Scrape, prime bare wood, then paint
Exterior paint fails from underneath. Moisture gets behind the film, the bond releases, and the paint lifts. Painting over that without removing the loose material simply hides the failure for one season.
Proper sequence: scrape everything loose, feather-sand the edges so the transition is not visible, spot-prime every bit of bare wood the same day it is exposed, caulk the joints that let water in, then two topcoats. Bare wood left unprimed overnight absorbs dew and starts the cycle over.
Find the rot before you paint over it
The bottom of door casings, the ends of window sills, the lower corners of garage door trim, and anywhere two pieces of wood meet at a horizontal joint are the standard rot locations. Probe them with an awl or a screwdriver — sound wood resists, rotten wood goes soft.
Small areas can be consolidated with epoxy and filled, which is a durable and cost-effective repair. Larger sections should be cut out and replaced with new material, ideally a rot-resistant product like PVC trim or cedar in the locations that keep failing. Painting over rot is the single most common corner-cut in exterior work, and it always comes back.
Weather windows and product choice
Exterior coatings have real application temperature ranges — most want above 50 degrees and falling humidity, with no rain for at least a day after. Painting a west-facing wall in direct afternoon sun causes the film to skin over before it levels, leaving lap marks.
A 100 percent acrylic exterior paint is the default for most trim and gives good flexibility as wood expands and contracts. Doors and high-touch surfaces often get a waterborne alkyd for a harder finish. Whatever the product, two coats over primed wood is the standard.
Signs you need this work
- Paint peeling, cracking, or flaking on trim, fascia, or the entry door
- Bare gray wood visible where the paint has failed entirely
- Chalky residue that comes off on your hand when you rub the surface
- Caulk joints that have split, shrunk, or pulled away from the siding
- Soft or spongy wood at the bottom of door casings and window sills
- Dark staining or mildew growth on shaded north-facing trim
- A faded front door that no longer matches the rest of the exterior
Cost by property type
| Property | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment / condo | $425 – $2,215 | Usually an HOA or building responsibility rather than an individual owner's. Check before hiring anyone. |
| Small home (under 1,500 sq ft) | $445 – $2,330 | Single-story ranch trim is the easiest and cheapest case — most work from a step ladder. |
| Midsize home (1,500–2,500 sq ft) | $450 – $2,350 | The baseline for this estimate: front elevation trim, entry door, and garage trim. |
| Large home (2,500+ sq ft) | $500 – $2,600 | Two and three-story elevations need extension ladders or scaffold and drive labor hours up substantially. Gable-end trim is the most expensive square footage on a house. |
| Older home (pre-1978) | $550 – $2,885 | Pre-1978 exterior paint is very likely lead-bearing, and scraping it requires an EPA-certified renovator plus containment. Ornate Victorian and Craftsman trim profiles multiply the labor. |
| Rental / turnover unit | $400 – $2,100 | Focus on the entry door and front trim for curb appeal; full-perimeter repainting is rarely justified between tenants. |
| Small commercial / office | $540 – $2,820 | Storefront trim and doors often need coatings rated for heavy traffic and may require after-hours work. |
Ranges assume national-average handyman labor rates ($60–$100/hr) and mid-grade materials.
Cost by state
| State | Typical range | |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $420 – $2,050 | |
| Alaska | $540 – $2,650 | |
| Arizona | $450 – $2,250 | |
| Arkansas | $390 – $1,950 | |
| California | $540 – $2,850 | |
| Colorado | $480 – $2,450 | |
| Connecticut | $510 – $2,550 | |
| Delaware | $450 – $2,250 | |
| Florida | $450 – $2,350 | |
| Georgia | $420 – $2,150 | |
| Hawaii | $570 – $2,850 | |
| Idaho | $420 – $2,150 | |
| Illinois | $480 – $2,450 | |
| Indiana | $420 – $2,050 | |
| Iowa | $390 – $2,050 | |
| Kansas | $390 – $2,050 | |
| Kentucky | $390 – $2,050 | |
| Louisiana | $420 – $2,150 | |
| Maine | $450 – $2,250 | |
| Maryland | $510 – $2,550 | |
| Massachusetts | $540 – $2,750 | |
| Michigan | $420 – $2,250 | Find a handyman in Michigan |
| Minnesota | $450 – $2,350 | |
| Mississippi | $390 – $1,950 | |
| Missouri | $420 – $2,050 | |
| Montana | $420 – $2,150 | |
| Nebraska | $390 – $2,050 | |
| Nevada | $480 – $2,450 | |
| New Hampshire | $480 – $2,350 | |
| New Jersey | $540 – $2,650 | |
| New Mexico | $420 – $2,150 | |
| New York | $540 – $2,750 | |
| North Carolina | $420 – $2,250 | |
| North Dakota | $420 – $2,050 | |
| Ohio | $420 – $2,150 | Find a handyman in Ohio |
| Oklahoma | $390 – $2,050 | |
| Oregon | $480 – $2,450 | |
| Pennsylvania | $450 – $2,350 | |
| Rhode Island | $480 – $2,450 | |
| South Carolina | $420 – $2,150 | |
| South Dakota | $390 – $2,050 | |
| Tennessee | $420 – $2,150 | |
| Texas | $450 – $2,350 | |
| Utah | $450 – $2,250 | |
| Vermont | $450 – $2,250 | |
| Virginia | $450 – $2,350 | |
| Washington | $510 – $2,650 | |
| Washington DC | $570 – $2,850 | |
| West Virginia | $390 – $1,950 | |
| Wisconsin | $420 – $2,250 | |
| Wyoming | $420 – $2,050 |
State ranges reflect typical independent handyman labor rates for a midsize home.
Common questions
How often should exterior trim be repainted?
Typically every 5 to 10 years depending on exposure. South and west elevations fail first from UV, and horizontal surfaces like sills fail before vertical ones. Repainting on schedule is far cheaper than waiting for rot.
Can you paint over peeling exterior paint?
No. Anything loose has to come off first, or the new coat will lift with the old one within a year. Scraping and feather-sanding is the majority of the labor on a repaint.
Is my old exterior paint likely to contain lead?
If the house was built before 1978, assume yes until tested. Disturbing it requires EPA RRP certification and containment — ask any contractor to show their certification before they start scraping.
Should rotten trim be repaired or replaced?
Small, shallow rot can be dug out and filled with a two-part epoxy that is stronger than the original wood. Anything soft more than about half an inch deep, or a whole board end, should be cut out and replaced — ideally with PVC or cedar in chronic-failure locations.
Related project cost guides
Sources and further reading
Primary sources behind this page. Federal safety, emissions and consumer-protection references — worth reading before you authorize any repair.
- EPA Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule Certification required to disturb paint in most housing built before 1978.
- PCA (Painting Contractors Association) standards Trade standards for surface preparation and coating application.
- OSHA ladder safety standard Federal requirements for ladder setup and use on elevated work.
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