How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Garage Door?

Gary Evans
by Gary Evans

Wear and tear will affect every element of your home at some point. One day, you may pull into your driveway and be greeted by a garage door that’s in rough shape. You cannot be surprised since even a sturdy garage door is susceptible to the elements.

After seeing your garage door in less than ideal condition, you need to start repairing it. Fixing some of its components will help, but that may not be enough. You may also have to retouch your garage door with a fresh coat of paint.

The average cost of painting a standard garage door is $243. The cost of labor and the materials required to paint the garage door is already included in that total. If you have a double-door configuration for your garage, you will have to pay more. The price tag for that kind of painting project spikes to $476.

Adding a fresh coat of paint to your garage door will become a necessity eventually. It would be best if you knew how much that project could potentially cost as early as now. Go ahead and learn more about the expenses involved in painting your garage door by continuing with this article.

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Cost of Materials for Painting the Garage Door

Materials RequiredPrice
Exterior Paint$33
Primer$20
Additional Materials$10

Before you start painting, you will need to purchase all the necessary materials. To acquire all of those materials, you will have to spend $63.

First off, you need to pick up the paint. Remember that you need to use exterior paint if you want the new coating to last.

A gallon of exterior paint should be enough for a standard-sized garage door. You can purchase a gallon of that for $33.

Double garage doors will likely require more than a gallon of paint. Go ahead and purchase two gallons at the store to ensure you don’t run out at an inopportune time.

You can try to apply the new coating of paint without using primer, but it’s not recommended. Without the primer, the new layer of paint will chip away faster. The paint may also look uneven after it dries.

Primer is cheaper compared to exterior paint. You can buy a gallon of primer for $20.

Don’t forget about the other materials you need for this project. You’ll need some brushes, rollers, and some tape too.

Look around your home first because you may already have those items lying around. If you don’t have them at home, you can get them from the store for $10.

Labor Cost to Paint Garage Door

Task InvolvedSingle-Door Garage CostDouble-Door Garage Cost
Painting Garage Door$50$100
Stripping Paint from Garage Door$130$260

Painting a garage door could be costly due to labor-related expenses instead of the materials required. You may have to spend as much as $360 in labor costs if you want your garage door professionally painted.

The cost of getting the garage door professionally painted is not that expensive. The hourly charge for that type of job usually ends up at $50. A professional will only need about an hour to finish painting your garage door.

Double garage doors will require more time. You may have to pay $100 in labor for that kind of service.

Painting may not be your only labor-related expense. If the old paint is already chipping away or peeling, it must be stripped before the new coating is applied.

The labor cost of stripping paint from a single garage door is $130. For a double-door setup, you’ll have to pay $260.

Cost to Repair Garage Door

Parts to Be RepairedPrice
Cables$90
Panels$400
Springs$170
Tracks$160

Although it isn’t always required, you may want to repair your garage door before getting it painted. The total cost of repairs will depend on which parts of the garage door need extra attention.

The panels of your garage door are the most expensive to repair. You may have to pay $400 if some of the panels need to be replaced. Fixing the panels is necessary if you want to paint the garage door.

Fixing the springs of your garage door can also be quite expensive. If replacing the springs is deemed necessary, you’re looking at $170 in additional expenses.

The busted tracks that were once responsible for keeping your garage door functional also have to be replaced. You may have to pay $160 for the installation of those new tracks.

You may also want to remove some of the old garage door cables. Thankfully, installing the replacement cables is relatively inexpensive at $90.

If a closer inspection reveals that all those components need to be replaced, you may want to hold off on repainting. Instead of paying to repair those components and repainting the garage door, you may be better off buying a replacement.

Cost to Paint Garage Door per Square Foot

How much will it cost to paint your garage door per square foot? The cost per square foot if you want to paint your garage door amounts to $1.80.

Note that the cost per square foot we listed there only covers the materials required and the labor cost of painting the door. We’re assuming that you don’t need to get the paint stripped from the door before painting.

The price per square foot also applies to standard-sized garage doors. We’re talking about garage doors that measure 63 square feet total.

What Kind of Paint to Use on a Garage Door?

Choosing the type of paint to use on your garage door is very important. Make the wrong pick and you may find the new layer chipping away mere months after initial application. You don’t want that so be more discerning when you go shopping.

For garage doors, you want to look specifically for latex paint. Latex paint is the ideal choice for two main reasons.

First off, latex paint is compatible with all types of garage doors. No matter what kind of material makeup you’ve chosen for the door, latex paint will look good on top of it. Other types of paint do not feature that quality.

You should also go with latex paint because it stands up well to outdoor conditions. It should retain its original look for several years as long as you maintain your garage door properly.

Do You Need to Use Primer on a Garage Door before Painting?

Primer is very affordable, but you may be thinking of removing it from your shopping list to save money. While your desire to save money is understandable, you shouldn’t attempt to do so by skimping on the primer.

Without primer, the new coating of paint will likely look terrible on your garage door. Expect the additional coating to appear uneven and bumpy with no primer supporting it.

The paint may also fail to adhere properly to some spots on the garage door if you didn’t use a primer. By the time you finish painting, you may notice some bare patches on the surface.

Primer is also going to improve the longevity of the paint you used. If you don’t want to spend more money repainting your garage door sooner than expected, get some primer. At $20 per gallon, primer is one of the best purchases you may end up making.

Cost Factors for Painting a Garage Door

Painting a garage door is not that expensive relative to other home improvement projects. However, certain factors can cause the project to be significantly more expensive or possibly cheaper. Let’s go over those cost factors in this section.

Materials Used

You won’t have to spend a fortune on the materials required to paint your garage door. Paint will be your largest expense and primer will likely come in second.

If you’re an avid hobbyist, you may not need to purchase materials at all. You may have all the items required already present in your workshop.

Condition of the Garage Door

The current state of your garage door will greatly affect how much this project will cost. If the paint needs to be stripped, that will cost you at least $130. If certain parts of your garage door are broken, hundreds of dollars could be tacked on to your final bill.

Worksite Preparation

The garage is not always the neatest part of the home. Many of us tend to keep random items in our garage and they can get in the way during painting.

You can clear out your garage on your own to save money. The people you hired to paint the garage door can take care of that too, but they will charge extra.

Permit Acquisition

Most of the time, homeowners will not need to secure a permit just to paint their garage door. You should still check with your local government just to be safe.

Avoid hefty fines by checking if permits are required first. Those permits are likely going to be inexpensive as well.

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Get free, zero-commitment quotes from pro contractors near you.


Related Questions

How Many Cans of Paint Do I Need for a 2-Car Garage?

You don’t need a lot of paint to properly coat the door of your 2-car garage. A gallon of paint should be more than enough for that job.Additional paint is only needed if you want a darker coat. You may need an extra quart or half a gallon of paint for that.


Can You Paint a Garage Door with a Roller?

Yes, a roller should be good enough if you only need to paint your garage door. You can even use a wide paintbrush if that’s what you have at home.Using a sprayer is also an option, but you need to be more careful with it. Consider covering the surrounding areas you don’t want to paint with some cardboard or a tarp before you start.


What Kind of Paint Should You Use on a Metal Garage Door?

Latex paint is the best choice if you want to apply a fresh coating of color over your metal garage door. It’s the best choice because of its durability and versatility. If latex paint is unavailable, you can use acrylic paint instead and still end up with a beautiful coat.

Gary Evans
Gary Evans

Gary Evans is passionate about home improvement. He loves finding out how to make improvements in the easiest, most practical, and most affordable ways. Upgrading his home kitchen is one of his ongoing hobbies. Gary is also a long-time content creator and enjoys spending his free time tending to his hydroponic vegetable garden.

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