How Much Does It Cost to Stain a Brick Exterior? [2026 Data]

In 2026, the national average cost to stain a brick exterior is $4,200 (or $2.50 per square foot), with most homeowners spending $1,200 to $10,000, depending on home size and brickwork condition. Key cost drivers include the size of your home, whether you hire a pro or go DIY, and the current state of your brickwork.

How Much Does It Cost to Stain Exterior Brick per Square Foot?

Staining exterior brick costs an average of $2.50 per square foot, including labor and materials, with most homeowners paying between $1 to $4 per square foot. Stain quality, brick condition, and how easily contractors can access your exterior are the primary factors that move the price within that range.

Staining Exterior Brick Cost Breakdown: What Affects the Price?

Labor and materials are the two key cost drivers when staining your home's exterior brick. The quality of the stain you choose and how much prep work you handle yourself will significantly influence your total project spend.

Materials

Brick stain costs between $30 and $60 per gallon and $130 to $170 per 5-gallon bucket, with larger buckets offering better value for full exterior jobs. If you're tackling the project yourself, you'll also need basic tools—sprayers run upward of $100, and supplies like drop cloths, brushes, caulk, masking tape, and a ladder can add $200 or more to your budget.

Labor

Hiring an exterior painting contractor near you adds labor costs ranging from $40 to $80 per hour. Labor rates depend on your location, the complexity of the job, and how much prep work the contractor needs to handle before staining begins.

Brick Staining Cost Factors: What Determines the Price?

The size of your house is the primary factor determining what you'll pay for exterior brick staining, but several other variables can meaningfully shift the final cost. Understanding these factors before you get quotes helps you budget more accurately and avoid surprises.

Accessibility

Two- or three-story houses are trickier to stain than large bungalows. Expect a 25% to 50% labor price increase per additional story.

Condition of Brickwork

Labor costs increase when there's a lot of prep work for contractors (sometimes as much as doubling the price). DIYing non-technical prep work helps you make savings. Applying the stain to clean brickwork that's free of debris, mold, or efflorescence ensures effective adherence.

If there is any significant damage or repointing is required, it makes sense to do these brick maintenance and repair jobs in advance to protect the integrity and longevity of the exterior. For complex repairs, you may need to hire a local masonry contractor.

Permits

If your home requires scaffolding for a multi-story staining job, you may need a scaffolding permit, which costs between $100 and $300. Permit requirements vary by local authority, so check with your municipality before work begins to avoid delays or fines.

Stain Used

Choosing a commonly available stain from your local hardware store can help keep costs low. But if your vision board requires something more custom or more than the average number of coats to achieve the desired look, be prepared to pay more. The most commonly used brick stain colors are brown, black, and red.

Application Technique

Most of the time, pros apply the stain using a sprayer. It's a quick, easy method that provides even coverage. Sometimes, you may want to stain the brick but not the grout for a specific type of finish. This requires application using a brush, which is much more time-consuming and can cost more than double that of applying with a sprayer.

Cost to Stain vs. Paint Brick

Brick staining is the more affordable option, costing $1 to $4 per square foot compared to $1.50 to $4.50 per square foot for painting—a difference that adds up quickly on large projects. 

The long-term savings are even more significant since stain can last a couple of decades while paint needs to be redone every three to five years. Stained brick also holds up better structurally over time, which means fewer repair costs down the road. 

Can You Permanently Stain Brick?

You can semi-permanently stain brick. Unlike paint, which sits on the surface, stain penetrates the brick's porous surface, bonding with it and creating a long-lasting finish. Staining also allows the brick to maintain its breathability, which can prevent moisture buildup that can lead to damage over time. While no treatment is truly permanent, a high-quality brick stain can last for decades with minimal maintenance.

Cost to Stain Exterior Brick Yourself

Staining exterior brickwork yourself is a viable way to cut costs, since hiring labor adds 50% or more to your total project cost. However, keep in mind that prep work and multiple coat applications are essential for even coverage, given brick's porous nature. Safe ladder access can be a limiting factor for some homes, and in those cases, hiring a local exterior painting contractor is the smarter investment.

How to Save on the Cost to Stain a Brick Exterior

Brick staining can get pricey, but several practical strategies can help you reduce what you spend on the project. Consider these tips before you start:

• Do prep work yourself: Do the pressure washing and cleaning prep work yourself instead of paying for professional cleaning.

• Choose lighter stain colors: Choose a lighter stain color since darker stains often require multiple coats and more product.

• Buy from supply warehouses: Buy stain directly from masonry supply warehouses rather than retail stores to get better bulk pricing.

• Compare contractor quotes: Compare quotes from multiple contractors to find the best price.

• Fix mortar issues first: Fix any mortar issues yourself before staining, as pros will charge extra for repairs.

• Use mineral-based stains: Use mineral-based stains rather than more expensive acid-based options for basic color changes.

• Schedule in the off-season: Schedule the project during the off-season when contractors may offer discounts.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.