Exterior painting in New Orleans is priced by the surface, not by the room. Published 2026 figures put siding at $1 to $6 per square foot, trim at $2.55 to $5.21 per linear foot, shutters at $114 to $235 each, and a front door at $100 to $400. A whole exterior averages $1.50 to $4.00 per square foot of wall.
Pricing by element is the useful way to think about it, because most homes here do not need everything repainted at once. Trim and shutters fail first in this climate. Siding often has years left when they do not. TurnKey Painter quotes by surface so you can stage the work. To get your own figures, request an estimate or call (504) 608-5528.
Key takeaways
- Trim is measured in linear feet, not square feet. Quotes that mix the two are hard to compare.
- Shutters are priced per unit because prep dominates, roughly 20 minutes each before any paint goes on.
- Small elements cost more per square foot than large ones. Cutting in is slower than rolling.
- 63.35 inches of annual rain and 91 degree summers mean south and west elevations fail first.
- Staging the work by element is legitimate and usually cheaper than waiting for a whole-house repaint.
Published costs by element
| Element | Unit | Published 2026 range |
|---|---|---|
| Whole exterior | Per sq ft of wall | $1.50 to $4.00 |
| Siding, general | Per sq ft | $1 to $6 |
| Aluminium siding | Per sq ft | $2.00 to $4.50 |
| Exterior trim | Per linear foot | $2.55 to $5.21 |
| Shutters | Per shutter | $114 to $235 |
| Shutters, alternative basis | Per sq ft | $1 to $3.50 |
| Front door | Per door | $100 to $400 |
Homewyse itemises the trim figure down to prep time per 100 linear feet. These are national published ranges rather than TurnKey Painter pricing. They are useful for setting expectations and for spotting a quote that sits well outside the norm in either direction.
Why small elements cost more per square foot
A homeowner comparing $2 per square foot for siding against $3.50 per square foot for shutters usually assumes the shutter price is padded. It is not. The difference is the ratio of preparation to application.
Rolling siding is fast. A crew covers a large area in a continuous motion with minimal masking. A shutter is almost entirely edges: louvres, frames, corners and returns, all of which must be brushed. Published guidance allows roughly 20 minutes of preparation per shutter before any paint is applied, covering removal of loose paint, spot priming and caulking gaps.
The same logic explains trim. A linear foot of trim has more edges per unit of coverage than a square foot of siding, and every edge is brush work.
Element by element
Siding
The largest surface and the cheapest per square foot. Cost varies by material: wood needs more prep than fibre cement, and aluminium sits in the middle at $2.00 to $4.50 per square foot. Weatherboard with failing paint costs more than sound siding because scraping and priming dominate the schedule.
Local note: south and west elevations take the most sun and typically fail years before north-facing walls. Repainting only the failing elevations is a legitimate strategy, though the colour match on a partial repaint needs care.
Trim, fascia and soffits
Priced at $2.55 to $5.21 per linear foot, covering exterior enamel, prep of up to an hour per 100 linear feet, and two coats. This is the element that fails first here. Trim sits at the junctions where water runs, and horizontal surfaces such as sills hold moisture longest.
Shutters
$114 to $235 each. Louvred shutters cost more than solid panel ones for the obvious reason. Removing shutters to spray them off the house produces a better finish than brushing them in place, but adds handling time and is priced accordingly.
Front door
$100 to $400. A door is a small surface with high visibility, so the finish standard is higher than anywhere else on the house. Gloss or semi-gloss enamel, and often more coats than the square footage would suggest.
Decks and porch floors
Horizontal timber takes standing water and foot traffic, so it needs a coating rated for both. Our deck painting page covers that surface separately from the walls.
Porches, columns and railings
Rarely quoted per square foot because the geometry defeats it. Railings and balusters are almost pure edge work. Porch floors are a separate product entirely, needing a coating rated for foot traffic rather than an exterior wall paint.
What the New Orleans climate does to the numbers
The city receives 63.35 inches of rain a year on the 1991 to 2020 normals, with an annual mean temperature of 70.5 degrees and a July average high of 91.4. Relative humidity averages 76 percent.
Those conditions are also why product choice matters more here than the price per gallon suggests. Which exterior paint suits this climate covers the specification.
Three consequences for exterior pricing:
Preparation is a larger share of the job than in a dry climate. Paint fails here by moisture intrusion and UV degradation rather than simple wear. Scraping to sound material, treating mildew and priming bare wood is most of the labour on an older home.
The working window is narrower. Exterior paint needs surfaces dry and a forecast that holds. Afternoon thunderstorms through summer, and high morning humidity year-round, compress the usable hours. Crews price for elapsed days, not just labour hours.
Product specification is not optional. A premium 100 percent acrylic engineered against moisture, mildew and UV is the baseline for a Gulf Coast home. Cheaper coatings fail early, and the repaint costs more than the saving.
Want this measured rather than estimated? Request a free estimate or call (504) 608-5528 and we will walk the job with you.
Staging the work
Pricing by element makes a partial approach practical. A common sequence for an older New Orleans home:
- Trim, fascia and soffits first. These fail first and their failure lets water into the structure.
- Shutters and doors next. High visual impact for modest cost, and easy to schedule separately.
- South and west siding. The elevations taking the most sun.
- Remaining siding. Often several years later.
Whole-house exterior work, rather than staged elements, is covered on our exterior house painting page. If you are budgeting inside as well, what it costs to paint an interior room runs the same exercise indoors.
Staging is not always cheaper in total, because each visit carries setup and mobilisation. It is cheaper per visit, and it puts the money where the deterioration actually is.
Worked examples
Applying the published ranges to two common local situations shows how the elements add up.
A shotgun double, trim and shutters only
- Trim, fascia and soffits, roughly 180 linear feet at $2.55 to $5.21: $459 to $938
- Eight shutters at $114 to $235 each: $912 to $1,880
- Front door at $100 to $400: $100 to $400
- Indicative total: $1,471 to $3,218
This is the package that buys the most protection for the least money on an older home, because it addresses the surfaces where water gets in.
A single-storey cottage, full exterior
- Approximately 1,400 sq ft of wall at $1.50 to $4.00: $2,100 to $5,600
- Trim, roughly 220 linear feet at $2.55 to $5.21: $561 to $1,146
- Six shutters at $114 to $235: $684 to $1,410
- Indicative total: $3,345 to $8,156
The width of those ranges is the point. Condition drives the outcome more than size does. A cottage with sound paint sits near the bottom; the same cottage with widespread scraping and bare wood sits near the top.
Comparing quotes without being misled
- Check the unit. Trim in linear feet, siding in square feet, shutters per unit. A quote mixing bases is hard to check.
- Confirm what prep is included. Scraping, priming bare wood, caulking and mildew treatment should be stated rather than assumed.
- Ask how many coats. Two is standard. One is a refresh, not a repaint.
- Ask which product and which line. Manufacturer alone is not enough; the same brand sells budget and premium exterior lines with very different life expectancy.
- Confirm the elevations included. A quote for a partial repaint should name which walls.
When to schedule, and why it affects price
Exterior painting has a season here, and it is not summer. With a July average high of 91.4 degrees and afternoon storms through the warmest months, midsummer offers short usable windows and paint that skins over faster than it should.
| Period | Suitability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| October to November | Best | Lower humidity, stable forecasts, mild temperatures |
| March to May | Good | Warming and generally dry, ahead of storm season |
| December to February | Workable | Cool but usable; watch overnight minimum temperatures |
| June to September | Difficult | Heat, humidity and afternoon storms compress working hours |
Scheduling in the shoulder seasons tends to produce both a better finish and a tighter quote, because the crew can predict how many days the job will take. Booking in peak season often means paying for weather contingency you may not need.
What is usually excluded
- Carpentry. Rotten sills, fascia and trim are replaced before painting, and that is a different trade line.
- Pressure washing is sometimes separate, sometimes included. Ask.
- Lead-safe work practices on pre-1978 homes, which covers much of the older housing stock here.
- Gutter removal and reinstallation where fascia needs painting behind them.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint exterior trim in New Orleans?
Published 2026 figures put exterior trim at $2.55 to $5.21 per linear foot, covering exterior enamel, prep and two coats.
Why are shutters priced per shutter instead of by area?
Because preparation dominates. Roughly 20 minutes per shutter goes into removing loose paint, spot priming and caulking before any paint is applied, and louvres are nearly all edge work.
Can I paint just part of my exterior?
Yes, and it is often the sensible approach. Trim and south-facing elevations fail first. Partial repaints need attention to colour match against weathered adjacent surfaces.
How much does a whole exterior cost?
National 2026 guidance is $1.50 to $4.00 per square foot of wall area. The spread reflects siding material, condition and how much preparation the surface needs.
How often does exterior paint need redoing here?
Sooner than in a dry climate. Heat, 63.35 inches of annual rain and 76 percent average humidity all shorten the interval, and south and west elevations go first.
Get your surfaces measured
Every figure above is a published national range. What your house costs depends on its measured surfaces, its siding material, the condition of the existing paint and which elements genuinely need doing now. TurnKey Painter serves Metairie, Kenner, Slidell, Covington, Mandeville, Harahan, River Ridge, Gretna, LaPlace, St. Rose, Hammond, Madisonville and Baton Rouge.
Call (504) 608-5528 or request a free estimate.
Related reading
Sources
- Exterior house painting cost, $1.50 to $4.00 per square foot; siding $1 to $6 per square foot; aluminium siding $2.00 to $4.50; front door $100 to $400; shutters $1 to $3.50 per square foot. HomeGuide, 2026. Accessed 2 September 2026.
- Cost to paint exterior trim, $2.55 to $5.21 per linear foot, including exterior enamel, prep up to one hour per 100 linear feet and two coats, updated May 2026. Homewyse. Accessed 2 September 2026.
- Cost to paint exterior shutters, $114 to $235 per shutter, including prep of up to 20 minutes per shutter, updated May 2026. Homewyse. Accessed 2 September 2026.
- New Orleans climate normals 1991 to 2020: 63.35 inches annual precipitation, 70.5 degree annual mean, 91.4 degree July average high. National Weather Service. Accessed 2 September 2026.
This article is general information about exterior painting costs. The figures cited are published national averages, not a TurnKey Painter quote. Your pricing depends on measured surfaces, material and condition.