Transparent pricing
What a Solidarity project actually costs
These are samples of what we've charged customers in the past few years — published so you can orient yourself before anyone visits your home. Your written estimate is free, and specific to your property.
2,000–3,000 sq ft
Historical project range
$8,000 – $23,000
Ranges include all labor, premium paint, and building materials.
These are samples of what Solidarity has actually charged customers in the past few years — orientation, not a quote. Every written estimate is free and specific to your home.
Dry rot that is impossible to see during estimating may add extra cost once surfaces are opened up.
Historical ranges
Every tier we publish
Ranges include all labor, premium paint, and building materials. The spread within each tier is the honest part: two homes of the same size can need very different amounts of preparation.
“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little… The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.”
— John Ruskin, quoted on Solidarity proposals for three decades
| Project | Historical range |
|---|---|
| 1,200 – 2,000 sq ft | $5,000 – $12,000 |
| 2,000 – 3,000 sq ft | $8,000 – $23,000 |
| 3,000 – 4,000 sq ft | $11,000 – $28,000 |
| 4,000 – 6,000 sq ft | $15,000 – $34,000 |
| 6,000 – 10,000 sq ft | $22,000 – $55,000 |
| Modern VictorianDetail-heavy trim and multi-color schemes put Victorians in their own category. | $12,000 – $28,000 |
What moves the number
Why identical homes get different prices
Concealed dry rot
Rot hidden behind paint or trim can only be confirmed once surfaces are opened. Sound wood keeps you at the low end; structural repairs move you up.
Height & access
Single-story walk-around work prices differently than two- and three-story elevations that need scaffolding and rigging.
Trim & detail complexity
Simple body-and-trim schemes sit at the low end. Ornate trim, shutters, corbels, and multi-color schemes add hand work.
Extent of preparation
A sound, recently painted surface needs washing and spot-priming. Heavily weathered paint needs scraping, sanding, feathering, and full priming.
Color changes & coverage
Dramatic color changes and deep, rich colors can require additional coats to cover evenly.
Paint quality
Solidarity specifies professional lines from Dunn-Edwards, Benjamin Moore, and Sherwin-Williams — where you sit within those lines affects cost and lifespan.
Before you sign anything
How to compare painting bids
Advice we publish even though it occasionally costs us jobs — because an informed customer usually chooses the thorough bid.
Deeper reading: How to Evaluate and Compare Painting Proposals
Give every bidder the same description
Most confusing bid spreads happen because each contractor quoted a different project. Hand all bidders one written description — prep expectations, primer, number of finish coats, colors, materials — and the numbers become comparable.
Price the scope, not the square footage
One three-bedroom house does not equal another three-bedroom house. Windows, trim, colors, protection needs, and surface condition can swing the labor by tens or even hundreds of hours.
Ask what the low bid leaves out
When a bid comes in far under the others, something is usually missing — often the preparation you'll never see once the finish coat dries. Ask each bidder to spell out their prep step by step.
Judge value, not price
The best deal is the best value for the price: sound preparation, premium materials, a written guarantee, and a contractor who will still be here in five years.