Exterior Painting · Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins & the Front Range
Exterior House Painting Across Denver & the Front Range
Repaints for siding, trim, stucco, brick and garage doors — prepped properly, finished in Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint or Emerald, and run start to finish by a Class C general contractor serving Colorado since 2001.
Do you take paint-only jobs?
Yes. We repaint homes on their own — siding, trim, fascia, soffit, entry and garage doors, stucco and brick — not only as part of a larger remodel. Most exterior repaints run $6–$8 per square foot of painted surface, depending on prep, height and how much trim and detail the house has.
Our standard is Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint; Emerald is the upgrade. Every estimate includes free color mockups of your own home, so you can see the colors on your walls before anyone opens a can.
A good exterior repaint is mostly preparation. The paint is the last ten percent of the job; what decides whether it lasts is how the surface was washed, scraped, repaired, caulked and primed before the first coat. That is the part a cheap bid quietly leaves out, and it is the part we price in writing.
What an Exterior Repaint Includes
Prep the surface
Wash, scrape and sand loose or failing paint so the new coat bonds to a sound surface, not to the old failure.
Finish coats
Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint as standard, or Emerald as the upgrade, applied to the manufacturer’s coverage on siding and trim.
Trim, fascia, soffit & doors
Fascia, soffit, window and door trim, entry doors and garage doors are part of the scope, not an upsell.
Clean-up & walkthrough
Masking comes off, the site is cleaned, and we walk the house with you before the job is closed out.
Recent Exterior Painting Projects
Real Northern Lights Exteriors projects with exterior painting along the Front Range.
Why Exterior Paint Fails Faster in Colorado
Paint on the Front Range works harder than paint at sea level. Three things do most of the damage:
High-altitude UV
Stronger sun chalks and fades paint faster, and south and west elevations go first — often years before the shaded side of the same house.
Freeze-thaw cycles
Daily temperature swings open and close every joint. Caulk that has cracked lets water behind the paint, and that is where peeling starts.
Hail and dry air
Hail chips paint and dents trim; dry air shrinks wood siding and trim between storms. Both open the surface to the next round of weather.
That is why we spend the time on prep and caulk, and why we look at which elevations are failing before we price the job.
What We Paint
Siding
Wood siding, James Hardie fiber cement and LP SmartSide engineered wood — repainted, or primed new siding painted after we install it.
Trim, fascia & soffit
The detail that frames the house, and the first place paint fails on most Colorado homes.
Stucco
Repainting stucco with a coating suited to masonry, after cracks are addressed.
Brick
Painting brick for a new look — a permanent decision we talk through honestly before you make it.
Entry & garage doors
Doors and garage doors painted as part of the house, so the colors are planned together.
The Paint We Use: Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint and Emerald
We paint with Sherwin-Williams. SuperPaint is our standard exterior paint, and Emerald is the upgrade for homeowners who want the color to hold longer on a hard exposure. Sherwin-Williams backs both with a lifetime limited warranty.
| Paint | Where we use it | What it is built for | Manufacturer warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint | Our standard exterior paint | Exterior acrylic latex built to resist fading and peeling | Lifetime limited (Sherwin-Williams) |
| Sherwin-Williams Emerald | The upgrade for longer-lasting color | Exterior acrylic latex Sherwin-Williams rates to resist blistering, peeling, fading and dirt pickup | Lifetime limited (Sherwin-Williams) |
What the paint warranty covers: Sherwin-Williams’ warranty is on the paint itself, with the terms printed on the label. The work — prep, repairs and application — is covered by our own 5-year installation warranty. We keep the two separate so you know exactly who stands behind what.
How Much Does Exterior Painting Cost in Colorado?
In 2026, most exterior repaints we quote along the Front Range run $6–$8 per square foot of painted surface. Where a house lands in that range depends on how much prep the surface needs, how tall and accessible it is, and how much trim and detail there is to cut in.
| What you are painting | Typical installed cost | What moves the number |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior repaint (siding and trim) | $6–$8 per square foot of painted surface | Prep condition, number of stories and access, and how much trim and detail the house has |
| Stucco or brick | Priced within the same range after inspection | Crack repair and how much coating the surface absorbs |
| Color change, light to dark or dark to light | Priced on the estimate | Whether an extra coat is needed for even coverage |
Every estimate is line-item, so you can see prep, repairs and paint separately. Financing options are available.
Repaint or Re-Side? The Honest Answer
Because we install siding as well as paint it, we can tell you which one your house actually needs — and we have no reason to push either.
Repaint when the siding is sound
Boards are solid, joints are tight and the paint is simply chalking, fading or peeling in places. A proper repaint is the right spend.
Re-side when the siding is the problem
Cracked, split, delaminating or hail-damaged boards, or paint that fails again within a few years. Paint will not fix the material underneath.
Or skip the repaint cycle
James Hardie siding with a factory ColorPlus® finish or primed siding painted on site — both change how often you think about paint.
See our siding contractors page, James Hardie siding installation and LP SmartSide if new siding is on the table. In Boulder, primed siding finished in a custom color is its own option — see Boulder exterior painting.
Painting James Hardie and LP SmartSide Siding
Fiber cement and engineered wood are painted differently from old wood siding, and the manufacturers are specific about it:
- Primed boards need paint within 180 days. James Hardie and LP SmartSide primed siding is made to be finished, and the primer is not a weather coat on its own.
- James Hardie calls for 100% acrylic topcoats. No oil or alkyd paint, no stain.
- Repainting ColorPlus® is possible, but James Hardie’s 15-year ColorPlus finish warranty does not cover paint applied in the field. We tell you that before you choose.
We follow the instructions for the product on your house.
Before You Commit: Color Mockups, Warranty and a Line-Item Estimate
- Free color mockups with every estimate. See your colors on your own home before you choose.
- 5-year installation warranty from Northern Lights Exteriors on the work, plus Sherwin-Williams’ lifetime limited warranty on the paint.
- A line-item estimate — prep, repairs and paint priced separately, in writing, before work starts.
The System Behind the Work
A repaint has more moving parts than it looks — colors, repairs found during prep, weather days, a final walkthrough — and every one of them should be written down somewhere you can find it, not lost in a text thread.
Two things make that possible, and they are the reason to choose us over a cheaper quote.
First, experience and scope. We have been working on Colorado’s Front Range since 2001, and we hold a Class C general contractor license (Colorado license #C120350) rather than a single-trade license. That is not a technicality: it means roofing, siding, windows, decks and outdoor living can run under one contract, with one project manager accountable for the flashings where those trades meet — which is precisely where multi-contractor projects leak, literally and figuratively. James Hardie has recognized us as an Elite Contractor continuously since 2011, and as a President’s Club Member — their highest contractor distinction nationwide. Our rating is 4.9 out of 5 from 552 verified reviews.
Second, a proprietary on-demand client portal we built ourselves. Most of what people hate about a remodel is not the construction. It is not knowing — who to call, whether the permit went in, when material arrives, what has been paid, whether it passed inspection. We built a system to remove exactly that, and as far as we know no other exterior contractor in this market offers it:
Every conversation in one place
Messages, decisions and change requests are logged against your project rather than scattered across texts, voicemails and three different crew members’ phones.
Contracts and scope, always retrievable
Your signed contract and itemized scope live in the portal, so you can easily get a refresh on what was agreed — on your own, any time.
Permit status you can see
Where the permit is in the process, and when inspections are scheduled — without having to phone anyone to find out.
Delivery and install schedules
When material lands and when each trade starts, so you can plan around the work instead of waiting for a truck to appear.
Before, during and final photography
Documented condition before we start, progress images through production, and final photography — including the parts of the building you will never see again once it is closed up.
Payments tracked per trade
What is paid and what is outstanding, broken out by trade rather than as one running balance you have to reconcile yourself.
Inspection records
Each inspection and its result, recorded against the project and available when you sell the house and someone asks.
Access is an individual, custom URL issued to you — and you get it when we start talking, at the lead and project meeting, not after you sign something. That is deliberate: you can see how we run a project before you commit to one. It then stays available after the work is finished, which matters more than it sounds, because the documentation, images and inspection records are exactly what a buyer’s agent, an appraiser or an insurer asks for years later.
Where We Paint
We serve Denver, Boulder and the Front Range up to Fort Collins — including Longmont, Loveland, Greeley, Broomfield, Westminster, Thornton, Erie, Lafayette, Louisville, Golden, Berthoud and Estes Park. Check the service-area map to confirm we cover your address.
Exterior Painting FAQs
Do you take paint-only exterior jobs?
Yes. We repaint homes on their own — siding, trim, fascia, soffit, entry and garage doors, stucco and brick — not only as part of a larger remodel.
How much does exterior house painting cost in Colorado?
Most exterior repaints we quote along the Front Range run $6 to $8 per square foot of painted surface in 2026, depending on prep, height and access, and how much trim and detail the house has. You get a line-item estimate in writing.
What paint do you use?
Sherwin-Williams. SuperPaint is our standard exterior paint and Emerald is the upgrade for longer-lasting color on hard exposures.
What does the paint warranty cover?
Sherwin-Williams backs SuperPaint and Emerald with a lifetime limited warranty on the paint itself, with the terms on the label. The work — prep, repairs and application — is covered by our 5-year installation warranty.
Can you paint James Hardie or LP SmartSide siding?
Yes. Primed James Hardie and LP SmartSide siding should be painted within 180 days, and James Hardie calls for 100% acrylic topcoats. ColorPlus siding can be repainted, but the ColorPlus finish warranty does not cover field-applied paint.
Do you paint stucco, brick and garage doors?
Yes. We paint stucco, brick, entry doors and garage doors, and we talk through painting brick honestly first because it is a permanent change.
Should I repaint or replace my siding?
Repaint when the siding is sound and the paint is simply failing. Re-side when boards are cracked, delaminating or hail-damaged, or when paint keeps failing within a few years. We install siding too, so we can tell you which one your house needs.
Can I see the colors before I decide?
Yes. Every Northern Lights Exteriors estimate includes free color mockups of your own home.
Get a Free Exterior Painting Estimate
Tell us what you are seeing — chalking, peeling, faded trim, or just a color you are tired of. We will look at the house, show you free color mockups, and give you a line-item price, and if the siding underneath is the real problem, we will say so.
Request Your Free Estimate → 📞 (303) 776-5263
Prefer email? Reach us at office@nlexteriors.com. Ask about financing options when we walk the property.
