The true price of DIY exterior painting: What your calculator won’t show
You think you’re saving money. A few tins of paint, a roller, maybe a rented ladder for the weekend. Job done, right? Hold on. The bill waiting for you at the end of a DIY exterior painting project is rarely the one you thought you’d signed up for.
This matters because what looks like a smart saving can quickly spiral into a financial sinkhole. And once you’re halfway up the ladder, brush in hand, there’s no undo button. If you’re weighing up whether to paint your home’s exterior yourself or hire someone, you need the full picture, not just the receipt from the paint shop.
The appeal of DIY exterior painting
DIY has its draw. It feels cheaper, it feels personal, and it gives you the pride of saying “I did that”. For a single-storey wall or a garden shed, it might even make sense. But when it comes to painting the outside of your house, the scale changes. A job that looks simple from the pavement can chew through your weekends, your budget, and your patience.
There’s also the psychology of it: standing in the paint aisle, looking at tins marked £30–£40 each, and thinking, “That’s all it takes”. But the truth is, those tins are just the ticket to get in the game.
The costs you do expect
Let’s start with the obvious. Paint, brushes, rollers, trays, masking tape. The ladder or tower you’ll need to reach the top floor. Maybe even a paint sprayer if you want to work faster.
- Exterior masonry paint: £25–£45 per 5L tin (you might need 6–10 tins for an average semi-detached)
- Rollers, brushes, trays: £40–£70 for decent quality
- Masking and dust sheets: £20–£40
- Ladders: £100–£200 to buy, £40–£60 per week to hire
- Sprayer hire: around £80–£120 per week
Add it all up and your DIY exterior painting costs can quickly hit £400–£700 before you’ve touched a wall. And that’s just the starter bill.
The hidden costs that inflate your budget
Here’s where calculators fail. They don’t account for the cracks that need filling, the sanding that eats up days, or the rotten timber hiding under flaky paint.
- Prep work surprises: filler, sandpaper, primer. Another £50–£100. If you uncover rotten window sills or fascia boards, repairs could run £200–£500.
- Safety gear: harnesses (£100+), scaffold tower hire (£50–£70 per week), goggles, gloves, dust masks. Skip them and you risk far more than money.
- Time as money: even a medium-sized house can swallow 6–8 weekends. How much is your time worth? Would you trade two months of Saturdays for a saving?
- Material waste: underestimate paint volume and you’re back in the shop; overestimate and you’ve wasted £100–£200 on surplus.
- Mistakes: a poor finish means repainting sooner. That “cheap” job might last 3–4 years versus the 8–10 years a pro can deliver. Repainting every few years wipes out any savings.
It adds up fast. What started as £500 can creep toward £1,200 once you factor in equipment, safety, and surprises.
Risks that could lead to bigger bills later
I once saw a neighbour rush through his own exterior paint job. Looked fine from across the street. Up close? Missed cracks, damp patches painted over, bare spots around the windows. Within two years the paint was bubbling, water had seeped in, and he was staring at repair bills that made the cost of hiring a pro look like pocket change.
That’s the danger: you think you’re saving money now, only to invite bigger expenses later. Poor prep work during DIY house painting can trap moisture, damage timber, and even affect the value of your home.
Have you considered what happens if you drop a tin of paint from the top of a ladder onto your driveway or car? Or if you slip and damage a gutter? Pros are insured. You’re not.
When DIY actually makes sense
This isn’t to say you should never paint your own house. If it’s a small bungalow, if you already own decent ladders and tools, or if you’ve done serious painting before, DIY might still be a win.
Take an example: a single-storey 2-bed bungalow in Kent. A homeowner with their own ladders, sprayer, and some spare weekends could pull the job off for £400–£500 in materials. Compare that to a professional quote of £1,800–£2,200, and the saving is real if the finish holds up.
When hiring a pro saves money in the long run
Now flip it. A 3-bed semi-detached in Manchester. Two storeys, pebble-dash walls, tricky access around the back. DIY costs balloon: scaffolding hire at £300–£400, paint and tools at £600+, lost weekends, risk of mistakes. Total spend? Around £1,200–£1,500.
Professional painters? Around £2,500–£3,000, including scaffolding, materials, labour, and a finish that lasts 8–10 years. You’re paying more upfront, but you’re also buying time, safety, and longevity. The cost per year is lower in the long run.
That’s the real calculation: not just what you spend today, but what the exterior house painting cost means for your budget over the next decade.
How to decide: DIY vs professional painting
Ask yourself: do I have the tools, the time, and the stamina? Do I know how to spot hidden damage before I seal it under fresh paint? If the answer is shaky on any of those, it’s worth getting quotes from pros.
Another angle: what’s your tolerance for risk when deciding between DIY vs professional painting? Some people love the challenge, others want peace of mind. Where do you sit?
Let me put it like this: the cheapest option on day one isn’t always the cheapest option five years down the line.
DIY exterior painting looks like a money saver, but the true price includes repairs, safety gear, wasted weekends, and the risk of costly mistakes. Sometimes rolling up your sleeves works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Before you buy that first tin, sit down and do the full calculation—time, tools, repairs, and the cost of failure included. Then compare it with a professional quote. If you want your house looking sharp and your budget safe, get those quotes now and make your decision with eyes open. Your future self (and your walls) will thank you.
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