Exterior House Painting cost: Fort Worth vs Pasadena (2026)
In 2026, exterior house painting is about 2% more expensive in Fort Worth than in Pasadena. Most homeowners pay around $3,150 in Fort Worth versus $3,100 in Pasadena — a gap of roughly $50.
Fort Worth TX
Typically around $3,150
Pasadena TX
Lower costTypically around $3,100
Fort Worth vs Pasadena: full breakdown
| Factor | Fort Worth | Pasadena |
|---|---|---|
| Typical 2026 cost | $3,150 | $3,100 |
| Estimated range | $1,800–$4,500 | $1,750–$4,400 |
| Labor index (vs US) | ×0.97 | ×0.95 |
| Climate zone | Hot | Hot |
| Climate factor | ×1.03 | ×1.03 |
| Local permit | None | None |
| Labor share | $2,200 | $2,150 |
| Materials/equipment | $950 | $950 |
Localized 2026 planning estimates — not quotes. Each city adjusts the national exterior house painting range for local labor, climate and permits.
Is the price difference a dealbreaker?
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: Fort Worth vs Pasadena
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 | Fort Worth | Pasadena |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $1,700–$4,000 | $1,650–$3,900 |
| Wood siding | $1,900–$4,500 | $1,850–$4,400 |
| Fiber-cement | $2,200–$5,100 | $2,150–$5,000 |
| Stucco | $2,200–$5,000 | $2,150–$4,900 |
| Brick | $2,500–$5,500 | $2,450–$5,400 |
Treat these as 2026 localized estimates for exterior house painting, not quotes from a contractor.
Exterior house painting by home size: Fort Worth vs Pasadena
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 | Fort Worth | Pasadena |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft home (1 story) | $1,500–$3,500 | $1,450–$3,450 |
| 1,500 sq ft home | $1,800–$4,500 | $1,750–$4,400 |
| 2,000 sq ft home | $2,200–$5,500 | $2,150–$5,400 |
| 2,500 sq ft home (2 story) | $3,000–$6,950 | $2,950–$6,850 |
| 3,000 sq ft home | $3,800–$8,450 | $3,750–$8,350 |
| 3,500+ sq ft home | $4,500–$9,950 | $4,400–$9,800 |
Localized 2026 planning estimates — not quotes. Each city adjusts the national exterior house painting range for local labor, climate and permits.
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.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro · about 5% below the US average installer wage.
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro · about 7% 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
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 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 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 coverage case
One-coat quotes win on price by putting less paint on the wall, and you see the difference within months as the old color ghosts through. The defensible standard is primer plus two finish coats. Get coat count and primer named in the contract so a lower number can't quietly mean thinner coverage.
Two numbers matter more than the total: how many hours go into prep and how many coats land on the wall. Get both right — real surface work, primer under two finish coats, timed to the season — and the result outlasts anything you'd save on the cheapest quote.
Fort Worth vs Pasadena
Is exterior house painting cheaper in Fort Worth or Pasadena?
Pasadena wins on price: exterior house painting runs about $3,100 there versus $3,150 in Fort Worth, a gap of roughly $50 (2%) as of 2026.
Why does exterior house painting cost more in Fort Worth than Pasadena?
Fort Worth's higher labor index (0.97 vs 0.95 in Pasadena) is the biggest factor, with the hot/hot climate split playing a smaller role.
How much is exterior house painting in Fort Worth, TX?
Fort Worth homeowners can expect $1,800 to $4,500 for exterior house painting in 2026, with $3,150 the typical number.
Do painting pros really charge more in one city?
Real wage data backs this up — skilled installers earn roughly $29.7/hr in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compared with $29/hr in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands (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 Fort Worth and Pasadena: 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. $50 is a one-time difference, not an ongoing one, and off-season buying plus apples-to-apples bids in Fort Worth 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