Cost To Paint Brick

Have you ever considered painting your brick house or fireplace white. It’s a wonderful way of brightening up and modernizing your home without losing all that beautiful brick texture. But how much does it cost to paint brick? And is it worth the money?

Brick is a traditional look that’s commonly used as a house siding or to build chimneys and fireplaces with. It’s been used on homes for centuries and is still very much in style to this day. But these days everyone seems to want things light and bright with lots of white, real wood and clean, crisp lines. Brick still has a fantastic texture and a durability that’s hard to match so it’s no surprise people everywhere started painting them white. With painted brick you get all the benefits of a brick house without the drawback of it’s rustic coloring. Painting that old and tired looking rustic brick is definitely a viable option that can have fantastic results. And it’s not that hard or expensive to do. Especially if it’s a DIY project.

In this post we’ll be discussing how much it costs to paint brick white as a DIY project or if your hiring a contractor. We’ll also talk pricing for other forms of painting brick like limewash, whitewash and German Smear.

Beautiful brick and siding home with painted white brick. The cost to paint this home is around $4000 total including materials and labor.

How Much Does It Cost To Paint Brick

There are a few things that go into figuring out what it costs to paint brick.

Paint. One of the main things, but not the most expensive, is the paint. Brick requires special paint that’s made for masonry. You can’t just use regular house paint on bricks. The average price we pay for white brick paint is around $25 per gallon. $15 for primer.
Supplies. Tape, brushes, rollers, poles, ladders, plastic, rags, etc. Figure $100 – $300. Anything expensive like a paint sprayer I’d recommend renting for a day or two rather than buying one, unless you think you’ll use it again.
Labor. This is where prices can get crazy. Prices vary a lot based on the type of home you have, the height and how big it is. The painters I know charge around $150 per hour per man to paint brick. For an average sized two story 2400 sq.ft. brick home that’s around $6500 + paint.

Another way to price painting a brick house is by the square foot. A low house like a ranch costs around $2.50 per sq.ft. of wall space. Don’t subtract for the windows. An average 40×20 ranch home has 960 sq.ft. of wall space which comes to around $2,400 for labor.

Two story homes cost more at around $3.25 per sq.ft.

Very high homes or homes with a lot of detail work are even more and can cost over $4.50 per sq.ft.

In addition to these labor costs you have to add the paint but not supplies. Generally the painter will have everything they need to do the job.

Keep in mind every job is different. If you have some detail work that’s time consuming or very high then expect to pay more than average.

How Much Does The Paint Cost?

The average cost for a gallon of brick paint is around $25. Primer is a little cheaper at $15. But how much do you need?

The amount of paint you need to paint a brick house depends on a few things. The average gallon of paint or primer covers up to 125 sq. ft. of wall space based on what the label says but I’d figure around 100. You never get every drop of paint out of a gallon of paint and coverage is never totally even.

But what really matters is the type of brick you have and whether or not it’s been primed. And I highly suggest you prime it first. Masonry soaks up paint like almost no other surface can. And primers cheaper than paint so why not do a primer coat first.

Some bricks are smoother with sharp edges. These hold paint better because the surface is smoother. If this is the type of brick you have then you’ll need less paint. It takes less labor to paint these too because there isn’t as much brush work.

Other bricks are softer with lots of texture, holes and dimples. These bricks need more paint to fill all those small gaps. It takes a lot more labor too because all those small areas need brush work.

On average I figure .35 – .50 cents per square foot of brick. So for that average 2 story 2400 sq.ft. brick home we discussed earlier, paint and primer comes to around $800 – $1,000.

This is generous and I usually end up with about a gallon left over which I want. Whenever I paint anything I get a little more than I need just in case I’ve got touch ups later.

The cost to paint a home this size averages $7000+ including labor & materials.

Additional Costs To Paint A Brick House

Depending on the age and condition of your brick house there could be some additional costs involved.

Bricks should be very clean and free of oils and dirt, mold, mildew, dust, etc. before you start to paint. I recommend a good power washing with a low pressure flow and a gentle brush. Regular dish soap is more than enough. You don’t need any expensive brick cleansers.

If you hire a power wash company include $350 – $500. But if you do it yourself a power washer rental is around $75 per day.

You could also have brick repairs which needs to be done before you paint. This will vary based on what you need done so I can’t really give you an average price for this. But be aware that if your painting an older brick home then some repairs may be needed.

Keep in mind that painting brick is generally considered a protective layering against weather damage so if you’ve got older brick painting them can help. I typically just repair damaged or cracked bricks and mortar before painting. You’ll find damaged brick during the cleaning phase.

How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Brick House Yourself?

Painting brick is one of those jobs that anyone can generally do. It’s a great DIY weekend project that can save you a lot of money. As you can see from the cost breakdown above, over 75% of the jobs cost is labor. Paint and other supplies and typically inexpensive.

But use some good judgement here. If your home is two stories and up then spend the money to rent safety equipment. Things like scaffolding, a lift and good quality ladders can all be rented. Even with the additional cost of rental equipment you’ll still save a lot vs hiring a painting crew.

DIY brick painting jobs can generally be done for under $1,000.

Other Factors

There are a few other factors that can cost you money or help you save some.

Expect the labor price to paint a brick house to fluctuate from business to business. And based on your area. The prices I’ve discussed here are right for New Jersey but may be different where you live.
Try to get prices in the off season. Here in New Jersey that’s Fall and Winter. You can get some good pricing discounts by hiring in the off season. But remember there are certain conditions required to paint brick so depending on where you live this may not be an option.
Budget an additional 5-10% more than what you think you’ll need for paint and primer. It’s always good to have a little extra. Especially if you get a custom color mixed.
Always negotiate bulk pricing on paint. I get a 20% discount because I buy so much and you can too. Just be sure to order everything you need at one time.
Rent expensive equipment instead of buying it. Unless the equipment will make you money or you’ll be using it regularly renting is almost always cheaper.

What Is Limewash?

Another way to paint brick white is with limewash. It’s a mixture of lime with water. You can make it yourself or buy limewash pre-made. The result is a whitewashed look, not an opaque paint job.

Limewash is priced differently that paint. It’s more of an artistic process than your usual brick paint job because the coverage isn’t total. Limewash involves several thin coats which absorb into the brick rather than sitting on top of it’s surface. Some areas of limewashed brick are so thin you can see the bricks color right through it and other areas aren’t covered at all.

Limewash is also considered a protective layer. It’s been used for centuries to protect bricks from weathering.

The end result of limewash looks like a whitewashing or German Smear.

Limewash is a much cheaper material than paint. You can paint an entire brick house with $50 worth of limewash. But labor is generally about the same.

If your hiring a painter to limewash your brick then I recommend finding one that’s familiar with limewash. It’s a little different than your average paint job.

How Much Does It Cost To Paint Interior Brick

Painting brick inside the house has a different pricing then outside brick. These are generally smaller jobs that aren’t priced per sq.ft. Most small jobs like a fireplace or brick wall are priced per day at an average cost per man of around $150 per hour.

Many small jobs like a fireplace don’t need a professional painter. These are great DIY jobs or for a general laborer. I usually pay around $350 – $500 for a fireplace which includes labor, the paint and supplies.

Cost To Paint Brick Gallery

Below is a gallery filled with some painted brick homes and the average cost to paint them.

Classic brick home painted white. The average cost to paint this brick home including labor and materials is over $7000+. Shutters should be removed and installed after painting is done.

2 Story brick home painted white. The cost to paint an average size 2 story brick home is over $7000+ with labor & materials.

Closeup view of a brick home that’s been whitewashed. You can see some of the brick’s color through the paint.

Another closeup view of a painted brick house. This is a traditional paint job with opaque paint.

Painted brick and siding home. The cost to paint a brick home is based on the sq.ft. of the brick your painting and not the size of the home.

Beautiful classic home with brick painted white. A large vintage brick home like this can easily cost over $10,000+ to paint white.

Large brick home painted white. 2 Story brick homes over 3500 sq.ft. can easily exceed $10,000+ to paint.

Painting brick white has a different cost when it’s inside the home. These jobs are generally priced per day. You can get a brick fireplace like this painted white for around $350.