Exterior House Painting cost: Los Angeles vs The Bronx (2026)
Los Angeles runs 7% lower than The Bronx for exterior house painting — expect around $3,500 in Los Angeles against $3,750 in The Bronx, a difference of about $250.
Los Angeles CA
Lower costTypically around $3,500
The Bronx NY
Typically around $3,750
Los Angeles vs The Bronx: full breakdown
| Factor | Los Angeles | The Bronx |
|---|---|---|
| Typical 2026 cost | $3,500 | $3,750 |
| Estimated range | $2,000–$5,000 | $2,150–$5,350 |
| Labor index (vs US) | ×1.11 | ×1.16 |
| Climate zone | Mixed | Cold |
| Climate factor | ×1 | ×1.02 |
| Local permit | None | None |
| Labor share | $2,450 | $2,650 |
| Materials/equipment | $1,050 | $1,100 |
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 7% 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 The Bronx
Below, each exterior house painting option is priced independently for both cities, with identical local labor, climate and permit logic applied — so the comparison holds up.
| Type | Los Angeles | The Bronx |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $1,900–$4,450 | $2,000–$4,750 |
| Wood siding | $2,100–$5,000 | $2,250–$5,350 |
| Fiber-cement | $2,450–$5,650 | $2,600–$6,050 |
| Stucco | $2,450–$5,550 | $2,600–$5,900 |
| Brick | $2,750–$6,100 | $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.
Exterior house painting by home size: Los Angeles vs The Bronx
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 | The Bronx |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft home (1 story) | $1,650–$3,850 | $1,800–$4,150 |
| 1,500 sq ft home | $2,000–$5,000 | $2,150–$5,350 |
| 2,000 sq ft home | $2,450–$6,100 | $2,600–$6,500 |
| 2,500 sq ft home (2 story) | $3,300–$7,750 | $3,550–$8,300 |
| 3,000 sq ft home | $4,200–$9,400 | $4,500–$10,050 |
| 3,500+ sq ft home | $5,000–$11,050 | $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.
What painting pros earn in each metro
Roughly 70% of what you pay for exterior house painting is labor, which is why local wages explain most of the price gap. The numbers below are actual metro wages for skilled installers, sourced from BLS OEWS — not guesses.
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro · about 15% above the US average installer wage.
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).
Cheapest time for exterior house painting in either city
Because exterior paint needs warm, dry conditions, summer bookings are unavoidable and pricier. Interior painting sidesteps that constraint entirely — schedule it in winter, when crews have far less competing work.
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 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 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.
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.
Los Angeles vs The Bronx
Is exterior house painting cheaper in Los Angeles or The Bronx?
Los Angeles wins on price: exterior house painting runs about $3,500 there versus $3,750 in The Bronx, a gap of roughly $250 (7%) as of 2026.
Why does exterior house painting cost more in The Bronx than Los Angeles?
It comes down to labor: The Bronx indexes at 1.16 against Los Angeles's 1.11. The cold-vs-mixed climate difference adds to the gap.
How much is exterior house painting in Los Angeles, CA?
Expect to pay $2,000 to $5,000 for exterior house painting in Los Angeles in 2026, averaging around $3,500.
Do painting pros really charge more in one city?
They do, and the BLS wage data confirms it: installers earn about $35.9/hr around Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim versus $38.3/hr near New York-Newark-Jersey City. With labor making up about 70% of a exterior house painting job, that difference carries straight through to the final price.
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 The Bronx (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?
That would be a stretch. $250 is a one-time difference, not an ongoing one, and off-season buying plus apples-to-apples bids in The Bronx 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