Exterior House Painting cost: Los Angeles vs Nashua (2026)
Budget-wise, exterior house painting in Los Angeles ($3,500) runs 3% more than in Nashua ($3,400), a roughly $100 spread.
Los Angeles CA
Typically around $3,500
Nashua NH
Lower costTypically around $3,400
Los Angeles vs Nashua: full breakdown
| Factor | Los Angeles | Nashua |
|---|---|---|
| Typical 2026 cost | $3,500 | $3,400 |
| Estimated range | $2,000–$5,000 | $1,950–$4,850 |
| Labor index (vs US) | ×1.11 | ×1.06 |
| Climate zone | Mixed | Cold |
| Climate factor | ×1 | ×1.02 |
| Local permit | None | None |
| Labor share | $2,450 | $2,400 |
| Materials/equipment | $1,050 | $1,000 |
Exterior house painting numbers here are 2026 planning ranges, adjusted per city — useful for budgeting, not a substitute for an actual quote.
How much should this gap actually matter?
That 3% gap is small — for exterior house painting it's usually less than the spread between two local contractors' quotes, so the metro matters far less than who you hire and when you buy.
Exterior house painting by type: Los Angeles vs Nashua
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 | Los Angeles | Nashua |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $1,900–$4,450 | $1,850–$4,300 |
| Wood siding | $2,100–$5,000 | $2,050–$4,850 |
| Fiber-cement | $2,450–$5,650 | $2,350–$5,500 |
| Stucco | $2,450–$5,550 | $2,350–$5,400 |
| Brick | $2,750–$6,100 | $2,700–$5,900 |
Localized 2026 planning estimates — not quotes. Each city adjusts the national exterior house painting range for local labor, climate and permits.
Exterior house painting by home size: Los Angeles vs Nashua
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 | Los Angeles | Nashua |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft home (1 story) | $1,650–$3,850 | $1,600–$3,750 |
| 1,500 sq ft home | $2,000–$5,000 | $1,950–$4,850 |
| 2,000 sq ft home | $2,450–$6,100 | $2,350–$5,900 |
| 2,500 sq ft home (2 story) | $3,300–$7,750 | $3,250–$7,550 |
| 3,000 sq ft home | $4,200–$9,400 | $4,100–$9,150 |
| 3,500+ sq ft home | $5,000–$11,050 | $4,850–$10,750 |
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
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.
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro · about 15% above the US average installer wage.
No BLS metro wage series for Nashua; we use New Hampshire regional price parity instead.
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?
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 timing case
Winter is dead season for interior painters, and the good crews will take your rooms then at a rate they won't quote in July. Exterior work runs the opposite calendar — it needs dry, mild days, so hold it for spring or fall. Paint rolled onto a cold or damp wall never cures right, and you end up paying for the job twice.
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.
The prep-first case
The finish that lasts is built before the first coat goes on — washing, sanding glossy spots, patching nail holes, caulking gaps. Skip that and the paint releases from the wall within a season, no matter whose can it came from. A bid comes in low mostly by cutting the prep hours, so read that line before you read the brand line.
A low bid usually buys you less prep and one thin coat, which reads as savings right up until the wall starts showing wear. Ask what surface work is included and how many coats you're getting before you line the totals up against each other.
Los Angeles vs Nashua
Is exterior house painting cheaper in Los Angeles or Nashua?
Yes — Los Angeles costs more. Expect around $3,500 for exterior house painting there against $3,400 in Nashua, about $100 (3%) apart in 2026.
Why does exterior house painting cost more in Los Angeles than Nashua?
It comes down to labor: Los Angeles indexes at 1.11 against Nashua's 1.06. The mixed-vs-cold climate difference adds to the gap.
How much is exterior house painting in Los Angeles, CA?
Los Angeles homeowners can expect $2,000 to $5,000 for exterior house painting in 2026, with $3,500 the typical number.
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 Los Angeles and Nashua (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?
Probably not. Yes, $100 is a real gap, but it's a one-time cost you can partly offset in Los Angeles 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