Exterior House Painting Cost in Kenya: What Affects the Budget?
What it costs to paint the outside of a house in Kenya: worked bungalow and maisonette examples, and how wall area, surface, paint, access and repairs change the budget.
- Figures reviewed
- October 2026
- Estimator methodology
- interior-v3
- Quantity methodology
- quantity-v1
The short answer
With FinishGrid's planning references, painting the outside of a simple single-storey 3-bedroom house (120.5 m² of wall) with silicone exterior paint comes to about KSh 31,900 – 40,500 on new plaster and KSh 28,900 – 36,900 as a sound repaint, for materials and labour. A two-storey house with 216 m² of outside wall comes to about KSh 56,200 – 71,100 on new wood-float plaster. Scaffolding, access and repairs are extra. What moves the budget most is the wall area, then the surface, the condition of the walls and the finish you choose.
Worked examples
| Finish and condition | Estimated range |
|---|---|
| Silicone paint, new plaster (undercoat + 2 coats) | KSh 31,900 – 40,500 |
| Silicone paint, sound repaint (2 coats) | KSh 28,900 – 36,900 |
| Textured finish, self-coloured | KSh 56,400 – 70,600 |
| Textured finish with a painted colour coat | KSh 83,000 – 104,400 |
| Finish and condition | Estimated range |
|---|---|
| Silicone paint, new wood-float plaster | KSh 56,200 – 71,100 |
| Silicone paint, new smooth plaster | KSh 43,500 – 54,900 |
| Silicone paint, sound repaint (wood-float) | KSh 50,900 – 64,800 |
| Textured finish, self-coloured | KSh 96,400 – 120,600 |
Both are FinishGrid worked examples from the Full House Painting Budget, not average Kenyan prices. The single-storey area is FinishGrid's provisional exterior model for a simple 3-bedroom house; the two-storey area is worked out from the building's measurements below, with doors and windows not deducted.
Wall area: the biggest factor
Exterior paint is bought and applied by the square metre of wall, so the area drives everything else. For a simple rectangular house, outside wall area is roughly the distance round the building multiplied by the wall height: 2 × (length + width) × height, for each floor. The two-storey example is 2 × (10 + 8) × 3 m × 2 floors = 216 m². FinishGrid uses 3.0 m per floor as a planning assumption, not a building standard; measure yours if you can. Doors and windows are taken off only when you measure them.
Bedroom count says little about outside walls: two houses with the same bedrooms can have very different footprints, floors and wall heights. L-shaped or stepped houses, boundary walls, parapets and gables all change the area, so measure them or ask for a measured quotation.
Single-storey or maisonette?
A second storey roughly doubles the wall area of the same footprint, and it changes how the walls are reached. In FinishGrid's method the number of floors never changes the paint per square metre or the labour rate; it changes the area and the access. For a single-storey house without measurements, the Full House Painting Budget uses a planning model; for maisonettes and two-storey houses it asks for the building's length and width or a measured area, and for three floors or more it needs a measured area. Upper-floor walls usually need scaffolding or other access equipment, priced separately (see access and scaffolding).
Smooth or wood-float plaster
Rough plaster soaks up and holds more paint than smooth plaster. FinishGrid's provisional planning coverage for premium or silicone exterior paint is 12–14 m² per litre per coat on smooth plaster and 8–10 on ordinary wood-float plaster. That is why the same two-storey house costs about KSh 43,500 – 54,900 on new smooth plaster but KSh 56,200 – 71,100 on new wood-float plaster. Very rough or roughcast walls are not yet assessed: ask for a quotation based on the actual wall.
New walls, repaints and colour changes
- New plaster: once dry, one coat of undercoat directly on the plaster, then two finish coats.
- Sound repaint: two finish coats. FinishGrid does not add an undercoat to repaints automatically.
- Changing to a very different colour: an undercoat may be needed for even coverage. FinishGrid lists it as a possible extra rather than pricing it, because coverage for repainted exterior walls has not yet been confirmed.
- Walls with damp, serious damage or an unknown condition: check the walls first. No quantity or price is given until the cause is known.
Exterior paint or a textured finish
Outside walls are usually either painted or given a textured finish. The two are alternatives for the same wall, not additions. FinishGrid's 20 L planning references are KSh 11,000 – 14,000 for standard exterior acrylic paint and KSh 12,500 – 16,000 for premium or silicone exterior paint, with exterior undercoat at KSh 3,800 – 4,500 per 20 L. Textured coatings are sold by weight (about KSh 3,600 – 4,500 per 30 kg bag in FinishGrid's reference) and use far more material per square metre, which is why the textured examples above cost more. A textured finish can be self-coloured or given a painted colour coat on top.
These are planning references, not shelf prices: actual prices vary by manufacturer, product quality, dealer margins, location and market conditions.
Labour
FinishGrid plans exterior painting labour at KSh 80 – 100 per m² for the whole painting job (undercoat and finish coats together), and textured finish application at KSh 80 – 100 per m². These are FinishGrid operational planning references, not a verified national average. For the two-storey example, labour comes to about KSh 17,200 – 21,600. Contractors may price exterior labour by the day, by the square metre or as a lump sum: How Much Do Painters Charge in Kenya? explains how to compare them.
Access and scaffolding
Reaching high walls safely costs money: ladders and platforms for a bungalow, scaffolding or other access for upper floors, gables and parapets. Access depends on the site (height, ground, boundary space and how long the equipment is needed), so FinishGrid does not price it. Treat it as a separate line, and ask every contractor whether their quotation includes it.
Repairs and wall problems
Exterior walls take the weather. Cracks, hollow or loose plaster, damp patches from leaking gutters or roofs, and peeling paint need dealing with before painting, and the cause matters more than the paint. Repairs are not included in FinishGrid's estimates. A wall with a crack whose cause is unknown, or with persistent damp, should be assessed by the right specialist first: see Why Is My Paint Peeling or Bubbling? and Damp Walls Before Painting: What to Do First.
Why exterior quotations differ
- Different wall areas: measured, estimated, or from a different floor plan.
- Different preparation: washing down, repairs, filling and how much is allowed for.
- A different system: undercoat or not, number of coats, paint or textured finish.
- Different products: standard or premium exterior paint.
- Access: scaffolding included, excluded or not mentioned.
- Labour basis, crew size and time allowed for weather.
Put quotes on the same scope before comparing totals: How to Read and Compare a Painting Quotation in Kenya.
What these figures leave out
The figures in this guide cover exterior paint or textured coating, exterior undercoat on new plaster, and labour. They do not include scaffolding or access, wall repairs, damp or crack investigation, gutters, roofs, boundary walls, gates, doors, window frames or metalwork, transport, a contractor's overheads and margin, or tax.
Estimate your outside walls
Enter your wall area or building measurements, the surface and the paint, and see the materials, labour and what is not included.