Exterior Painting • Houston TX
Wood Siding Exterior Painting
Wood lap siding, shiplap and trim scraped, primed and repainted for Houston sun and humidity. Get a free instant quote.
Executive Summary: Wood Siding Painting Houston
Wood siding painting in Houston scrapes, primes and repaints lap siding, shiplap and wood trim so the wood stays sealed against rain and humidity.
Wood siding takes primer + topcoat: primer on every bare board, then 2 coats of exterior acrylic. A 3 to 6 painter crew finishes most homes in an estimated 2 to 7 days, at about $2 to $4.50 per square foot, or $4,000 to $9,000 for 2,000 sq ft (Houston-area estimates).
Wet weeks push exterior dates, and soft boards add repair days. Wood homes built before 1978 need lead paint testing before any scraping.
Typical Houston Projects
Three common wood siding jobs and how we scope them. These are typical scopes, not past projects.
Example scope: 1920s bungalow, The Heights (77008)
What to expect: about 5 to 7 days (estimate); expect $4,000 to $9,000 at typical Houston-area pricing.
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Project Size: one-story bungalow with original lap siding
Neighborhood: The Heights (77008)
Service: Wood Siding Exterior Painting
System: oil-based or bonding primer on bare wood + 2 coats of 100% acrylic
The Problem: layers of old paint peeling down to bare wood on the south side
The Solution: lead paint testing, scrape and sand, flag soft boards for repair, prime bare wood, then 2 coats
Example scope: Shiplap accent walls, Montrose (77006)
What to expect: about 2 to 3 days (estimate), with Houston-area pricing usually at $2 to $4.50 per sq ft.
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Project Size: front gable and porch in shiplap
Neighborhood: Montrose (77006)
Service: Wood Siding Exterior Painting
System: spot primer + 2 coats of satin acrylic
The Problem: cracked caulk and gaps at the shiplap ends
The Solution: recaulk ends and trim gaps, spot-prime, then 2 coats
Example scope: Two-story cedar siding, Hilshire Village (77055)
What to expect: about 5 to 6 days (estimate), and $2 to $4.50 per sq ft is the typical Houston-area range, with the second story adding 40 to 50% per sq ft.
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Project Size: two-story home with cedar siding under tree cover
Neighborhood: Hilshire Village (77055)
Service: Wood Siding Exterior Painting
System: stain-blocking primer over tannin + 2 coats of mildew-resistant acrylic
The Problem: tannin bleed and mildew on shaded walls
The Solution: wash and dry, block tannin with primer, then 2 coats with mildewcide
Stop Letting Fading & Damage Hurt Your Property Value
Peeling down to bare wood
Once wood is bare, rain gets in and rot starts. We scrape to a sound edge and prime every bare spot before paint.
Soft boards near the ground
Bottom courses and window sills rot first in Houston rain. We flag them for repair before priming, because paint will not hold on soft wood.
Tannin and mildew on cedar
Cedar bleeds brown stains and grows mildew in shade. A stain-blocking primer and a mildew-resistant topcoat handle both.
Schedule a Walkthrough
We walk the house, check every wall for peeling, rot and caulk failure, and note the home age for lead testing. The written estimate lists prep and repairs by area.
Our Process: Done Right the First Time
- 1Detailed Estimate & Color ConsultationWe walk every side of the house, press-test soft boards and note sills and trim that need repair. The estimate flags lead paint testing if the home predates 1978.
- 2Expert Prep & PaintingSiding gets washed and left a full day to dry, then scraped to a sound edge, sanded and primed wherever wood is bare. Two acrylic coats follow, siding before trim.
- 3Final Walkthrough & Clean-UpWe walk the siding with you board by board and fix any missed edges. Paint chips get raked out of the beds before we leave.
What to Expect: Your Project Timeline
| Stage | When | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate & booking | 1 to 2 weeks ahead | Board-by-board inspection, soft-wood list and written estimate |
| Prep day | Day 1 to Day 2 | Wash, full dry day, scraping and spot sanding |
| Paint application | Day 2 to Day 6 | Primer on bare wood, then 2 acrylic coats, siding first |
| Dry & walkthrough | Last day | Side-by-side walkthrough and edge touch-ups |
| Curing | Next 2 to 4 weeks | Acrylic firms up; keep sprinklers off the siding |
These are estimates. A rainy week or extra soft boards can add days.
The Right Time to Schedule Wood Siding Painting Houston
You see bare wood.
Bare wood soaks up rain within one season. Repaint before boards start to rot.
Spring or fall is coming.
March to May and September to November give wood the dry days it needs.
The fence needs it too.
Match the fence to the house in one visit; see Fence & Gate Painting Services.
Booking Dry Weather
Wood takes paint best in dry spring and fall weeks. We leave a dry day after washing before any primer.
The Henry Contractor Difference
No hidden fees
Your written estimate lists scraping, repairs and coats by area before work starts.
Local Houston crews
Local Houston crews know how older wood homes inside the Loop age and which walls fail first.
Prep done by the book
Wash, dry, scrape, prime bare wood, caulk, then paint.
Transparent Pricing for Wood Siding Painting Houston
| What Affects the Cost | Standard vs. Premium | Hidden Costs to Watch For |
|---|---|---|
| Scope and size: siding area, stories, trim and porch detail | Standard uses mid-grade acrylic; premium uses a top-line acrylic with longer color hold | Second stories add roughly 40 to 50% per sq ft in ladder and setup time (estimate) |
| Wood condition: bare spots, cupped boards, tannin bleed | Standard spot-primes bare wood; premium primes every board | Soft-wood repair and pre-1978 lead testing are separate lines |
| Access and extras: shrubs, porches, shutters | Standard covers siding and trim; premium adds shutters and porch ceilings | Dense landscaping against the walls slows prep |
Typical Houston-area range for wood siding (estimate): $2 to $4.50 per square foot of paintable surface, or $4,000 to $9,000 for a 2,000 sq ft home. Your written estimate after an on-site walkthrough sets the exact price.
Get an Exact Number
How much scraping and rot repair a house needs only shows on site. We check and price in writing.
Wood Siding Painting Houston vs. DIY vs. Cheap Labor
| Feature | Henry Contractor | DIY | Cheap Labor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prep Work Quality | Scrape to sound wood, prime every bare board, caulk joints | Paint over loose edges | Skip primer on bare wood |
| Time Investment | 2 to 7 days (estimate), depending on scraping | Months of weekends on a ladder | Fast, thin single coat |
| Material Quality | 100% acrylic over oil or bonding primer | Bargain exterior paint | Interior-grade or cheap blends |
| Clean-Up Process | Chips raked from beds daily | Chips left in the grass | Debris left for you |
| Pricing Transparency | Written estimate with rot and testing lines | Rentals and supplies pile up | Rot repair surprise at the end |
Who We Partner With
Homeowners
Your wood siding needs careful prep. We scrape and prime until every board is sound.
Property Managers
Older rentals with wood siding need paint before rot spreads. We price repairs and paint as separate lines.
HOA Board Members
Wood-sided homes in your community fade at different rates. We match the approved colors house by house.
Proudly Serving Greater Houston
We proudly provide professional painting services to homeowners and businesses throughout the Greater Houston area, including: The Woodlands, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Cypress, Memorial, and surrounding neighborhoods.
We paint wood-sided homes across The Heights (77008), Montrose (77006) and West University Place (77005), plus older neighborhoods in Spring and Pearland.
Other exterior surfaces are on the Exterior Painting Houston TX page.
Frequently Asked Questions
The short answer is an estimated 5 to 7 years with good prep, and less on walls with full sun or constant shade. Rot repair, priming bare wood and caulking joints before two coats of exterior acrylic stretch the repaint cycle more than the paint brand alone.
Replacing rotted boards with fiber cement can stretch the cycle further; see Hardie Board & Fiber Cement Painting.
The short answer is about $2 to $4.50 per square foot of paintable surface, or roughly $4,000 to $9,000 for a 2,000 sq ft home, based on typical Houston-area pricing. Square footage, stories, siding type and repairs move the number. Your written estimate sets the exact price.
Second-story siding raises the per-foot cost by roughly 40 to 50% (estimate), mostly for ladders and setup. Heavy scraping on old wood adds labor.
Wood siding painting usually requires a wash and full dry time, scraping loose paint to a sound edge, sanding rough spots, flagging rotted boards for repair, priming every bit of bare wood and caulking joints and trim gaps. Pre-1978 homes need lead paint testing before any scraping starts.
Older homes with original siding follow the steps on Historic Home Exterior Painting.
The short answer is soft or rotted boards are repaired or replaced before painting, and that adds days to the schedule. Painting over rot hides it for a season while the damage keeps spreading underneath. Rot repair shows as its own line on the estimate.
Trim ends, sills and the first board above a flower bed are where it usually turns up.
Ready to upgrade your property?
Fill out the free estimate form at the top of the page to get started, or call us directly to schedule your on-site consultation.