Old House Exterior Paint

Quote Summary

Base Quote

$7,275

Paint only · Highest single-wall quote

Estimated Final Range

$8,000 – $10,000

Includes potential siding adder, less damage than north

Lead Status

Lead Positive

Lead-safe practices required · debris removal included

Bundle Math · 3-Wall Paint Series

Wall	Lead status	Storm windows	Base quote	Likely all-in
North Wall	Lead positive	1 storm	$6,900	$8,900 – 10,400
Front Wall · this project	Lead positive	Multiple	$7,275	$8,000 – 10,000
Side & Patio Wall	Lead free	Confirm at walk-through	$6,700	~$6,700 – 7,500
3-wall bundle, single mobilization			$20,875	$23,600 – 27,900

Numbers reflect 2025 quotes. Renewal will likely move them up. Bundle discount on Dennis's per-wall rate is the value of doing all three together rather than one at a time. Ask explicitly during renewal: "what's the per-wall price if we do all three vs. one wall standalone?"

Scope of Work · Per Quote

Same prep pattern as the north wall. Front elevation difference is window count and elevation complexity, not the work itself.

Encapsulate front of house entirely per EPA RRP protocols
Remove storm windows from all old windows, seal around sash with tape
Remove all peeling paint by scraping, grinding, and sanding
Finish-sand all areas to smooth out surface, powerwash
Caulking, bondo repair, and putty holes as needed
Reglaze old windows as needed
Prime all repaired areas, storms, exposed wood
Paint siding and trim with 2 finish coats · color scheme TBD
Reinstall storm windows at completion
Cover and protect all grounds, shrubbery, roofline, windows, and lighting during work
Remove all debris from premises on completion
Materials included in quoted price

What We Don't Know Yet

Open questions to confirm at quote renewal or site walk-through

Exact storm window count on the front elevation. Quote says "remove storms from all old windows" without itemizing
Whether the bedroom storms are on this wall, the north wall, or split. Affects sequencing for the downstream bedroom storm project
Renewed pricing 2026. Material costs have moved since March 2025; 2026 quote is unlikely to match the 2025 number
Per-board siding replacement pricing. Quote did not include a siding line item; less damage visible than north wall but exact scope unknown
Final color scheme across all three walls. Quote lists this as TBD; affects primer spec
Bundle discount Dennis would offer for all 3 walls in a single contract vs. per-wall pricing
Whether the front elevation has any logistical complications (entry traffic, decorative landscaping, lighting fixtures) that affect mobilization

Storm Window Sequencing · Decoupled from Dennis

Tell Dennis at quote renewal: existing storms on the front wall are coming off again later. Ask him to use stainless screws he can back out cleanly, run a moderate caulk bead rather than a heavy one, and not drive fasteners deeper than necessary on reinstall.

Questions to Ask Dennis at Renewal

Bundle pricing

What's the per-wall price if we do all three walls in a single contract vs. doing this wall standalone? Quantify the bundle discount.
If we bundle all three, what's the mobilization sequence? Which wall first, weather-dependent ordering, total job length?
Are you willing to itemize per-wall pricing within the bundle so we can drop one wall cleanly if its renewed quote doesn't work?

Front-wall specifics

How many storm windows are on the front elevation, and which ones are bedroom-level (downstream Allied swap)?
What's driving the $7,275 base vs. $6,900 north wall — window count, elevation height, decorative trim complexity, or something else?
Any front-elevation-specific logistics: entry path traffic, lighting fixtures to mask, decorative shrubs to protect?

Color and finish

Confirm color scheme is locked across all three walls before signing — single decision, not per-wall.
What paint brand and product? Primer spec matters as much as topcoat on a moisture-damaged historic home.
Are dark colors a price adder? Some require 3 coats on heavily repaired surfaces.

Storm handling · Existing units only

Confirm scope on existing storms stays as quoted: remove, paint, reinstall the existing units. No new storm install bundling.
Use stainless screws on reinstall so the existing storms come off cleanly later for the Allied swap. Moderate caulk bead, no heavy lock-down.
If any existing storm is too damaged to reinstall, flag it during the job. Worst case it stays off until the Allied unit arrives.

Cost Levers

Reduce Cost

Bundle all three walls. This is the single biggest lever. One mobilization, one cleanup, discounted per-wall rate.
Lock color across all three walls before signing. Color TBD delays primer selection and can add a mobilization cost.
Clear the front elevation yourself. Move planters, trim foundation shrubs, remove door wreaths and lighting if possible. Less setup means less billed labor.
Get a second quote from one other lead-safe RRP-certified painter for negotiating leverage. Even if you stay with Dennis, having a comp gives you a real fallback.

Watch These

Renewal pricing creep. 2026 quote will likely come back higher. If it crosses $9,000 paint-only, the bundle math changes.
Storm reinstall quality. Heavy caulk or stripped fasteners make later removal hard. Same risk as north wall but with more storm windows on this wall.
Color selection drift. Front wall is the most visible facade; color decision needs to be deliberate, not default.
Subsurface rot less expected here than north wall, but still possible at the lower course near grade.

What Could Go Wrong

Bundle discount disappears in renewal

The 2025 economic case for bundling assumes Dennis discounts the per-wall rate when doing all three together. If his 2026 renewal eliminates or reduces that discount, the per-wall math changes and you might rationally choose to do one wall at a time rather than committing to all three.

What to look for Renewed bundle total above $25,000 with no per-wall itemization, or per-wall pricing in the bundle that matches standalone per-wall pricing (no discount).

Mitigation Insist on itemized per-wall pricing within the bundle, plus a separate explicit "bundle discount" line item. That way you can see exactly what bundling buys you and decide deliberately.

Front wall storm count is higher than assumed

Quote says "remove storms from all old windows" without itemizing. If the front elevation has 5 or 6 storms vs. the assumed 3 or 4, the storm reinstall labor adds up and the front wall premium over the north wall makes more sense — but it also means more storms downstream for the Allied swap project.

What to look for Walk the front elevation and count the storms before quote renewal. Compare against Dennis's assumption when he priced the wall in 2025.

Mitigation Get an itemized window count in the renewed quote. If count is higher than expected, evaluate whether all of those storms are worth replacing with Allied units or if some can stay as-is after Dennis repaints them.

Dennis's storm reinstall complicates later removal

Same risk pattern as the north wall and bedroom storms. Dennis reinstalls existing storms after painting. If he uses heavy caulk or oversunk fasteners, removing them later for the Allied swap turns into a chiseling project that risks chipping the freshly painted casing.

What to look for After Dennis demobilizes, inspect each storm. Heavy caulk bead locking the storm to the casing, fasteners driven flush, or galvanized rather than stainless screws.

Mitigation Tell Dennis explicitly during quote renewal: existing storms are coming off again later. Stainless screws, moderate caulk bead, no oversunk fasteners. Same conversation as the north wall.

Color selection drags and delays the whole bundle

Front wall is the most visible facade. Color decision pressure is highest here. If color is still being debated within 30 days of Dennis's start, the entire 3-wall mobilization slips, not just this wall.

What to look for Still debating colors with Julia within 30 days of Dennis's planned start, or paint chips not yet seen against the actual house in real sunlight.

Mitigation Lock color 60 days before Dennis mobilizes. Order paint chips, mock up against the front facade in actual sunlight, decide jointly. Then send Dennis the final spec in writing.

Next Actions

01

Renew the quote with the bundle ask

Call Dennis. Renew this wall's quote alongside the north wall and side/patio wall as a bundle request with itemized per-wall pricing and an explicit bundle discount line item. Include the storm-handling instruction (stainless screws, moderate caulk) for all walls.

02

Walk the front elevation before signing

Count storm windows. Identify which are bedroom-level and which are not (matters for the downstream Allied swap project). Look for any front-elevation-specific logistics that affect mobilization.

03

Lock color across all three walls

Decision needs to happen before any wall gets signed. Front wall is the most visible facade, so its color choice anchors the rest. Order chips, mock up in real sunlight, decide with Julia.

04

Get a second quote for leverage

One other lead-safe RRP-certified painter in Litchfield County. Same comp logic as the north wall. Even if you intend to hire Dennis, the comp gives you negotiating leverage on the renewal and a real fallback if his 2026 number is uncomfortable.