Exterior House Painting Materials List: Paint, Primer and Prep
The outside of a 40 × 30 ft one-story house, with two gable ends and 150 ft² of windows and doors, is 1,290 ft² of surface and needs about 7.4 gallons of paint for two coats (1 five-gallon pail + 3 gallons). Add primer for bare areas, caulk for the gaps, and prep tools: preparation decides how long a paint job lasts.
The materials list
| What to buy | How much | How we worked it out |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior paint | 1 five-gallon pail + 3 gallons | Exterior paint calculator: 1,290 ft² to cover, two coats at 350 ft² per gallon. Trim and doors are extra |
| Exterior primer | Up to 4 gallons | For bare wood, stains and patches. Spot-prime the bare areas, or prime the whole house over a big color change |
| Trim paint | 2 to 3 gallons | For fascia, trim, soffits, shutters and doors, bought separately in a glossier finish |
| Exterior caulk (paintable) | 7 tubes of 10 oz | Caulk calculator: about 150 ft of gaps at 1/4 in, 10% extra |
| Wood filler or epoxy filler | 1 can | For rot and holes. Replace badly rotted boards instead of filling them |
| Scrapers, wire brush, sandpaper | 1 set | Remove all loose and peeling paint, then sand the edges smooth |
| Cleaner and pressure washer | 1 rental or purchase | Wash the house and let it dry fully, for a day or two, before painting |
| Painter's tape and plastic sheeting | 2 to 3 rolls of tape | For windows, trim and anything you do not want painted |
| Brushes, rollers and a sprayer (optional) | 1 set | A sprayer is fast but wastes more paint and needs careful masking |
| Ladder or scaffold, drop cloths | 1 each | Use a ladder or scaffold rated for the height, on firm level ground |
Paint needed for other houses
Two coats at 350 ft² per gallon, gable ends 6 ft high where there is a gable, with an allowance for windows and doors:
| House | Surface to paint | Paint for two coats |
|---|---|---|
| 24 × 30 ft, 1 story | 1,002 ft² | 5.7 gal |
| 30 × 40 ft, 1 story | 1,350 ft² | 7.7 gal |
| 40 × 50 ft, 1 story | 1,770 ft² | 10.1 gal |
| 24 × 36 ft, 2 stories | 2,126 ft² | 12.1 gal |
| 30 × 40 ft, 2 stories | 2,510 ft² | 14.3 gal |
Before you start
- Houses built before 1978 may contain lead paint. Test before you sand or scrape, and follow lead-safe practices or hire a certified contractor. Do not dry-scrape or power-sand old paint without testing.
- Check the weather. Paint when the temperature and humidity are in the range on the can, usually 50 to 90°F, out of direct hot sun, with no rain for a day or two.
- Wash and repair first. Paint will not stick to dirt or hold on rotted wood.
- Buy from one batch, and mix the pails together (boxing) so the color is the same around the house.
How the job goes
- Wash the house, scrape and sand loose paint, and let everything dry.
- Replace rotted boards, fill holes, caulk the gaps, and prime the bare spots.
- Mask the windows and anything you will not paint, then paint from the top of the wall down, with a wet edge.
- Let the first coat dry fully, apply the second, and finish with the trim and doors.
See the exterior paint calculator to change the number of stories, gables and openings. Estimates only: the label on the paint wins.
Frequently asked questions
How much paint do I need for a 40x30 house?
About 7.4 gallons for two coats on a one-story house with two gable ends and 150 ft² of windows and doors: 1 five-gallon pail + 3 gallons. Rough siding or stucco needs more.
How many coats of paint does the outside of a house need?
Two coats of a good exterior paint over a sound, clean surface, or one coat over primer on bare or patched areas plus a finish coat. Check the can.
Do I need to prime exterior siding?
Bare wood, patches and stains need primer. A coat of primer over this whole house is about 3.7 gallons, which is why spot-priming only the bare areas saves money.
How much caulk do I need to paint a house?
About 7 tubes of 10 oz exterior caulk for roughly 150 ft of gaps around windows, doors and trim. Use a caulk labeled for exterior use and paintable.
More guides
Tools & materials for this project
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Estimates only. Quantities depend on your materials, site and supplier. Confirm important numbers before you order, and follow local building codes for anything structural.