How much does exterior painting cost in Marietta, GA? (2026)

Exterior painting is one of the highest-return things you can do to a Marietta home — but only if it lasts. The difference between a repaint you redo in a few years and one that still looks sharp a decade later is rarely the color. It is the preparation underneath and the coating on top. This guide gives you honest 2026 price ranges for the Marietta area, then shows you exactly what should be in the scope so you can compare quotes on substance, not just the bottom line. Skip ahead and get a written painting quote in 24 hours → In the North Atlanta market, most exterior repaints land between roughly **$3,000 and $7,000**, which works out to somewhere around **$1.20 to $2.80 per square foot** depending on the home. Those are market ranges, not a quote for your house — the only real number comes from an on-site measurement and a written scope. But they are a useful frame for what to expect before an estimator ever walks your property. One-story home Typically the lower end of the range; easier access, less scaffolding. Two-story home Roughly $3,000–$5,000 for most Marietta homes, depending on surface and prep. Three-story / complex Often $5,000–$7,000 or more with added access, trim and repair work. Biggest cost drivers Surface condition, number of stories, prep and repairs, coating and number of coats. Notice what moves the number: it is almost never the paint itself. It is the labor of doing the surface right and the height and complexity of the home. A suspiciously low bid usually means prep is being trimmed somewhere you cannot see — which is exactly where a paint job fails first. Have a painting quote already? We’ll compare it against a written, itemized scope — free. Compare my quote

In Georgia’s heat and humidity, prep is roughly 80% of the outcome. Paint applied over a dirty, chalking or unsealed surface peels and fades early no matter whose name is on the can. A proper job front-loads the work you never see: Wash Pressure wash the entire exterior to strip dirt, chalking and mildew so the coating can actually bond. Repair & scrape Scrape and sand failed areas, and address any soft or rotted wood before a drop of paint goes on. Caulk & prime Seal gaps and joints, then prime bare or repaired surfaces so the finish has a stable base. Two finish coats Apply the specified number of finish coats evenly — on trim, body, soffit and fascia as scoped. The coating matters too, but only on top of good prep. Siding Depot uses Sherwin-Williams Duration, a premium exterior coating with strong UV and moisture performance for Georgia exposure. A durable acrylic system holds color and resists peeling far longer than builder-grade paint — the difference between repainting in three years and in ten. Want the prep and coating spelled out line by line before you commit? That’s exactly how we quote. Get my written scope

When two painting quotes are far apart, the gap is almost always in these variables — so make sure both quotes address them in writing: • **Surface condition:** heavy chalking, peeling or failed caulk means more prep hours. • **Stories and access:** second and third stories add scaffolding, safety and time. • **Repairs:** rotted wood or damaged trim found during prep is real added scope — ask how it is priced before the wall is opened. • **Surfaces included:** body only, or body plus trim, soffit, fascia, shutters and doors. • **Coating and coats:** the product line and number of finish coats specified. A useful painting proposal reads like a specification, not a single number — and when the coating, coats and prep are locked at the estimate, the price has nowhere to drift mid-project.

Exterior painting actually carries two separate warranties, and homeowners often only hear about one. The first is the **product warranty** from the coating manufacturer, which covers the paint itself against defects like premature peeling or blistering. The second is the **workmanship warranty** from the contractor, which covers the quality of the application — the prep, caulking and coats. A cheap bid sometimes leans on the product warranty while offering little or no workmanship coverage, which is exactly backwards, because most early paint failures come from prep and application, not the paint. Ask for both in writing, with their terms and length spelled out, before you compare prices.

Sometimes paint is the wrong tool. If your siding is cracking, rotting or has failed repeatedly, repainting only resets the clock for a couple of years. As a James Hardie siding contractor, we will tell you honestly when a repaint buys you time and when your money is better spent on replacement — because a fresh coat over failing board is money you spend twice. A cheap repaint over bad prep is not a bargain. It is a shorter countdown to doing the whole thing again. If painting is part of a larger refresh, coordinate it with windows, gutters or siding so the sequencing and finish transitions are planned together instead of left for one trade to solve for another. Get an exterior paint scope you can hold us to. A written, itemized quote with the coating, coats and prep spelled out — delivered within 24 hours. Book my free inspection Call (678) 400-2012

• Sherwin-Williams — exterior coatings (Duration) (accessed July 14, 2026) • Price ranges are current North Atlanta market ranges for reference, not a Siding Depot quote. Confirm coating, warranty and prep process against Siding Depot operations before publication.