What painting a garage door costs
A professional repaint of a standard single door runs $150 to $400, and a double door $250 to $600, depending on the door material, condition, and number of coats. The price includes cleaning, prep, priming where needed, and two finish coats.
Doing it yourself costs $50 to $150 in paint, primer, and supplies, plus your time. Painting is by far the cheapest way to transform a tired door, and on a sound door it delivers most of the curb-appeal benefit of a replacement for a fraction of the cost.
Cost and approach by material
The door material dictates the products and process:
- Steel: clean, scuff-sand, prime bare spots, and apply exterior acrylic latex; the easiest and cheapest to paint
- Aluminum: similar to steel but needs a bonding primer for adhesion
- Wood: requires the most prep, often sanding and stain or exterior paint, and may need refinishing rather than painting
- Vinyl and fiberglass: paintable with the right bonding primer and paint rated for the surface
Wood refinishing is pricier and more involved than painting a steel door.
Preparation is everything
The durability of a paint job depends almost entirely on prep. A proper job starts with washing the door to remove dirt, chalk, and grease, then scuff-sanding for adhesion, scraping any flaking paint, and spot-priming bare metal or wood.
Masking the hardware, weatherseals, and surrounding trim protects them from overspray and drips. Skipping prep is the most common reason a repaint peels within a year. A well-prepped door with quality exterior paint holds its finish for many years.
Paint choice and finish
Use a quality exterior paint rated for the door's material and your climate. For steel and aluminum, a 100 percent acrylic latex exterior paint offers good flexibility and fade resistance. Wood may take exterior paint or a penetrating stain depending on the look you want.
A satin or semi-gloss sheen is popular for garage doors because it resists dirt and cleans easily. Lighter colors reflect heat and reduce thermal stress on the panels, while dark colors can absorb significant heat on a sun-facing door, worth considering in a hot climate.
Repaint or replace
Painting is the right call when the door is structurally sound and you simply want a fresh look or updated color. It cannot fix rot, deep rust, dents, or a failing door, so those problems point toward replacement instead.
As a rule, if the door is sound and under about fifteen years old, a $150 to $600 repaint is a smart, high-return refresh. If the door is damaged, poorly insulated, or dated in design, put the money toward a new door that also improves efficiency and comes with a warranty.
Garage door painting cost by scope
| Scope | Low | Average | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY materials (single) | $50 | $90 | $150 |
| Professional single door | $150 | $280 | $400 |
| Professional double door | $250 | $400 | $600 |
| Wood door refinishing | $200 | $400 | $700 |
| Heavy prep / repair add-on | $80 | $150 | $300 |