FairangePainting · CA
Painting cost in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Planning ranges for painting work in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, built from BLS OEWS May 2025 wages (SOC 47-2141) plus our published hours and materials. Open any job row to run it on your ZIP.
Last updated from data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · PPI construction materials 2026-09 · estimates only
How this market compares
If you are pricing Painting work in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, the wage file is the honest place to start. Mean hourly pay here sits about 14% above the national OEWS mean.
Among 487 OEWS areas with published Painting wages, Santa Cruz-Watsonville ranks #24 nationally on mean hourly pay ($30.35). Compared with other CA areas that report Painting wages, this market is #8 of 28. The published p10–p90 band runs $20.52 to $38.73 (a $18.21 spread around the $30.35 mean; median $30.00).
Local employment for this SOC is roughly 230 workers (OEWS May 2025). Nationwide that occupation is about 225,190. How a few common projects pencil out against the national mid: Interior Room Painting mid estimate $573 here vs $520 U.S. (10% above); Exterior House Painting mid estimate $6,988 here vs $6,220 U.S. (12% above); Exterior Trim Caulk & Spot Paint mid estimate $433 here vs $390 U.S. (11% above).
Same-state comparison: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom ($30.24, 0.11 lower); San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles ($30.05, 0.30 lower); Hanford-Corcoran ($29.93, 0.42 lower).
Local tip: Local code, permit fees, and how busy crews are this month move numbers as much as wage rates do.
Sample project ranges
| Project | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior Room Painting (calc) | $246 | $573 | $1,295 |
| Exterior House Painting (default size) (calc) | $2,998 | $6,988 | $15,902 |
| Exterior Trim Caulk & Spot Paint (calc) | $164 | $433 | $1,055 |
Getting quotes without the circus
- Screenshot our mid/low/high band.
- Ask three licensed, insured pros for written scopes.
- Compare exclusions — permits, haul-away, thermostats, flashing — before crowning a winner.
What usually moves the number
- Scope surprises: duct repairs, panel upgrades, extra roof layers.
- How booked local crews are this season.
- Materials choices — we only nudge materials with a dampened regional factor. See methodology.
Rebates (verify; don’t trust a random Facebook ad)
Check IRS, ENERGY STAR, and DSIRE for any incentives that apply to this project. Start with IRS, ENERGY STAR, and DSIRE.
Painting cost FAQ — Santa Cruz-Watsonville
How much does painting cost in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
We combine OEWS wages for Painters, Construction and Maintenance with published hours and materials assumptions for jobs like interior room painting, exterior house painting, exterior trim caulk & spot paint. Treat the table as a planning band, then collect written bids.
Where do the wages come from?
BLS OEWS May 2025 — mean $30.35, median $30.0, p10–p90 $20.52–$38.73 (SOC 47-2141).
Is this a contractor quote?
No. Fairange publishes educational planning ranges. Markup is 2.0× / 2.25× / 2.5× on labor; materials use cited retail baselines with a dampened regional factor. See methodology.
Job guides: Interior Room Painting · Exterior House Painting · Exterior Trim Caulk & Spot Paint. Reports: repair labor by metro. Open calculator with your ZIP.
Check our math
BLS OEWS May 2025 · local hourly means the calculator uses
| Painter (47-2141) | $30.35/hr mean |
Source: official BLS OEWS data for this area · area index: oessrcma.htm.
Contractor markup (2.0× / 2.25× / 2.5×) and the regional materials factor are ours — see methodology.
Paid listing for Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Painting. Partner.
Want actual bids?
Leave a few details if you’d like local pros to follow up. We’ll only share what you submit after you check the box below.
Affiliate link
Gear people often ask about
We’re not a store. These spots are for partner recommendations — clearly labeled. We may earn a commission if you buy through a link here.
A decent thermostat won’t fix a bad install, but it can stop the short-cycling arguments.
Partner options Affiliate linkTank, tankless, heat-pump — the sticker price is only half the story.
Partner options Affiliate linkRead the exclusions. “Full coverage” rarely means what the brochure implies.
Partner options Affiliate linkMonthly wage & cost note
Short email when we refresh the index. No daily drip campaign. Unsubscribe whenever.