Updated October 2026
The short version
HomeAdvisor puts a typical Naperville exterior painting job at about $1,700-$4,100, while HomeBlue's estimate for a 2,500 square foot house runs about $3,600-$8,600. The spread comes from house size, height, siding type, repairs, and how much scraping and priming the old paint needs.
Published figures for Naperville
These are the published reference points we know of for the area. The two whole-house figures measure different things: one is a typical job of any size, the other a specific, fairly large house. Use the one closest to your home.
| What is being priced | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A typical exterior painting job | $1,700-$4,100 | HomeAdvisor, Naperville |
| A 2,500 sq ft house | $3,600-$8,600 | HomeBlue, Naperville |
| Exterior trim | $500-$1,500 | HomeAdvisor, Naperville |
| Painting brick, per sq ft | $1.40-$4.20 | HomeAdvisor |
| Limewash on brick, per sq ft | $1.50-$5 | Angi |
| Staining a deck | $540-$1,250 | Bob Vila, citing Angi |
What drives an exterior price
- Height and access. Two-story walls, gables and steep lots need taller ladders, more setup and more time.
- Siding type. Vinyl, aluminum, wood lap, cedar shakes and brick each take a different prep and product.
- Prep. Washing, scraping loose paint, sanding edges and priming bare wood are where most of the hours go.
- Repairs. Rotted trim, sills and fascia have to be fixed before paint, or the paint fails in the same spots.
- Colors. Body, trim, accent and door colors each add cutting-in time.
- Extras. Decks, fences, garage doors and porches are often priced as separate lines.
Siding by siding: what changes the work
Each siding type brings its own prep and product, which is part of why quotes differ:
- Vinyl. Paints well when washed, but the new color must stay within the shades the paint maker rates for vinyl, or panels can warp in the sun.
- Aluminum. Usually chalky; it needs a thorough wash and spot-priming where the factory finish is gone.
- Wood lap and trim. The most prep: scraping, sanding edges, priming bare wood and caulking joints.
- Cedar shakes and siding. Often stained rather than painted, and shakes take longer because every edge needs coverage.
- Brick. Needs a breathable masonry paint or limewash, plus repointing where mortar is loose.
A house with two or three of these, such as brick on the front and siding on the sides and back, is effectively several jobs in one, and a good estimate breaks them out.
Repairs belong in the estimate, not after it
Most surprise costs on exterior jobs come from wood rot that only shows once paint is scraped. A good estimate probes the usual suspects first, such as the bottoms of door jambs, window sills and fascia behind gutters, and lists any repairs it finds.
For damage nobody could see, ask how it will be priced: a unit price per board or per repair is easier to plan around than an open-ended change order.
Pre-1978 houses
Scraping and sanding old exterior paint is exactly what EPA's lead rules cover. For homes built before 1978, anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces must be certified and follow lead-safe work practices, which adds containment and cleanup to the prep. If your house is that old, expect the estimate to mention it.
Timing affects availability
Exterior work around Naperville fits between the freezes. O'Hare averages its last spring freeze around April 23 and its first fall freeze around October 13, so exterior calendars fill from spring for May and June dates. Booking early does not change the job, but it gives you more choice of start date.
Written by Gloria Fenwick, Painting Guides Editor at Call Tip Top. Figures in this guide come from the published sources listed below and are checked when those sources update.
Sources used in this guide: