Exterior house painting in Cypress: preparation, products and pricing

Cypress shares Houston's humid Gulf Coast climate, and many neighborhoods have mature tree cover. Shaded walls, especially on the north side, stay damp after rain and grow mildew. Sunny south- and west-facing walls have the opposite problem: UV fades color and breaks down the paint film into a chalky surface.

Both problems are about the surface, not the topcoat. Paint over mildew or chalk loses adhesion and peels, no matter how good the can.

1. Soft wash — low-pressure wash with a mildewcide on shaded walls, a full wash everywhere else to remove chalk and dirt.
2. Dry — siding and trim must dry completely before anything else; after heavy rain that can take more than a day in the shade.
3. Scrape and sand — loose paint comes off to a sound edge, and edges are feathered so they do not show through.
4. Repair rot — soft trim, fascia and siding are replaced, and new wood is primed before it is installed or painted.
5. Caulk — open joints around trim, windows and siding are sealed so rain cannot get behind the paint.
6. Prime and paint — bare spots are spot-primed, then two finish coats go on when temperature and humidity are within the product's limits.

Ask your painter to name the exterior product in the estimate. We use Sherwin-Williams Duration or Emerald on Cypress exteriors for their moisture and UV resistance. Whatever the brand, ask for a 100% acrylic exterior paint, the sheen for each surface, and the number of coats. A primer should be listed for bare wood and repairs.

Bridgeland, Towne Lake, Fairfield, Coles Crossing and most other Cypress communities review exterior colors. Get the approved palette before you fall in love with a color, and submit the request early so the crew is not waiting. We help homeowners pick from the approved list and get the request in before the job is scheduled. See our Cypress page for the neighborhoods we work in.

Fall through spring is the most reliable window in Cypress. Summer work is possible with early starts and no painting in the hottest part of the afternoon. No good painter applies paint over damp siding after rain or heavy morning dew.

Exterior price is set mainly by:

• Home size and number of stories (two-story homes need more ladder and staging time).
• Condition: how much washing, scraping and priming the surface needs.
• Wood rot and other repairs, priced line by line.
• Siding type: brick, fiber cement, wood and stucco each take different prep.
• Color change: a big change can need an extra coat.

Typical 2026 ranges by home size are in the Houston painting cost guide. A written, itemized estimate after a walkthrough is the only number to rely on.

Conditions vary from house to house. This guide describes typical Cypress issues; your estimate should be based on an inspection of your home, and product instructions on temperature, humidity and recoat times always apply.

• National Weather Service Houston/Galveston: climate data