Can you paint brick? Yes. Should you? That depends. If you are wondering how to paint a brick house the right way, the honest answer starts before any paint gets bought. Painting brick is a big visual change, and once it is done, going back to bare brick is hard and often not worth the cost.
Before you commit, a few things decide whether painting is the right move: the condition of the brick itself, moisture, the state of the mortar, and any coatings already on the wall. If your home is in an Austin historic district, local rules may add another layer to think about too.
This guide from Ranger Painting walks through both halves of the question: how the process works and whether your brick is a good fit for it in the first place.
Key Takeaways
Painting brick can create a fresh, uniform exterior, but the decision is permanent.
Proper masonry preparation matters more than simply choosing an exterior paint.
Moisture, damaged mortar, efflorescence, and spalling should be addressed first.
Austin historic-district properties may have additional requirements for exterior changes.
Professional preparation helps exterior brick paint perform and look its best.
Should You Paint Your Brick House?
Painting brick makes sense for some homes and not others. The short answer: if your brick is structurally sound but looks dated or mismatched, painting is often a good option. If your brick has active problems, fix those first.
Painting can be a smart move when the brick is dated, faded, or an odd color mix from an addition or repair, you want a completely different exterior look, the brick itself is structurally sound, or you want a more uniform, updated appearance across the home.
Painting is usually not the right call when the brick is new and hasn't had time to weather, there is an active moisture problem behind the wall, the brick shows spalling (cracking or flaking off), efflorescence is heavy and ongoing, or your home sits in a historic district where exterior changes need approval first.
How Do You Paint a Brick House?
Painting a brick house the right way comes down to six steps, and most of the work happens before any paint touches the wall. Skip the prep, and the paint job fails early no matter how good the product is.
1. Assess the Brick and Mortar
Start by reading the wall, not painting it. Check the brick for cracks, chips, or soft spots. Look closely at the mortar joints for gaps or crumbling. Note any spots with efflorescence or signs of moisture, and check whether the brick already has an old coating on it. This step decides almost everything that follows, so it's worth doing slowly.
2. Clean the Surface
Dirt, dust, and surface buildup keep paint from bonding. Use a masonry-safe cleaning method rather than a harsh chemical or an overly aggressive pressure wash, since either one can damage soft brick or open up mortar joints. Once it's clean, give the wall enough time to dry fully before moving on.
3. Repair Damaged Areas
Any mortar that's cracked or missing gets repaired here, along with other masonry defects worth addressing. This step matters more than people expect. Painting over active moisture or a wall that's still deteriorating just seals the problem in, where it keeps getting worse out of sight.
4. Choose the Right Masonry Coating
Not every exterior paint belongs on brick. The right coating depends on your specific wall, its condition, and how much moisture it needs to release, so there isn't one universal product that fits every home. What matters most is picking something built to let the wall breathe rather than trap water behind the surface.
5. Apply the Coating Properly
Protect windows, doors, landscaping, and anything nearby before you start. Apply the coating evenly, and follow the product's instructions for drying time between coats. Rushing this step is one of the most common ways a paint job goes wrong.
6. Inspect the Finished Exterior
Once the coating has cured, walk the exterior and check for even coverage. Touch up any spots that got missed, then carefully remove tape, plastic, and other protection. A final walkthrough catches anything that needs a second look before the job is called done.
Painting Brick vs. Limewash vs. Whitewash
Paint is not the only way to change the look of exterior brick. Limewash and whitewash both offer a different finish, and each one behaves differently on the wall.
Paint provides a solid, uniform color best for full color transformations. Limewash offers a soft, aged, natural finish best for traditional masonry appearance. Whitewash provides a thin, translucent white finish best for lightening brick while keeping texture.
Should You Paint Brick in an Austin Historic District?
Not every historic home needs city approval to paint its brick, but some do. It depends on the district and whether the brick has ever been painted before.
Local historic districts in Austin can carry additional requirements for exterior changes, especially when the work involves masonry that has never been painted. The City of Austin's Local Historic District Design Standards note that painting previously unpainted masonry can be treated differently than routine maintenance, since it changes how the wall handles moisture going forward and alters its historic appearance. If your home sits in a designated district, checking the applicable standards before you start is worth the extra step.
Austin Brick Painting: Moisture, Masonry, and Local Conditions
Austin's weather shifts through wet stretches and long dry, hot ones, and brick needs to be fully dry before it takes a coating. Painting over damp brick traps that moisture behind the new surface instead of letting it escape.
Austin's expansive clay soils are worth keeping in mind too. They shift with moisture levels through the year, and that movement is one more reason to pay attention to the condition of your brick and mortar before painting, not a guarantee of paint failure on its own. Any existing moisture issue should get resolved first, regardless of the cause.
DIY vs. Professional Brick Painting
A small masonry touch-up might be manageable for an experienced homeowner. Painting brick exterior surfaces across a full home is a bigger undertaking, with more that can go wrong.
DIY isn't the wrong choice for every homeowner. It just asks more of your time, research, and equipment than a smaller project would, and mistakes on a full exterior are harder to walk back.
Why Choose Ranger Painting?
Once your brick is a good candidate for painting, the preparation is what determines how it turns out. Nathan Wingate personally walks Austin brick projects before any coating goes on the wall, reading the mortar and the moisture just like this guide describes, so nothing gets missed before work starts. A few things back that up:
1. No deposit: $0 upfront, pay after final walkthrough. 2. BBB A+ Accreditation. 3. $25,000 Good Contractors List guarantee. 4. Up to 5-year written workmanship warranty.
See the full Austin Brick Painting service for what's included, including the breathable masonry coatings used on painted brick exteriors around Austin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you paint a brick house?
Assess the brick and mortar, clean the surface, repair any damage, choose a coating suited to the wall, apply it properly, then inspect the finished exterior.
Is painting a brick house permanent?
Practically, yes. Paint becomes a long-term exterior finish, and returning brick to its bare, natural look afterward is difficult and often not practical.
Should you paint an older brick house?
Age alone doesn't decide it. What matters more is the brick's condition, any moisture issues, previous coatings, and whether the home has historic status.
Can you paint brick in an Austin historic district?
Requirements vary by district. Check the applicable City of Austin standards before painting previously unpainted masonry on a historic property.
How much does it cost to paint a brick house?
It depends on the size of the home, the brick's condition, how much prep it needs, accessibility, and the coating required. Homes with more repair work or hard-to-reach areas cost more than a straightforward, sound wall. A walkthrough is the fastest way to get real numbers for your home.
Is it better to paint brick yourself or hire a professional?
DIY can work for smaller, simpler projects, like a single wall or a small accent area. A full exterior involves more assessment, prep, and risk, which is where professional experience tends to pay off, especially on brick that needs repair before it can be painted at all.
Give Your Brick Exterior a Fresh Start
Painting brick is a big decision, and it's one worth getting right the first time. It changes how your home looks for years to come, so the assessment matters as much as the paint itself.
Ranger can assess your home's masonry, confirm whether it's ready for paint, and walk you through what the job actually involves before you commit to anything. Book Your Free Estimate or reach out through our contact page to get started.
Nathan Wingate
Nathan Wingate is the owner and operator of Ranger Painting in Cedar Park, TX. With years of hands-on experience spraying custom cabinet enamels and residential finishes, Nathan personally oversees every project from initial walkthrough to final sign-off.
