Exterior Painting
Exterior House Painting Preparation Checklist
Updated September 2026
Exterior House Painting Preparation Checklist: the direct answer
Exterior painting preparation includes cleaning, scraping loose coating, sanding edges, repairing damaged surfaces, replacing failed caulk, priming exposed substrate, and protecting landscaping. This sequence removes adhesion problems before color is applied and is the main factor separating a durable exterior repaint from a short-term cosmetic coat that fails within a season or two.
Surface preparation
Clean contaminants like dirt, mildew, and chalking residue, remove loose or peeling paint, smooth sharp edges left behind, repair damaged material, and prime any bare or exposed areas. Each of these steps addresses a different reason paint can fail to bond.
Protection and cleanup
Cover plants, walkways, windows, fixtures, and entry points before work begins, then inspect the finished surfaces before final cleanup and walkthrough. Protecting landscaping is especially important during washing and scraping, when debris and runoff can otherwise damage plant beds.
Order of operations
Washing should happen first and be given time to fully dry, followed by scraping and sanding, then repairs and caulking, then priming, and finally finish coats. Skipping ahead, such as caulking before scraping loose paint, traps problems under the new coating instead of solving them.
Tools and materials that matter
Quality exterior caulk, a primer matched to the substrate, and paint rated for exterior exposure all affect how long the job lasts. Cutting costs on these materials is one of the most common reasons an otherwise well-prepped exterior repaint underperforms.