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How long does repainting a house take? Timescales in Skåne

Dorde Lalic, founder and owner of NLL MåleriDorde Lalic founder and ownerNLL Måleri · · 7 min readLinkedIn
Yellow timber cladding with white windows and scaffolding in Arild.

Project photo from Arild: scaffolding provides access to the gable and eaves.

The time needed to paint a house façade includes active work and waiting for drying and suitable weather. As a worked example, 80 person-hours equals five working days for two painters working eight hours a day. This illustrates the calculation; it is not an estimate for your house.

Quick answer
  • Façade area, access, surface condition and work stages are needed to estimate the time.
  • Person-hours describe the labour involved; calendar days describe when the house will be finished.
  • Cleaning, repairs, priming and topcoats need to be planned in the right order.
  • Rain and drying can delay completion without increasing working hours by the same amount.
  • Ask for a schedule showing the scope, team size and conditions for weather delays.

How long does it take to repaint a house?

A useful time estimate requires details of the façade and work. The floor area or the phrase “average-sized house” is not enough to determine the number of days.

An accessible façade with sound paint is a different job from one requiring extensive scraping and cladding replacement. Height, gables, trim and the number of coats also affect planning. This guide covers exterior painting; interior projects are assessed by their own areas and work stages.

The difference between working time and calendar time

Person-hours ÷ number of painters ÷ working hours per day gives a simplified working-time calculation. It does not tell you when a coat can be repainted or when the next dry painting day will arrive.

Illustration assuming 80 person-hours and eight working hours per person per day:

Worked example: 80 person-hours, 8 hours per day — not a standard duration
Team size in the exampleCalculated working daysWhat the calculation assumes
One painter10The same workload is spread over ten days
Two painters5Both can work on the tasks at the same time
Four painters2,5All work can be divided without constraints — a simplification

The table is not an NLL time standard. Waiting, access and tasks that must follow one another mean the calendar schedule needs a separate assessment.

Worked example — not a standard durationWorked example: 80 person-hours, 8 hours per day — not a standard duration. Hypothetical workload; drying and weather delays are not included as fixed calendar days.Worked example — not a standard duration80 person-hoursassumed workload2 painters8 hours per day5 working days80 ÷ 2 ÷ 8
Worked example: 80 person-hours, 8 hours per day — not a standard duration. Hypothetical workload; drying and weather delays are not included as fixed calendar days.
Work from scaffolding beside light-coloured rendered walls in Ängelholm.
Project photo from Ängelholm showing exterior wall work from scaffolding.

Which stages take longest when painting exterior walls?

The extent of preparation can change the schedule significantly. Loose paint, damaged timber and difficult access require more work than a façade with a well-preserved surface.

Assess preparation from the façade's condition rather than assigning it a fixed share of the time. Divide the job into stages:

Which stages take longest when painting exterior walls?
TaskWhat needs assessing
Access and protectionHeight, scaffolding, ground conditions and areas to protect
CleaningDirt, growth and drying before the next stage
Scraping and repairsHow much paint is loose and whether timber needs replacing
PrimingWhich areas need treatment and the system's drying time
Topcoats and completionNumber of coats, details, checks and reinstatement

The process is consistent with Nordsjö Idé & Design's house-painting advice, which identifies preparation, condition and weather as time factors. For NLL's services, see painting timber, rendered and brick façades. Cleaning is described here as preparation for painting.

Stages to planThe extent of each stage is assessed for the façade. No fixed percentage allocation.Stages to planAccess and protectionCleaningScraping and repairsPrimingTopcoat application
The extent of each stage is assessed for the façade. No fixed percentage allocation.

How do weather, breaks and drying times affect the schedule?

Painting must wait when the surface or weather does not meet the paint system's requirements. The wait depends on actual conditions, not a fixed number of buffer days per week.

How soon after rain or façade cleaning can you paint?

Check that the façade is dry enough for the chosen product. A surface that looks dry is not enough to support a general rule of “one day after rain”.

For Beckers Perfekt Fasad the product information specifies a maximum substrate moisture content of 16% and a surface temperature of approximately +7 to +25°C during painting. These conditions apply to that product, not to every timber, render and brick paint. Also check the forecast for the period after painting.

How long should you wait between coats?

Follow the product's recoating time and the conditions it relates to. Beckers specifies four hours for Perfekt Fasad at +23°C and 50% relative humidity. Colder or damper conditions may extend the wait. Touch-dry and ready to recoat mean different things.

Read the guide to seasons and weather for exterior wall painting in Skåne for choosing the season. Here the focus is how weather affects the completion date of the work.

When can the next coat be applied?Follow the chosen paint system's conditions. Rain does not imply a universal waiting period in days.When can the next coat be applied?SurfaceSurface temperatureRecoating timeForecast
Follow the chosen paint system's conditions. Rain does not imply a universal waiting period in days.
House gable with exposed timber structure and scaffolding in Hjärup.
Project photo from Hjärup during exterior renovation and cladding work.

Is painting a house quicker with more painters?

More painters can shorten working time when several areas can be worked on at once. They cannot eliminate drying times or make every stage happen in parallel.

Scraping two different sides of a façade can be shared between people. A second coat on the same surface must wait until the first is ready for recoating. Limited scaffolding space and numerous small details can also reduce the benefit of a larger team.

Ask for both the planned team size and estimated calendar duration. The 80-person-hour example shows the maths, but should not be used to promise that doubling the number of painters always halves the project duration.

More painters and waiting timeTeam size affects how work is shared; completion also depends on access and drying. This is not a standard duration for a typical house.More painters and waiting timeWorking on several areas at oncecan shorten the workDryingcannot be eliminated
Team size affects how work is shared; completion also depends on access and drying. This is not a standard duration for a typical house.

How can you get a schedule and price for your house?

Describe the façade area, condition, height and the work you want done. This provides a basis for assessing labour, access and possible waiting times.

Send photos of every side of the façade and close-ups of damage. State whether trim, corner boards or cladding replacement should be included and whether you have a preferred completion date. Ask for the quote to distinguish planned labour, materials and other costs and explain how weather delays are handled.

Paint quantity is a separate part of preparation. You can calculate how much paint your façade needs and compare the cost items for exterior house painting. NLL's cost calculator provides an initial cost estimate; it does not calculate a binding completion date.

Information for a price and scheduleSend the address, façade area, photos and requested work as the basis for an assessment and quote.Information for a price and scheduleAddress and areaPhotos and conditionScope and preferred timingAssessment and quote
Send the address, façade area, photos and requested work as the basis for an assessment and quote.

Frequently asked questions

Can you tell how many days my house will take from its floor area?

Floor area is not enough. The painted façade area, height, surface condition and work stages are needed for an assessment. Houses with the same floor area can require very different amounts of exterior work.

Can I paint my house during a week's holiday?

It depends on the scope and weather. Check how much preparation remains and the waiting times required by the paint system before committing to one week.

Is a dry façade ready to paint immediately after cleaning?

It must also be clean, sound and meet the product's requirements. Check moisture and working conditions; a surface that feels dry does not replace these checks.

How can I get help planning in north-west Skåne?

Send a quote request to NLL Måleri with the address, photos, scope and preferred timing. The price and schedule must relate to the work that will actually be carried out.

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