Exterior paint in East County gets a short, crowded season and a long, wet off-season, so timing and prep matter as much as the paint you choose. Whether it is one bedroom or every wall outside, describe the job and local painting contractors will come back with what prep they include and what it costs.
Washing, scraping, sanding failed edges, spot-priming bare wood, caulking joints, and setting popped nails is where a ten-year paint job separates from a three-year one. It is also invisible in a finished photo, which is exactly why cheap bids cut it. Ask each painter to describe their prep in writing and compare those paragraphs, not just the totals.
Realistically you are painting between late May and early October, when surfaces are dry and overnight temperatures stay above the coating's minimum. Painting a damp wall in April traps moisture and guarantees peeling. Good crews book that window out months ahead, so calling in February gets you a slot rather than a wait list.
Shaded north elevations under fir cover grow a grey-green film that has to be killed, not just rinsed, or it grows right back through fresh paint. A proper wash with the right solution and adequate dwell time handles it. Pressure washing aggressively also drives water behind the siding, so ask about their washing method specifically.
Describe the project once and we match it with vetted local pros who actually do this work — you choose who to hire, or nobody at all.
Much of Gresham's 1970s and 80s stock wears pressed hardboard or plywood siding, and both need bare edges primed and bottom edges sealed before topcoat. Paint alone will not rescue a swollen board. A painter who identifies which boards need replacement before painting is saving you a repaint in two years.
Older farmhouses on Gresham's east edge and some downtown-area homes predate 1978, which puts exterior sanding and scraping under EPA lead-safe renovation rules. Certified crews contain chips, use HEPA equipment, and clean up properly. That is not upselling, it is a federal requirement, and it does add cost.
Homes with an unobstructed east or south exposure catch Gorge-driven rain and UV harder than sheltered lots, and their paint fails unevenly as a result. It is common here to repaint the two weathered elevations on a shorter cycle than the rest. A good painter will price that option instead of insisting on all four sides.
A full exterior repaint on a typical single-story home here commonly runs $4,500 to $9,000, with two-story homes more often $8,000 to $16,000 depending on prep, trim complexity, and access. Interior work is frequently quoted at roughly $2.50 to $5 per square foot of floor area for walls, ceilings, and trim, or a few hundred dollars per average bedroom. Extensive scraping, lead-safe requirements, and siding repair move those numbers up. A bid far below the range almost always means minimal prep.
They spent two full days washing and scraping before a drop of paint went on. Three winters later the south wall still looks new.
Booked in February for a July slot and it was worth the wait. Crew was tidy, masked everything, and finished a day early.
Our house is from 1972, so they tested before any sanding and set up containment first. The shaded north wall got washed and primed with a mildew-resistant primer before topcoat.
Two coats over properly prepared and primed surfaces is the standard for exterior work and for meaningful color changes inside. A single coat over an existing similar color can be acceptable as a refresh. Make sure the bid states the number of coats explicitly.
Interior work, absolutely, and winter is when crews have availability and sometimes better rates. Exterior work is limited by moisture and temperature, and while a dry February week occasionally allows it, results are less predictable. Most homeowners are better off waiting for summer.
Usually the contractor, at a trade price, with the brand and product line named in the bid. Confirm they are quoting a quality exterior line rather than a builder-grade product, because the coating itself is a small share of the total cost and a large share of how long it lasts.
With thorough prep and a good coating, roughly seven to ten years on sheltered walls and often less on the weather-facing sides. Washing the house every year or two and touching up caulk lines noticeably extends that. Peeling within three years points to prep or moisture problems.
Some include limited carpentry, others exclude it entirely and expect you to arrange it. Ask directly, because painting over soft trim is wasted money. Getting rot handled first also lets the new wood be primed on all sides before it goes up.
Tell us interior or exterior, roughly how much square footage, and your timing. Gresham-area painting contractors will follow up with estimates. Free, no obligation.
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