Cook County
Exterior painting in Barrington, IL
Exterior work is priced by the surfaces we are painting and their condition, then adjusted for the material, the number of stories and how much scraping and priming the surface needs. Every house measures differently, so the fastest way to a real number is the estimator.
Not ready for a number? Skip the estimator and schedule a call.
- Housing stock
- Wide range, with a lot of pre-1978 housing
- Drive from our shop
- About 25 minutes
How it goes
How the job goes, step by step
Price it yourself
Put your square footage, stories and siding type into the estimator and see a real range immediately.
Walkaround
We walk the whole house with you, point out failing areas and rot, and write down exactly what gets painted and what does not. We look at the surfaces being painted and their condition, elevation by elevation: front, right, left and back. A whole house exterior or a full cabinet kitchen can take an hour.
Written scope
After the walkthrough you get a written scope with the number, the products, the coats, the prep included and the schedule. No pressure to sign in the room.
Quote hold and deposit
The price we quote holds for 30 days. A 50% deposit books the work. We accept cash, check and card. We do not offer financing.
Wash, prep, protect
Pressure wash, scrape, sand, caulk and spot prime. Plants, windows, roofs and driveways all get covered before a drop of paint moves.
Paint
Two coats where the spec calls for it, with full cleanup each evening. If it is going to rain, we stop before the weather becomes an issue.
How long it takes
A typical job runs about 4 to 5 days. High humidity and heat, added scope and spray work can make it run longer. We will not trade finish quality for speed.
Final walk
A walkaround with you before we pull off the property. The written warranty is five years on painting, with the terms on your estimate.
Pricing
How exterior painting is priced
Priced elevation by elevation: front, right, left and back
We quote each side of the house you want painted, so two sides cost less than four. Within each side, the surfaces we are painting and their condition, material, stories and prep are what move an exterior price. Wash, scrape, caulk, spot prime and two coats of premium exterior paint are included in every one of our exterior estimates.
Learning Center
Guides for Barrington homeowners
Questions
Exterior painting questions, answered
How do you test whether an old exterior wall is ready to repaint?
Before we quote a color or a coating, we run a tape test on a few spots, pressing painter's tape onto the siding and pulling it off to see how much old paint comes with it. If a lot of paint pulls away, the surface needs more scraping and priming than a simple recoat, no matter which paint goes on top. We also check for chalking, a powdery residue that rubs off on your hand when you wipe the siding. Chalky old paint needs a wash and often a bonding primer before new paint will adhere, otherwise the new coat sits on top of a failing layer and fails with it.
Read more: Best exterior paint for Illinois freeze thaw
Should I use elastomeric paint on my siding?
Elastomeric coatings are thick, rubbery, and built to bridge hairline cracks in masonry and stucco. They can be a good fit on a block foundation wall or a stucco exterior where movement and cracking are the main concern. On typical wood, fiber cement, or vinyl siding, though, elastomeric is usually more than the substrate needs and it can trap moisture behind it if it is not applied and vented correctly. A high quality 100 percent acrylic exterior paint gives you strong adhesion and enough flexibility for our climate without that risk, which is why it is our default on most Huntley area homes.
Read more: Best exterior paint for Illinois freeze thaw
Why do prep and caulk matter so much outside?
No exterior paint, acrylic or elastomeric, will hold up if the surface underneath it is not properly prepped. That means scraping loose and failing paint back to a sound edge, sanding rough spots, and priming any bare wood or repaired sections before topcoat goes on. Caulk matters just as much. We recaulk those joints as part of prep, because a good paint job over bad caulk fails at the seams first.
Read more: Best exterior paint for Illinois freeze thaw
Should I paint before new siding or a new roof?
If you know new siding or a roof replacement is coming in the next year or two, hold off on the exterior paint. Roofers and siding crews lean ladders, drop debris, and sometimes need to pull trim loose. Fresh paint gets scuffed and chipped in the process, and you end up paying twice.
Why does the schedule depend on dew point?
Paint manufacturers publish minimum application temperatures, but the more overlooked number is dew point. If the surface temperature is too close to the dew point, moisture can condense on the siding as it cools in the evening, right into a film that has not fully cured yet. We check both air temperature and dew point before we paint, not just whether it is a nice day. That is part of why exterior schedules sometimes shift a day or two, we would rather wait than paint a wall that will not cure properly overnight.
Read more: Best exterior paint for Illinois freeze thaw
Why does one side of my house fade faster?
South and west facing walls take the most direct sun in a day, and UV exposure breaks down pigment and binder faster than on north or east walls. Over years, you will often see a visible difference in sheen and color retention between a home's sunny side and its shaded side. This is not a reason to use a different paint on different sides of the house, but it is a reason we mention it to clients: expect the south and west elevations to show wear first, and that is normal, not a sign the paint failed.
Read more: Best exterior paint for Illinois freeze thaw