400
Brooklyn vs Philadelphia: full breakdown
| Factor | Brooklyn | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Typical 2026 cost | $3,750 | $3,400 |
| Estimated range | $2,150–$5,350 | $1,950–$4,800 |
| Labor index (vs US) | ×1.16 | ×1.05 |
| Climate zone | Cold | Cold |
| Climate factor | ×1.02 | ×1.02 |
| Local permit | None | None |
| Labor share | $2,650 | $2,400 |
| Materials/equipment | $1,100 | $1,000 |
These are 2026 planning figures for exterior house painting, localized to each city — not formal quotes.
How much should this gap actually matter?
A 10% spread (roughly $350) is significant enough to plan around, but not fixed — off-peak timing and sharper bidding in Brooklyn typically recover some of it.
Exterior house painting by type: Brooklyn vs Philadelphia
We localize each exterior house painting type separately for both metros, applying the same labor, climate and permit adjustments each time, so you're comparing like for like.
| Type | Brooklyn | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $2,000–$4,750 | $1,800–$4,300 |
| Wood siding | $2,250–$5,350 | $2,050–$4,800 |
| Fiber-cement | $2,600–$6,050 | $2,350–$5,450 |
| Stucco | $2,600–$5,900 | $2,350–$5,350 |
| Brick | $2,950–$6,500 | $2,700–$5,900 |
These are 2026 planning figures for exterior house painting, localized to each city — not formal quotes.
Exterior house painting by home size: Brooklyn vs Philadelphia
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 | Brooklyn | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft home (1 story) | $1,800–$4,150 | $1,600–$3,750 |
| 1,500 sq ft home | $2,150–$5,350 | $1,950–$4,800 |
| 2,000 sq ft home | $2,600–$6,500 | $2,350–$5,900 |
| 2,500 sq ft home (2 story) | $3,550–$8,300 | $3,200–$7,500 |
| 3,000 sq ft home | $4,500–$10,050 | $4,050–$9,100 |
| 3,500+ sq ft home | $5,350–$11,850 | $4,800–$10,700 |
All figures are 2026 localized planning estimates for exterior house painting — get an actual quote before you commit.
What painting pros earn in each metro
Labor is about 70% of a exterior house painting bill, so local wages drive most of the gap. These are real metro hourly wages for skilled installers (BLS OEWS), not estimates.
New York-Newark-Jersey City metro · about 23% above the US average installer wage.
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro · about 7% 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).
Cheapest time for exterior house painting in either city
Exterior paint needs dry weather (50–85°F), so summer is peak and priciest. Interior work has no weather limit, and winter is the trade's slow season — the cheapest time to book.
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 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.
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 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.
Brooklyn vs Philadelphia
Is exterior house painting cheaper in Brooklyn or Philadelphia?
Philadelphia wins on price: exterior house painting runs about $3,400 there versus $3,750 in Brooklyn, a gap of roughly $350 (10%) as of 2026.
Why does exterior house painting cost more in Brooklyn than Philadelphia?
Brooklyn's higher labor index (1.16 vs 1.05 in Philadelphia) is the biggest factor, with the cold/cold climate split playing a smaller role.
How much is exterior house painting in Brooklyn, NY?
Expect to pay $2,150 to $5,350 for exterior house painting in Brooklyn in 2026, averaging around $3,750.
Do painting pros really charge more in one city?
It's not a myth — BLS data puts installer wages at about $38.3/hr in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area and $33.4/hr in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington. Given labor is around 70% of a exterior house painting job's cost, that gap explains most of the price spread.
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 Philadelphia: 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?
That would be a stretch. $350 is a one-time difference, not an ongoing one, and off-season buying plus apples-to-apples bids in Brooklyn 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