Exterior House Painting cost: Edmonds vs Vancouver (2026)
The two metros aren't quite in sync on exterior house painting: Edmonds sits 12% above Vancouver, or roughly $3,850 versus $3,450 — about $400 apart.
Edmonds WA
Typically around $3,850
Vancouver WA
Lower costTypically around $3,450
Edmonds vs Vancouver: full breakdown
| Factor | Edmonds | Vancouver |
|---|---|---|
| Typical 2026 cost | $3,850 | $3,450 |
| Estimated range | $2,200–$5,500 | $1,950–$4,900 |
| Labor index (vs US) | ×1.22 | ×1.09 |
| Climate zone | Mixed | Mixed |
| Climate factor | ×1 | ×1 |
| Local permit | None | None |
| Labor share | $2,700 | $2,400 |
| Materials/equipment | $1,150 | $1,050 |
Localized 2026 planning estimates — not quotes. Each city adjusts the national exterior house painting range for local labor, climate and permits.
How much should this gap actually matter?
A 12% spread (roughly $400) is significant enough to plan around, but not fixed — off-peak timing and sharper bidding in Edmonds typically recover some of it.
Exterior house painting by type: Edmonds vs Vancouver
Each exterior house painting option, priced separately for both metros — the same local labor, climate and permit adjustments applied per city, so you can compare like for like.
| Type | Edmonds | Vancouver |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $2,100–$4,900 | $1,850–$4,350 |
| Wood siding | $2,300–$5,500 | $2,050–$4,900 |
| Fiber-cement | $2,700–$6,250 | $2,400–$5,550 |
| Stucco | $2,700–$6,100 | $2,400–$5,450 |
| Brick | $3,050–$6,750 | $2,700–$5,950 |
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: Edmonds vs Vancouver
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 | Edmonds | Vancouver |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft home (1 story) | $1,850–$4,300 | $1,650–$3,800 |
| 1,500 sq ft home | $2,200–$5,500 | $1,950–$4,900 |
| 2,000 sq ft home | $2,700–$6,750 | $2,400–$5,950 |
| 2,500 sq ft home (2 story) | $3,650–$8,550 | $3,250–$7,600 |
| 3,000 sq ft home | $4,650–$10,400 | $4,100–$9,250 |
| 3,500+ sq ft home | $5,500–$12,250 | $4,900–$10,850 |
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
With labor making up about 70% of a exterior house painting job, wage differences between metros do most of the work here. These figures are real BLS OEWS installer wages, not modeled estimates.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro · about 32% above the US average installer wage.
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro · about 12% 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
There's a hard weather floor for exterior work (50-85°F), which crowds all that demand into summer. Interior jobs dodge that limit, so winter — when painters are otherwise slow — is when they cost the least.
What are you really paying for in a paint job?
Paint is the smallest line item in a painting budget — prep and labor are where the real cost sits. Our editors on where to actually spend.
The coverage case
A quote that promises 'one coat, done' is usually promising a thin film that telegraphs whatever was underneath. Primer and two finish coats is what holds the color and buries the old wall. Put both in writing; otherwise the cheaper bid is just less product spread further.
The prep-first case
Most of a durable coat is what happens to the surface first: filling holes, scuffing old sheen so the paint grips, sealing seams. Premium paint over an unwashed, unsanded wall fails just as fast as the bargain stuff. Spend on the hours a crew puts into the wall, not the label on the bucket.
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.
A paint job is only as good as the prep underneath it. Confirm coats and primer in writing, time the work to the season, and the finish will outlast a cheaper, thinner job.
Edmonds vs Vancouver
Is exterior house painting cheaper in Edmonds or Vancouver?
Yes — Edmonds costs more. Expect around $3,850 for exterior house painting there against $3,450 in Vancouver, about $400 (12%) apart in 2026.
Why does exterior house painting cost more in Edmonds than Vancouver?
Labor rates explain most of it — 1.22 in Edmonds vs 1.09 in Vancouver. A mixed climate versus mixed accounts for the rest.
How much is exterior house painting in Edmonds, WA?
exterior house painting in Edmonds runs $2,200–$5,500 as of 2026 — most jobs land near $3,850.
Do painting pros really charge more in one city?
It's not a myth — BLS data puts installer wages at about $41.1/hr in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area and $34.9/hr in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro. 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?
Timing doesn't change by city here — Winter for interior; dry spring/fall for exterior is the cheapest window in both Edmonds and Vancouver, saving roughly 10–20% (interior, off-season). Avoid mid-summer (exterior peak) in either location, when emergency replacements push prices up.
Should I choose where to live based on exterior house painting cost?
Probably not. Yes, $400 is a real gap, but it's a one-time cost you can partly offset in Edmonds with off-season timing and tighter bids. Long-term factors like energy prices and home condition matter more than this one number.
Compare exterior house painting in other cities
Updated June 2026 · By Serhat Özçelik