How Much Does It Cost to Paint a House in Portland, OR?

Most Portland-metro homeowners pay between $5,000 and $10,000 to have their house exterior painted by a vetted professional, and between $1,500 and $4,000 for interior rooms. Cabinet refinishing typically lands at $3,000 to $8,000. The reason the ranges are so wide is that Portland's housing stock varies dramatically: a one-story bungalow in Sellwood is a different job than a two-story Craftsman in Laurelhurst with cedar siding, and a pre-1978 home triggers lead-safe work practices that add real cost.

Exterior painting cost in Portland, by home size

These ranges assume a vetted Oregon CCB-licensed painter doing typical prep (pressure wash, scrape and sand failed areas, spot prime, two coats of mid-grade exterior paint). They do not include heavy carpentry replacement or full lead abatement.

Interior painting cost in Portland

Interior jobs are usually quoted by room or by the whole interior. The labor share is higher inside (cutting in, masking, moving furniture) so paint quality matters less to the price than scope does.

• Single bedroom or office: $300 to $800. Walls only, simple color, minimal prep.
• Living room with vaulted ceiling: $600 to $1,400. Tall walls and ladder work add real time.
• Kitchen or bathroom (walls only): $400 to $1,000. Bathrooms add masking around tile and fixtures.
• Three to four rooms, similar finish: $1,500 to $3,500.
• Whole interior, 2,000 sq ft home: $3,500 to $8,000. Includes hallways, ceilings, trim, and doors.
• Trim and doors only (whole house): $1,500 to $3,500.

Cabinet refinishing in Portland kitchens

A typical mid-size Portland kitchen has 25 to 40 cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Professional refinishing (degrease, sand, prime, two-coat lacquer or acrylic) lands between $3,000 and $6,000 for that size. Larger kitchens, custom inset doors, or jobs that require door removal and shop-spray finish push toward $6,000 to $8,000. Refinishing is generally 30 to 50 percent of what new cabinets would cost, which is why it is so popular in older Portland kitchens where the boxes are still solid but the finish is dated.

For a deeper comparison see our cabinet painting vs replacement guide.

What drives the price in Portland specifically

1. Home age and lead paint.Roughly 60 percent of Portland's single-family housing stock was built before 1978. EPA RRP rules require lead-safe work practices on these homes, adding typically 15 to 30 percent to labor cost.
2. Surface condition after a wet winter. Portland averages about 36 inches of rain a year. Cedar siding and south-facing exposures fail faster here. Heavy prep can double the prep line on your quote.
3. Number of stories. Two-story homes with steep Craftsman roofs need ladder jacks. Three-story homes need scaffold. Roughly 20 to 35 percent more per square foot than a single-story home of the same area.
4. Trim and color complexity. Each additional color usually adds 10 to 15 percent to labor.
5. Paint quality. Mid-tier exterior paint runs $50-$65 per gallon. Premium (Emerald, Aura) is $80-$100. The premium tier is worth it on south and west exposures.
6. Season.Portland's reliable dry window is May through September. Quotes during this window trend 5 to 10 percent higher than off-season quotes for the same work.

Lead paint and pre-1978 homes

If your home was built before 1978, plan for lead-safe work practices on any exterior repaint. The painter must be EPA Lead-Safe Certified. Practically this means containment sheeting, HEPA vacuum cleanup, no open dry-sanding of flaking paint, and proper waste disposal. None of this is optional. Cost impact is usually $800 to $2,500on a typical exterior.

A painter who quotes well below the others on a pre-1978 home is often skipping the lead-safe protocol. Ask directly whether they are EPA RRP certified and request the cert number. For more see our lead paint guide.

When is the best time to paint in Portland?

The reliable exterior season runs mid-May through mid-September. Most paint manufacturers require 50-degree surface temperature and 4 dry hours after application. Portland delivers those conditions consistently only in summer. Painting October through April is possible on rare dry stretches but most reputable contractors will not warranty wet-season exterior work.

Practical: if you want exterior work done this summer, get quotes in March or April. By May the good painters are booked through July. For more see our seasonal timing guide.

How to get an accurate quote

Be specific in your initial inquiry. Painters who are guessing on scope will pad their quote. Painters who know exactly what you want will quote tighter.

• Square footage (or number of rooms, or approximate siding area).
• Number of stories.
• Year built (before or after 1978).
• Current condition: peeling, soft wood, water staining, mildew.
• Color plan: same color, new color, or multiple colors.
• Timeline.

Get two or three quotes. Be cautious of the lowest bid if it is significantly under the others. For what to ask each painter see our painter selection guide.

Common questions