Quick answer: Stain soaks into brick and keeps its natural look, so it is best for going darker or evening out the colour. Paint coats the surface and can be almost any colour, including white. With us, brick staining typically costs $8 to $15 and exterior painting $3.50 to $7.00 per sq ft of wall, before HST.
If you are tired of the colour of your brick, you have two real options short of re-cladding the house: stain it or paint it. They can end up looking similar from the street, but they work in completely different ways, and that difference affects how the house looks up close, how it ages and what it costs.
We do both across Toronto and the GTA. Here is how to think about the choice.
The short version
| Brick staining | Brick painting | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Soaks into the brick | Forms a coating on the surface |
| Look | Still looks like brick, with natural variation | Solid, uniform colour |
| Colour range | Best for going darker or evening out tone | Almost any colour, including white |
| Texture | Brick texture shows through | Texture shows, but the colour is flat |
| Typical cost with us (before HST) | $8 to $15 per sq ft of wall | $3.50 to $7.00 per sq ft of wall (exterior painting) |
How brick staining works
Brick stain is absorbed into the surface of the brick instead of sitting on top of it. Because it soaks in, it changes the colour without hiding the brick itself. You still see the texture, the small differences between bricks and the mortar lines.
What staining is good at
- Updating dated colours. Orange, red and mixed brick from the 80s and 90s can be taken to a greyer, browner or more even tone.
- Keeping a natural look. Up close, stained brick still reads as brick, not as a painted wall.
- Matching. When part of a house has been rebuilt with brick that does not quite match, stain can bring the colours closer together.
- A 60-year warranty. Our brick staining comes with a 60-year warranty.
Where staining has limits
Stain is translucent, so it works best when you are going darker or evening out the tone. Taking dark red brick to a bright white is a job for paint, not stain. Stain also needs bare brick to soak into, so it generally is not an option over brick that has already been painted.
How painting brick works
Paint forms a solid, opaque layer on the surface of the brick. That means you can choose almost any colour, including the crisp whites, greys and blacks that are common on modern exteriors. The texture of the brick still shows, but the colour is flat and even across the whole wall.
What painting is good at
- Big colour changes. If you want white brick with black trim, paint is the way to get there.
- A clean, uniform look. Every brick and every mortar line ends up the same colour.
- A lower price per square foot. Exterior painting typically costs less per square foot than brick staining with us.
What to know before you paint brick
Brick handles moisture differently from wood siding. Paint sits on the surface as a film, so the product and the preparation matter. The wrong paint, or paint over brick that has not been cleaned and prepared, can peel or flake. Painted brick also needs repainting over time to keep it looking fresh, and once brick is painted, going back to the natural look is difficult.
What each option costs
With us, typical prices before HST are:
- Exterior brick staining: $8 to $15 per sq ft of wall
- Exterior painting: $3.50 to $7.00 per sq ft of wall
For a sense of scale, 1,000 sq ft of wall works out to about $8,000 to $15,000 to stain, or about $3,500 to $7,000 to paint, before HST. Staining costs more per square foot because getting an even, natural result across a whole wall takes more care and more passes.
What moves the price within those ranges:
- Height and access. A bungalow is simpler to reach than a three-storey wall over a walkout.
- Prep. Cleaning, repairs and protecting windows, doors and landscaping all take time.
- Trim, soffits and siding. Many exterior jobs include painting the trim, soffit, fascia or siding at the same time, which is priced on top of the brick.
- Distance and complexity. Pricing also depends on how far the job is and how complicated the house is.
Every job gets a written quote after a site visit, so you know the real number before anything starts.
Which one should you choose?
Stain your brick if
- You like the look of brick and just want a better colour.
- You are going darker, greyer or more even, not to white.
- You want a finish that still looks natural up close.
- Your brick has never been painted.
Paint your brick if
- You want a big change, like white or black brick.
- You want every brick the same colour.
- The brick has already been painted before.
- You want the lower price per square foot and are fine with repainting down the road.
Other things to think about
Mortar and repairs
Neither stain nor paint fixes cracked brick or crumbling mortar. They change the colour, not the condition. If parts of the wall need repair, that work should happen first, and the new mortar or brick is then coloured along with the rest of the wall.
Weather
Exterior staining and painting need dry weather. Rain on fresh stain or paint can mark the finish, so exterior jobs are scheduled around the forecast, and a rainy week can push the start date.
The rest of the exterior
Changing the brick colour often makes the trim, soffits, garage door or front door look out of place. It is worth deciding on the whole colour scheme at once, so the brick and everything around it are chosen together.
What the job looks like
On the site visit we look at the brick, the mortar and the areas around it, measure the walls, and talk about the colour you want. We also point out anything that should be repaired first. Then you get a free written quote.
On the day, we protect windows, doors, the ground and your landscaping with plastic, clean the surface as needed, then apply the stain or paint. If the trim, soffits, fascia or siding are part of the job, we do those in the same visit so the whole exterior comes together at once. Every trade is in-house, the owner personally oversees every job, and every job comes with our written workmanship warranty.
Ready to price it out? Our free estimate calculator covers brick staining and exterior painting, and our painting page shows how we handle interior and exterior jobs, with photos of real projects.
Frequently asked questions
Is brick staining or painting cheaper?
Painting costs less per square foot. With us, exterior painting typically runs $3.50 to $7.00 per sq ft of wall and brick staining $8 to $15 per sq ft of wall, before HST.
Can you stain brick that has already been painted?
Generally no. Stain needs bare brick to soak into, so painted brick is usually repainted instead.
Can you make red brick white with stain?
Stain is translucent, so it works best for going darker or evening out the colour. A big change to white is a job for paint.
Can you paint the trim and soffits at the same time?
Yes. Trim, soffits, fascia and siding are often done in the same job, so the whole exterior is finished together.
Will stain or paint hide damaged brick or mortar?
No. They change the colour, not the condition. Cracked brick or loose mortar should be repaired first, and then the repair is coloured along with the rest of the wall.