How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Stucco House in 2025?
Painting a stucco house costs an average of $4,500
Most homeowners spend $4,500 on the cost to paint a stucco house, or between $3,600 and $7,200 on average.
Paint type, labor rates, and any pre-paint repairs are important cost factors in determining how much you’ll pay to paint your stucco house.
Plan to repaint every five to 10 years.
Set aside cash for pressure washing and repairs before the first coat goes on.
This article was updated using automation technology and thoroughly reviewed for accuracy by HomeAdvisor Editor Ryan Noonan.
The cost to paint a stucco house averages $4,500, with smaller projects starting at $1,200 and larger ones reaching $16,000 or more. The average range for painting a stucco house is between $3,600 and $7,200. Plan on hiring a professional for repainting every five to 10 years to preserve curb appeal and moisture protection.
Stucco Painting Cost Factors
There are many cost factors to consider when planning your stucco painting project. Here’s a closer look at how your total breaks down.
Home Size
Expect to spend $4,500 to paint a 2,000-square-foot stucco home. A compact bungalow may cost $3,600, while a larger footprint can climb to $7,200 or higher.
| House Size (Sq. Ft.) | Average Cost Range |
|---|---|
| 1,500–2,000 | $1,200–$9,400 |
| 2,000–2,500 | $1,700–$11,600 |
| 2,500–3,000+ | $2,100–$13,800+ |
Repairs
Stucco repairs average $1,200. Minor cracks may run as little as $200, while heavy damage can top $2,000. Tackle repairs first—paint laid over cracked or dirty stucco almost always peels.
After you complete repairs, expect to wait anywhere from one to six weeks before painters can begin working. While some repairs might only need seven to 10 days of wait time before painting, fresh stucco applied over repairs needs six weeks to set.
Sheen
The sheen of the paint you choose affects how glossy it is. You shouldn’t paint stucco with satin or high-gloss sheens because they can accentuate your stucco’s imperfections. Rather, paint pros often recommend either semi-gloss or matte sheens for stucco.
For stucco, painting pros recommend using a semi-gloss or matte sheen, which costs between $15 and $60 per gallon.
Labor
Hiring a local exterior painting pro costs between $25 and $100 per hour, or $1.50 to $4 per square foot. Painting a 2,000-square-foot stucco exterior takes three to five days.
Number of Stories
The cost of painting your stucco exterior will also depend on the number of stories of your home. Besides the additional square footage that multiple stories add to the job, painting second or third stories is more labor-intensive. Painters may need to install scaffolding, use ladders, and clear away tree branches or brush to get the job done. Each additional story adds $0.10 to $0.25 per square foot.
Texture
The rougher the texture, the more paint you’ll need. For example, a smooth-finish stucco exterior won’t require as much paint as the classic lace-and-skip texture.
Stucco Painting Costs by Paint Type
Paint choice is a major budget driver, and you’ve got several formulas that play well with stucco.
Elastomeric
A 2,000-square-foot exterior drinks up 10 to 15 gallons of elastomeric paint. With labor, that costs $3,000 to $8,500, or $1.50 to $5 per square foot.
It’s tricky to apply, but the payoff is big. Once it dries, elastomeric paint becomes a layer of rubber. This makes for a thick, durable exterior that can last up to 10 years or longer, hides cracks, and protects the wall from water damage.
The disadvantages of elastomeric paint are that it’s more expensive than acrylic paints and it requires an experienced painter. It won’t adhere well to stucco if it already has multiple coats of paint.
Color Coat
The cost of applying a color coat to stucco is $1.50 to $8 per square foot, which translates to $3,000 to $16,000 for a 2,000-square-foot home. Many color options are available, and some brands offer custom matches.
Fog Coat
Using a fog coat costs $1.30 to $6 per square foot . For a 2,000-square-foot house, you can expect to pay between $2,600 and $12,000.
A fog coat is a combination of pigment, cement, and lime. It works best for repainting or recoloring stucco walls. It’s less expensive than other coats and lasts longer, but there are fewer color choices.
Acrylic
Acrylic paint costs $1 to $5.50 per square foot. For a 2,000-square-foot home, you can expect the total cost to be between $2,000 and $11,000.
Acrylic is very breathable and flexible, but it doesn’t last as long as elastomeric paint. It’s affordable with many color options.
Masonry Paint
Masonry paint costs $1.25 to $7 per square foot. For a 2,000-square-foot home , the total will be $2,500 to $14,000.
This type of paint bonds well to stucco, is highly durable, and is resistant to mildew. One disadvantage is that there are fewer color options available.
DIY vs. Hiring a Stucco Painting Professional
Exterior painting is tough enough; add stucco’s texture and specialized coatings, and the learning curve gets steep. If you’re new to stucco, bringing in an exterior painting pro is the safest path to a long-lasting finish.
A good crew will handle the repairs and often roll pressure washing into the package. If your house has multiple stories, you should hire experienced pros to do the work for you. Navigating tall ladders and installing scaffolding should only be done by professionals. Missing small details like failing to fix cracks or using the wrong type of paint can potentially spell expensive repairs or even foundational problems. Avoid costly mistakes by hiring a professional stucco painter to do the job for you.
How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data
No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. After a project is complete, we survey real customers about the costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with a deep clean—most pros use a pressure washer to blast away dust and chalk. Patch cracks with masonry caulk, let them cure, then roll on an acrylic primer. Finish with two coats of high-quality exterior paint using a roller or, better yet, an airless sprayer for even coverage. Skip brushes on broad stucco walls; they’re slow and leave streaks.
Fresh paint seals hairline cracks, boosts UV resistance, and gives curb appeal an instant lift—often a plus when it’s time to sell. The trade-offs? Stucco requires a full cure before painting; the job is labor-intensive, and the wrong coating can trap moisture. Budget accordingly and use paint specifically designed for masonry to avoid peeling later.
When estimating the amount of paint you’ll need for a stucco house, plan on double the paint you’d use for smooth siding. A gallon that covers 400 square feet of flat wall often coats only about 200 square feet of textured stucco, so a 2,000-square-foot exterior may need 10 to 15 gallons.
Painting your stucco wall is a proven alternative to the expense and disruption of re-stuccoing the entire exterior. It refreshes the appearance and protects the surface without the investment of new material. Using high-quality, weather-resistant paint and following correct preparation procedures prevents moisture retention and ensures long-lasting performance. This method offers an efficient means to update your home while maintaining durability.
Rollers work, but an airless sprayer is the gold standard for full exteriors—it gets paint deep into the texture and speeds up the job. Reserve brushes for tight trim only. Whichever tool your exterior painting pro chooses, they’ll keep a wet edge and apply two thin coats for the longest-lasting finish.
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