Most New Orleans homeowners pay $3,500 to $9,000 to paint the exterior of a typical single family house in 2026, and $2 to $6 per square foot of wall area for interior painting. A single room usually runs $400 to $1,000. Raised homes, ornate trim and heavy prep for peeling wood push prices toward the top of those ranges.
How much does it cost to paint a house in New Orleans?
Painting prices in New Orleans follow the same basic math as the rest of the country, labor plus materials, but the local housing stock adds time. A lot of homes here are over 80 years old, built of cypress or pine siding, and sit on piers a few feet off the ground. That means more scraping, more ladder work and more trim per square foot than a newer slab house in the suburbs. The table below shows typical 2026 ranges.
| Project | Typical 2026 price | What drives the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Single room interior (walls only) | $400 to $1,000 | Room size, ceiling height, color change |
| Interior, whole 1,500 sq ft home | $4,000 to $8,500 | Ceilings, trim and doors included or not |
| Exterior, single shotgun | $3,500 to $6,500 | Siding condition, shutters, porch details |
| Exterior, double shotgun or Creole cottage | $5,000 to $9,000 | Two units of trim, doors and shutters |
| Exterior, raised center hall or two story | $7,000 to $15,000 | Height, scaffolding, gingerbread trim |
| Trim, shutters and porch only | $1,200 to $3,500 | Number of shutters and columns |
These are market ranges, not quotes. A small Bywater single with sound siding can come in well under the middle of the range, while an Uptown raised home with deteriorated clapboards and dozens of shutters can go past it.
What affects the price of painting a New Orleans house?
Prep work on old wood
Prep is often 30 to 50 percent of the labor on an older home. Peeling paint has to be scraped, loose glazing repaired, rotted boards swapped and bare wood primed. Many pre 1978 homes in neighborhoods like Mid City, the Irish Channel and Treme likely have lead paint in older layers, so careful, lead safe scraping and cleanup adds time and cost. Ask how prep is handled before you compare totals.
Height and access
Raised homes and two story houses need taller ladders or scaffolding, which slows the work. Narrow side yards between shotguns can make access tricky too, especially where the neighbor’s house is only a few feet away.
Trim, shutters and details
Gingerbread brackets, turned porch columns, louvered shutters and transom windows look great but take far longer to paint than flat siding. Shutters alone can add $40 to $100 each depending on size and condition.
Paint quality
A premium exterior acrylic usually runs $60 to $90 a gallon, and a typical exterior uses 10 to 20 gallons plus primer. In this climate, better paint with mildew resistant additives is usually worth it. Our guide to the best exterior house paint covers what to look for.
How does the New Orleans climate change a paint job?
Heat, humidity and frequent rain shape when and how painters work here. Paint needs dry surfaces and moderate humidity to cure well, and afternoon thunderstorms from June through September can shut down exterior work for hours. That is why many exterior jobs are planned for fall and spring, when days are drier and cooler.
- Mildew wash first: exterior walls should be cleaned and treated for mildew before any primer goes on, or the new coat can fail early.
- Moisture readings: wood should be dry enough to hold paint, which may mean waiting a day or two after heavy rain.
- Hurricane season timing: plan big exterior jobs so they finish before late summer storms, or leave room in the schedule for delays.
- Lighter colors last longer: darker colors absorb more Gulf sun and tend to fade and expand faster on wood siding.
For a full walk through of color, prep and timing, see the ultimate guide to painting your home in New Orleans.
Interior painting prices by room
Inside, the biggest variables are ceiling height, how much patching is needed and whether you want trim and doors done. Many older New Orleans homes have 10 to 14 foot ceilings and tall baseboards, which add both labor and paint.
| Room | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Bathroom | $300 to $700 |
| Bedroom (12 x 12) | $450 to $900 |
| Living room with high ceilings | $800 to $1,800 |
| Kitchen walls (cabinets extra) | $500 to $1,200 |
| Ceiling only, per room | $200 to $600 |
Plaster walls with hairline cracks are common in historic homes and need patching before paint. If you are weighing whether to tackle a room yourself, our breakdown of DIY vs professional painting walks through the tradeoffs.
How can you keep a New Orleans paint job on budget?
- Get the scope in writing. Make sure the price states which surfaces, how many coats, primer, and what prep is included.
- Fix rot first. Replacing a few soft boards before painting costs far less than repainting over failing wood in two years.
- Bundle the work. Doing trim, shutters and the porch ceiling at the same time as the body saves setup time.
- Pick the right season. Fall and early spring usually mean fewer weather delays.
- Keep your color simple. Going from dark to light, or the reverse, can require an extra coat.
If your home is in a local historic district, exterior color and material changes may need approval before work starts, so check with the city first. Our article on renovating historic New Orleans homes has more on working with older houses.
What should a painting estimate include?
A clear estimate protects you from surprise charges halfway through the job. Before work starts, look for these items in writing:
- Every surface being painted, including ceilings, soffits, porch floors and shutters
- The number of coats and the brand and line of paint and primer
- How rotted wood, cracked plaster and failed caulk will be handled and priced
- Who moves furniture, covers plants and cleans up paint chips at the end
- A rough start date and how weather delays are handled
How do you book house painting in New Orleans?
With House Fly you see an upfront price for the painting service before you book, you book at that price, and House Fly handles the rest. Your payment is held until the job is done, so you are not paying for work that has not happened yet.
See your upfront price and book your house painting on House Fly.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a shotgun house in New Orleans?
Most single shotgun exteriors cost $3,500 to $6,500 to paint in 2026, and double shotguns typically run $5,000 to $9,000. The final price depends on how much scraping and wood repair the siding needs, how many shutters there are, and how detailed the porch and trim work is.
What is the best time of year to paint a house exterior in New Orleans?
Fall, roughly October through early December, and spring, March through May, are usually best. Humidity is lower, rain is less frequent and temperatures suit most exterior paints. Summer jobs are possible, but afternoon storms and heavy humidity often cause delays and can affect how well the paint cures.
How long does exterior paint last in New Orleans?
On well prepped wood siding with quality acrylic paint, most New Orleans exteriors last about 5 to 8 years before they need a full repaint. Trim, shutters and south or west facing walls often need attention sooner because they take the most sun and moisture. Washing walls yearly helps paint last longer.
Is interior painting priced per room or per square foot?
Both are common. Painters often quote per room for small jobs, typically $400 to $1,000 a room, and per square foot of wall area, about $2 to $6, for whole home projects. Ask whether ceilings, trim, doors and patching are included so you can compare prices fairly.
