Looking for painters in Everett, Marysville or Mukilteo? These three cities are only a few miles apart, but the houses are not the same. Everett has a lot of older homes, including Craftsman and Victorian houses with original wood siding in neighborhoods like Bayside and Riverside. Marysville has a lot of newer homes, and many of them are now due for their first repaint. Mukilteo has bluff-top and waterfront homes that take wind and salt air straight off Possession Sound.
This guide covers what that means for a paint job: what it costs, what our weather does to paint, the best time of year to paint, when an HOA or the city has a say, and how to check out a painter before you hire one. Legacy Painting is based in Lynnwood and paints homes in all three cities.
What our weather does to paint
Everett gets about 40 inches of rain a year, and most of it falls between October and March. November is the wettest month at about 5.8 inches. July and August are the driest, with about an inch each.
Here’s how that shows up on a house:
- West and south walls fail first. They take the most wind-driven rain, so that’s usually where mildew, cracked caulk and peeling paint start.
- Salt air leaves a film. Homes on the bluffs in Mukilteo and along Port Gardner in Everett get salty marine air. It leaves a film on siding that new paint won’t stick to, so the house has to be washed before it’s painted.
- Shade keeps siding wet. Lots along wooded areas, like the gulches in Mukilteo, can stay damp for days after a storm. That’s where mildew and moss show up.
- Decks and fences take a beating. Bare or weathered wood soaks up winter rain. If yours is gray or soft in spots, our guide on when to stain vs. replace a fence or deck can help you decide.
Because of all this, prep matters as much as the paint. A good exterior job up here starts with washing, letting the siding dry all the way out, fixing failed caulk and checking the wood with a moisture meter before any paint goes on.
The homes in each city
Everett
Everett’s housing is older than most of the Eastside. You’ll find mill-era houses near downtown, Craftsman and Victorian homes in neighborhoods like Bayside and Riverside, older homes on Rucker Hill, and mid-century homes farther out. Older houses usually have several layers of old paint and worn trim, so they need more scraping, sanding and wood repair before painting.
If your home was built before 1978, it may have lead paint. That changes how the prep has to be done (more on that below). Newer homes farther from downtown are usually a simpler repaint. See our Everett painting page for the neighborhoods we cover.
Marysville
Marysville has everything from older homes to newer ones built from about the 1990s through the 2010s. Many of those homes have hardboard or fiber cement siding that’s now reaching its first repaint. Newer builds often have fiber cement or vinyl.
On these homes, the first repaint is the time to catch problems early. Look for open caulk joints, siding edges that have soaked up water, and mildew on the west and south walls. More on our Marysville painting page.
Mukilteo
Mukilteo has a little of everything. Old Town has older homes that may have several layers of paint, some of it possibly lead. Harbour Pointe has townhomes and planned-community homes, and some of them fall under HOA rules. Homes on the bluffs face Possession Sound, and their west and north sides usually show chalking, cracked caulk and lifting paint before the sheltered sides do.
Homes along Japanese Gulch and Big Gulch stay shaded and damp, so mildew and moss are common there. More on our Mukilteo painting page.
What painting costs
These ranges come from our exterior and interior painting calculators. They’re a starting point, not a quote. The real price depends on your home’s condition, height, access and how much prep it needs, so we confirm it with a free on-site estimate.
Exterior painting
| Home size | Better paint | Best paint |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 to 2,000 sq ft | $4,200 to $7,200 | $4,700 to $8,000 |
| 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft | $5,200 to $9,000 | $5,900 to $10,000 |
| 2,500 to 3,000 sq ft | $5,800 to $12,600 | $6,600 to $13,800 |
| 3,000 to 4,000 sq ft | $6,400 to $15,000 | $7,400 to $16,600 |
| 4,000+ sq ft | $9,400 to $26,000 | $10,700 to $30,000 |
A few things move the exterior price:
- Stories. For a 1,000 to 2,000 sq ft home, one story runs about $4,200 to $6,900, two stories $4,400 to $7,200 and three stories $4,700 to $7,800.
- Prep. Heavy prep, like lots of scraping on an older Everett home, adds about 5% to 15%.
- Doors. Painting exterior doors adds about $200 to $300 for one, $400 to $600 for two and $600 to $800 for three or more.
Interior painting
| Home size | Better paint | Best paint |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft | $6,750 to $16,000 | $7,350 to $16,800 |
| 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft | $9,000 to $20,000 | $9,800 to $21,000 |
| 2,500 to 3,000 sq ft | $11,250 to $24,000 | $12,250 to $25,200 |
| 3,000 to 4,000 sq ft | $13,500 to $32,000 | $14,700 to $33,600 |
| 4,000+ sq ft | Starting at $18,000 | Starting at $19,600 |
These are full interior ranges. Painting only the walls costs less, and heavy drywall repair, stain blocking or sanding costs more. For a Snohomish County breakdown, see our interior painting cost guide.
The best time to paint
For exterior work, late June through August is the most reliable window here. September can work too, but the days get shorter, which leaves fewer good painting hours. Late May is usually the earliest the weather is dependable, and winter isn’t a good time for exterior painting.
The overnight lows tell the story. Paint needs air and surface temperatures above 50°F, ideally for a full 24 hours so it can cure overnight. In Everett, the average low doesn’t get above 50°F until June (52°F). It’s 55°F in July and August, then falls to 50°F in September and 43°F in October.
In early fall, crews start later in the morning and wrap up before the afternoon cools off. They also stop work when the surface gets close to the dew point. For more detail, see our post on the best time to paint your house exterior in the Pacific Northwest.
Interior painting doesn’t depend on the weather, so fall and winter are a good time to get it on the schedule. Here’s why fall and winter work well for interior painting.
HOAs and historic districts
HOA approval
If you live in an HOA neighborhood, like some of the planned communities in Harbour Pointe, your HOA may have to approve your colors before you paint. That rule comes from your HOA’s own CC&Rs and architectural committee, not from the city, and every HOA handles it differently.
Before you book a painter:
- Read your CC&Rs or ask your HOA manager whether exterior color changes need approval.
- Ask for the approved color list, if there is one.
- Submit your request and wait for the approval in writing before the work is scheduled.
Repainting in the same colors may not need approval, but some HOAs still want to know. Ask first.
Everett’s historic districts
Everett has historic overlay districts in the Rucker/Grand, Norton/Grand and Riverside areas. Under the city code, Historical Commission review in these areas covers bigger projects that need a building permit, like demolishing a historic home or adding more than 150 sq ft.
For homes listed on the Everett Register of Historic Places, the code says the review rules don’t apply to ordinary repair and maintenance, including painting. The city’s neighborhood conservation guidelines for these districts do include guidance on paint schemes and colors, though. If your home is in one of these areas and you’re planning a big color change, call the City of Everett’s planning office first.
How to pick a painter
Check the license first
In Washington, painters have to be registered with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). Before you sign anything, look the company up with L&I’s Verify a Contractor tool. Make sure the registration is active and the company is bonded and insured. L&I also suggests getting at least three written bids and a written contract.
If your home was built before 1978
Homes built before 1978 may have lead paint, and plenty of older homes in Everett and Old Town Mukilteo fall in that range. Under federal rules, any company paid to disturb paint in a pre-1978 home has to be a certified lead-safe firm. In Washington, that certification is handled by the Department of Commerce.
The rules kick in when the work disturbs more than 6 sq ft of paint in a room inside, or more than 20 sq ft outside. A full exterior repaint with scraping usually goes past that. Legacy Painting is a Lead-Safe Certified firm. Our post on painting a house with lead paint safely explains what that work looks like.
Questions to ask
- What prep is included, and what costs extra?
- Which paint will you use, and how many coats?
- How will you handle mildew and failed caulk?
- What does the warranty cover, and how long does it last? Is it in writing?
- Who will be on site, and who do I call with questions?
For a longer list, see our 12 questions to ask a painting contractor in Snohomish County. For reference, Legacy is licensed, bonded and insured, and our exterior painting comes with a 3-year warranty on labor and materials.
FAQ
How much does it cost to paint a house exterior in Everett, Marysville or Mukilteo?
Based on our exterior calculator, a 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft home runs about $5,200 to $9,000 with better paint and $5,900 to $10,000 with best paint. Heavy prep adds about 5% to 15%. We confirm the final price with a free on-site estimate.
When is the best time to paint a house exterior here?
Late June through August is the most reliable window, and September can work. Paint needs air and surface temperatures above 50°F, ideally for 24 hours.
Do I need HOA approval to paint my house?
If you’re in an HOA, check your CC&Rs. Many HOAs require approval for exterior color changes. That’s an HOA rule, not a city rule, so the answer depends on your HOA.
Do I need city approval to paint a house in an Everett historic district?
Everett’s code exempts ordinary repair and maintenance, including painting, for homes on the Everett Register of Historic Places. The historic districts also have conservation guidelines that cover paint colors, so call the city’s planning office before a big color change.
Do you paint homes in Everett, Marysville and Mukilteo?
Yes. Legacy Painting works out of Lynnwood and paints homes across north Snohomish County, including Everett, Marysville and Mukilteo. Request a free quote to get started.
