Exterior House Painting cost: Pasadena vs San Antonio (2026)
Pasadena runs 2% higher than San Antonio for exterior house painting — expect around $3,100 in Pasadena against $3,050 in San Antonio, a difference of about $50.
Pasadena TX
Typically around $3,100
San Antonio TX
Lower costTypically around $3,050
Pasadena vs San Antonio: full breakdown
| Factor | Pasadena | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Typical 2026 cost | $3,100 | $3,050 |
| Estimated range | $1,750–$4,400 | $1,750–$4,350 |
| Labor index (vs US) | ×0.95 | ×0.94 |
| Climate zone | Hot | Hot |
| Climate factor | ×1.03 | ×1.03 |
| Local permit | None | None |
| Labor share | $2,150 | $2,150 |
| Materials/equipment | $950 | $900 |
These are 2026 planning figures for exterior house painting, localized to each city — not formal quotes.
Is the gap worth worrying about?
A 2% difference on exterior house painting is minor — you'll typically see a wider spread just from getting multiple quotes in the same city, so don't let location drive the decision.
Exterior house painting by type: Pasadena vs San Antonio
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 | Pasadena | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl siding | $1,650–$3,900 | $1,650–$3,850 |
| Wood siding | $1,850–$4,400 | $1,850–$4,350 |
| Fiber-cement | $2,150–$5,000 | $2,150–$4,950 |
| Stucco | $2,150–$4,900 | $2,150–$4,850 |
| Brick | $2,450–$5,400 | $2,400–$5,300 |
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: Pasadena vs San Antonio
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 | Pasadena | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft home (1 story) | $1,450–$3,450 | $1,450–$3,400 |
| 1,500 sq ft home | $1,750–$4,400 | $1,750–$4,350 |
| 2,000 sq ft home | $2,150–$5,400 | $2,150–$5,300 |
| 2,500 sq ft home (2 story) | $2,950–$6,850 | $2,900–$6,750 |
| 3,000 sq ft home | $3,750–$8,350 | $3,700–$8,200 |
| 3,500+ sq ft home | $4,400–$9,800 | $4,350–$9,650 |
Treat these as 2026 localized estimates for exterior house painting, not quotes from a contractor.
What painting pros earn in each metro
About 70% of a exterior house painting bill goes to labor, so wage differences between these two metros matter more than almost anything else. These are real, government-sourced (BLS OEWS) installer wages, not estimates.
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro · about 7% below the US average installer wage.
San Antonio-New Braunfels metro · about 9% 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
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?
Strip a paint quote down and most of it is the crew's time and the surface work — the paint in the can is nearly a rounding error. What follows is where that money should actually land.
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 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
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 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.
Pasadena vs San Antonio
Is exterior house painting cheaper in Pasadena or San Antonio?
San Antonio comes out ahead here, at roughly $3,050 for exterior house painting compared with $3,100 in Pasadena — a 2% ($50) gap as of 2026.
Why does exterior house painting cost more in Pasadena than San Antonio?
Labor rates explain most of it — 0.95 in Pasadena vs 0.94 in San Antonio. A hot climate versus hot accounts for the rest.
How much is exterior house painting in Pasadena, TX?
exterior house painting in Pasadena runs $1,750–$4,400 as of 2026 — most jobs land near $3,100.
Do painting pros really charge more in one city?
It's not a myth — BLS data puts installer wages at about $29/hr in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands area and $28.4/hr in San Antonio-New Braunfels. 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 Pasadena and San Antonio, 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?
Rarely. The $50 difference is real but one-time, and you can often close most of it in Pasadena by buying in the off-season and getting tighter, apples-to-apples bids. Ongoing factors — energy prices, climate and home condition — matter more over the life of the system.
Compare exterior house painting in other cities
Updated June 2026 · By Serhat Özçelik