Painting work you can request
House painting
Full repaints for historic and newer homes alike.
Exterior house painting
Siding, porches, sashes and trim on older homes.
Interior painting
Plaster walls, ceilings, trim and doors.
Kitchen cabinet painting
Paint solid cabinets instead of replacing them.
Deck and fence staining
Clean and stain decks, porches, rails and fences.
Wallpaper removal
Strip old paper and prepare walls for paint.
Trim and siding painting
Sills, sashes, brackets, fascia and siding sections.
To get a painting estimate for a home in Sleepy Hollow, use the estimate form. Tell us whether you are in Philipse Manor, near Beekman Avenue or elsewhere in the village, what you want painted and what shape it is in. A local painter will reach out to look at the house and write up a price.
Sleepy Hollow is a village in the Town of Mount Pleasant on the east bank of the Hudson, just north of Tarrytown. It was incorporated as North Tarrytown in 1874 and adopted its current name in 1996. Its history reaches back much further, to the Upper Mills that Frederick Philipse built at the mouth of the Pocantico River and the stone Old Dutch Church nearby.
Much of the village's housing is old by any measure. The Philipse Manor neighborhood was laid out around the turn of the 20th century, when developers built homes around a new rail station that is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Elsewhere in the village you will find older frame houses, porches, decorative brackets and windows with many small panes. These details are a big part of the village's character, and they take time and skill to paint well.
Older homes also bring older paint. Many layers on Sleepy Hollow houses predate 1978, the year lead paint was banned for homes, so lead-safe work is part of almost every exterior estimate here. The service pages below explain each type of job, what it should include and what published cost ranges look like.
Before you hire a painter
Describe the job once. A local painter reaches out to you, so you skip the rounds of phone tag.
Requests go to independent painters who work in Sleepy Hollow and nearby river towns, where century-old houses are common.
Getting an estimate is free and you do not have to hire anyone.
Each guide lists what a written estimate should spell out, from prep steps to paint lines.
Check the Westchester County license, ask for insurance, and ask about lead-safe certification on any pre-1978 home.
How it works
- Fill in the formUse the estimate form to tell us your neighborhood, the type of painting and what you have noticed.
- We pass your requestWe pass it to a local painter who takes jobs in Sleepy Hollow and nearby towns.
- The painter contacts youExpect a call or email to ask questions and set up a visit to the house.
- Decide in your own timeReview the written estimate, check the license and insurance, and hire only if it fits.
Lead-safe work on historic houses
Federal rules apply to paid work that disturbs paint in homes built before 1978. Under the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, the contractor must be an EPA Lead-Safe Certified firm and use practices such as ground sheeting, dust control and careful cleanup. Ask any painter how they will contain chips on your property, especially if children live in the house or you grow vegetables near the walls.
Porches, brackets and wavy glass
Porch ceilings, turned spindles, scroll brackets and old window sashes are slow work, and they wear differently than flat siding. Porch floors take foot traffic and standing water. Old sashes may need loose glazing putty replaced before paint. A good estimate lists these items separately so you can see where the time goes.
Checking licenses and insurance
Westchester County law requires home improvement contractors to hold a county license from the Department of Consumer Protection, which keeps a public list you can search. Ask for the license number and a certificate of insurance before work begins, and keep the written estimate with the scope and price.
Seasons along the river
Exterior painting in the lower Hudson Valley generally runs from late spring into early fall. Paint needs dry wood and temperatures inside the range on the label while it cures. Interior painting can be booked any month. Painters fill their summer schedules early, so ask for exterior estimates by late winter.
Typical painting costs
Use these published ranges as a starting point. A painter has to see your house to price it.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Exterior, typical 2,000 sq ft home (This Old House) | $4,400 to $8,800 |
| Exterior, two-story 2,000 sq ft home (This Old House) | $6,900 to $12,700 |
| Porch, per sq ft (This Old House) | $1.90 to $3.75 |
| Bedroom interior (This Old House) | $300 to $800 |
| Cabinet door, each (Fixr) | $70 to $125 |
| Deck staining, national average range (Fixr) | $550 to $850 |
National ranges from the published sources below, shown as a guide only. They are not quotes, and older homes in the lower Hudson Valley often cost more to paint.
Sources: This Old House, exterior house painting costs; This Old House, interior painting costs; Fixr, painting kitchen cabinets; Fixr, staining a deck
Towns we take requests from
Requests come from Sleepy Hollow and more than twenty nearby towns and hamlets, from the river villages to Pleasantville, Chappaqua and northern Westchester. Choose a town for local notes.
Questions homeowners ask
What does it cost to paint a house in Sleepy Hollow?
This Old House puts a two-story, 2,000 square foot exterior at about $6,900 to $12,700. Historic details, porches and lead-safe work on older homes often push the price higher. A written estimate after a visit is the reliable number.
What happens after I submit the form?
We pass your request to a local painter who works in Sleepy Hollow and nearby towns. The painter contacts you, visits the house and gives you a written estimate. Hiring is up to you.
Do I pay for the estimate?
No. Asking for an estimate is free and there is no obligation.
My house is over a hundred years old. What should I ask?
Ask whether the painter's company is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified firm, how they handle wood repairs and old window sashes, and how they will protect plantings and soil from paint chips.
Can a painter match historic colors?
Many painters can match an existing color from a chip or sample. If you want a period-appropriate scheme, paint makers publish historic color collections you can choose from.
How do I check a painter's license?
The Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection licenses home improvement contractors and lists them online. Ask for the license number and look it up.
When should I book exterior painting?
Ask for estimates in late winter or early spring. Exterior work usually runs from late spring to early fall, and good painters book up.