How much does a gallon of exterior paint cost?

In Quebec, mid tier exterior acrylic runs about $42 to $58 a gallon, upper tier about $52 to $88, and professional premium about $88 to $108. In a May 2026 broad category survey, RONA was $53.61, Home Depot $54.97 and Patrick Morin $62.99.

How many gallons do I need to paint my house?

For two coats: a 1,600 sq ft cottage with an attached garage, roughly 200 m2 of siding, takes 7 to 10 gallons. A 2,200 sq ft two storey, roughly 280 m2, takes 10 to 14. Add primer separately for bare wood, chalky surfaces or a large colour change, and buy one extra gallon for future touch ups.

Benjamin Moore, Sico or Behr: which is best?

All three sell 100 percent acrylic exterior paint and all three are fine within their tier. The tier matters more than the badge: a premium line from any of them will outlast a mid tier line from the others. Choose the tier by exposure and by how expensive the wall is to repaint, then compare prices within that tier.

Do I always need exterior primer?

No. Over a sound, previously painted surface in a similar colour, a quality self priming topcoat is enough. You do need primer on bare wood, on chalky or weathered surfaces, over stains and knots, and for a large colour change, especially going light over dark.

When should I paint the exterior?

When the surface is between roughly 15 and 25 C, humidity is under 70 percent, and no rain is forecast for at least four hours after you finish. In Quebec that is broadly June through September. The temperature and moisture conditions are the real rule; the dates just describe where that window falls locally.

When is exterior paint cheapest to buy?

February, before the manufacturer price increases that typically land in March and April. Paint stores well in a heated space, so it is one of the few materials where buying ahead of the season reliably pays.

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What exterior paint costs, and how much you need

By Simon Lafortune, Co-founder, Buildsavr · September 19, 2026

Exterior paint is the rare material where the expensive one is often cheaper. Not per gallon, per year. A coating that holds eight years instead of four costs half as much over the life of the wall, and repainting a house is mostly labour.

That said, the gap between tiers is wide enough that it is worth knowing what you are actually paying for.

$42 to $108: per gallon, mid tier to professional premium
7 to 10 gal: two coats on a 1,600 sq ft house with garage
100% acrylic: the baseline spec, whatever the brand

One hundred percent acrylic is the floor, not the upgrade

Modern exterior latex is 100 percent acrylic, and that has been the standard for well over a decade. It stays flexible through freeze and thaw, breathes enough to let trapped moisture out, and holds colour against UV far better than the vinyl blends it replaced.

If a can does not say 100 percent acrylic, it is not a bargain, it is a different product. That is the one spec to check before comparing prices at all.

The three price tiers

Exterior paint segments cleanly into three bands. Ranges observed in Quebec, per gallon, before tax.

Sico Premium / Betonel Megaperforma: $42 to $55
Behr Premium Plus Exterior (Home Depot exclusive): $45 to $58
Sico Endura: $52 to $68
Behr Marquee Exterior: $62 to $78
PARA Ultra Premium Exterior: $58 to $72
Benjamin Moore Regal Select Exterior: $72 to $88
Sherwin-Williams Resilience Exterior: $78 to $92
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Exterior: $88 to $102

What three retailers were charging

A broad category survey on 24 May 2026, across three retailers. **Three data points is a signal, not a market**, and the specialty paint stores are not in it. For Benjamin Moore Aura or Sherwin-Williams Emerald, the brand’s own stores and Betonel-Dulux remain the better source.

**This is an archive, not a live comparison.**

How many gallons a house takes

The usual mistake is buying for one coat. Exterior work is two coats, and the first one into bare or chalky siding drinks more than the label suggests.

Cottage 1,600 sq ft with attached garage, roughly 200 m2 of siding: 7 to 10 gallons for two coats. Paint alone $290 to $1,100, with supplies $450 to $1,350.
Two storey 2,200 sq ft, roughly 280 m2 of siding: 10 to 14 gallons. Paint alone $420 to $1,510, with supplies $620 to $1,800.
Add primer separately where you are going over bare wood, a big colour change, or anything chalky.
Buy one extra gallon. Touch ups three years from now will not match a fresh can, even from the same code.

Which tier is actually worth it

The honest answer depends on the surface, not the budget.

**Mid tier is fine** on a wall that is already in good shape, in a colour you may change in five years, on a house you may not keep. **The top tiers earn their price** on south and west exposures, on dark colours that fight UV, and anywhere the labour to repaint is significant, which on a two storey is most of the cost.

Paying $90 a gallon to save four years of coating life is good value. Paying $90 a gallon for a garden shed is not.

When to paint, and when to buy

These are two different questions and they have different answers.

**Painting** wants surface temperature between about 15 and 25 C, humidity under 70 percent, and no rain forecast for at least four hours after application. In Quebec that generally means the first of June through the end of September. Warmer climates have a longer window and a hotter upper limit to respect. The rule that travels is the temperature and the moisture, not the calendar.

**Buying** is the opposite season. Manufacturer price increases typically land in March and April, ahead of the season. Buying in February locks last year’s price, and paint stores properly is the one material where buying ahead genuinely works.

The mistakes that cost the most

Every one of these ends in repainting sooner than you planned.

Painting wet wood. Moisture content needs to be under 15 percent. A moisture meter is about $30 and saves a whole repaint.
Skipping primer on bare or chalky surfaces. The topcoat will not bond, and it will peel in sheets.
Buying for one coat. Two coats is the job, on every exterior.
Chasing a flyer discount on the wrong tier. A 25 percent discount on a coating that fails in four years is not a saving.
Buying paint and supplies at whichever store you are already in. Brushes, rollers, tape and drop sheets add $150 to $300, and they are priced very differently between banners.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a gallon of exterior paint cost?: In Quebec, mid tier exterior acrylic runs about $42 to $58 a gallon, upper tier about $52 to $88, and professional premium about $88 to $108. In a May 2026 broad category survey, RONA was $53.61, Home Depot $54.97 and Patrick Morin $62.99.
How many gallons do I need to paint my house?: For two coats: a 1,600 sq ft cottage with an attached garage, roughly 200 m2 of siding, takes 7 to 10 gallons. A 2,200 sq ft two storey, roughly 280 m2, takes 10 to 14. Add primer separately for bare wood, chalky surfaces or a large colour change, and buy one extra gallon for future touch ups.
Benjamin Moore, Sico or Behr: which is best?: All three sell 100 percent acrylic exterior paint and all three are fine within their tier. The tier matters more than the badge: a premium line from any of them will outlast a mid tier line from the others. Choose the tier by exposure and by how expensive the wall is to repaint, then compare prices within that tier.
Do I always need exterior primer?: No. Over a sound, previously painted surface in a similar colour, a quality self priming topcoat is enough. You do need primer on bare wood, on chalky or weathered surfaces, over stains and knots, and for a large colour change, especially going light over dark.
When should I paint the exterior?: When the surface is between roughly 15 and 25 C, humidity is under 70 percent, and no rain is forecast for at least four hours after you finish. In Quebec that is broadly June through September. The temperature and moisture conditions are the real rule; the dates just describe where that window falls locally.
When is exterior paint cheapest to buy?: February, before the manufacturer price increases that typically land in March and April. Paint stores well in a heated space, so it is one of the few materials where buying ahead of the season reliably pays.

Price the paint and the supplies in one list

Buildsavr compares your full list across every retailer we cover and returns the cheapest store per line. Live in Quebec, rolling out across Canada. First comparison free.