Fargo houses wear wood lap, hardboard, steel, aluminum, vinyl and engineered wood siding, and some older ones have stucco. Brick is mostly found on commercial buildings and as trim on house fronts. Each takes paint differently.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Local labor, paint prices and the condition of your own surfaces move the number up or down. Last checked October 2026.
What paint is best on wood siding, and will paint fix dry cracked wood?
A top-grade acrylic latex over an oil or acrylic primer is the best paint for wood siding here. Paint will not fix dry, cracked wood. It protects sound wood and it bridges hairline checks, but deep cracks and split boards have to be filled or replaced first.
Wood lap siding is the classic wall of Fargo's older neighborhoods. HomeGuide puts paint life on wood siding at 3 to 7 years and the cost at $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot. Bare, grey wood must be sanded to bright wood and primed, or the new paint will let go.
Can you paint vinyl siding?
Yes, you can paint vinyl siding, as long as it is clean and sound and the paint is made for vinyl. It needs a thorough wash and an acrylic paint that can flex as the panels move. HomeGuide's vinyl page lists the job at $1 to $3 per square foot and says the paint lasts 5 to 10 years.
Vinyl grows and shrinks a lot between a Fargo January and July. The paint has to move with it, and panels must be free to slide, so nothing should be caulked or painted tight at the overlaps.
Can vinyl siding be painted a darker color, or will it warp?
Vinyl siding can warp if it is painted a much darker color with ordinary paint. Dark colors soak up heat, and vinyl softens and buckles when it gets too hot.
The safe choices are a color no darker than the original, or a color from a paint maker's vinyl-safe range. Those are mixed to reflect more heat. Ask to see that the chosen color is on the vinyl-safe list.
Does painting vinyl siding void the warranty?
It can. Many vinyl siding warranties exclude damage or color change once the siding has been painted. Read your warranty or call the maker before you decide.
If the siding is old, the warranty may have little value left, and paint is a fair way to refresh it. On newer siding still under warranty, think twice.
Can you paint aluminum siding or steel siding?
Yes. Aluminum siding and steel siding both paint well. The old finish is usually chalky, so the wall is washed until no chalk comes off, bare metal or rust is spot primed, and acrylic paint goes on top.
HomeGuide lists aluminum siding painting at $1 to $4 per square foot and paint life at 5 to 10 years. Steel siding is everywhere in the Fargo area because it stands up to hail and wind. No national figure is published for painting it, so we price steel after seeing it.
Can you paint stucco, and what paint sticks to it?
Yes, you can paint stucco. Acrylic masonry paint sticks well, and elastomeric paint, which is thicker and stretches, is used where there are many fine cracks. New stucco has to cure before paint.
Stucco is not the main wall type in Fargo, but a number of houses from the 1920s to the 1940s in the core neighborhoods have it. The national figure is $1.00 to $5.50 per square foot. Stucco is rough and thirsty, so it takes much more paint than siding.
Do hairline cracks in stucco need fixing first?
Yes. Hairline cracks should be sealed before painting, because water that gets in freezes and widens them. Very fine cracks can be bridged with an elastomeric coating. Wider ones are filled with a masonry patch or caulk made for stucco.
Freeze and thaw make this more pressing in Fargo than in a warm climate. Cracks that keep growing, or stucco that sounds hollow when tapped, need a stucco repair before paint.
How often does stucco need painting?
Stucco needs repainting about every 5 to 7 years, by the published national figure. In practice, repaint when it fades, stains or starts to show cracks, and wash it gently in between.
Is painting brick a bad idea, and does it trap moisture?
Painting brick can trap moisture, so it is a bad idea on brick that gets wet or is already crumbling. Brick takes in water and lets it out again. A tight paint film slows that drying. In a cold climate, water held in brick freezes and can pop the face off the brick.
That risk is real in Fargo. Sound, dry brick can be painted with a breathable masonry paint, or given a limewash or mineral-based coating that lets vapor through. HomeGuide lists brick painting at $1.50 to $4.50 per square foot, and gives paint life as 3 to 5 years for acrylic latex, 5 to 7 for limewash and 20 or more for mineral-based paint.
Should I paint my brick or leave it natural?
Leave it natural if the brick is in good shape and you can live with the color. Once you paint a brick wall, you have to keep painting it, and taking paint off brick is costly. The published figure for removal is $1.50 to $9.50 per square foot.
Painting makes sense when the brick is mismatched, stained or already painted. A brick stain or limewash changes the color and keeps more of the texture. On older brick buildings downtown, ask the city whether a historic district applies before you change the face of the building.
How much to paint a cedar shingle house?
No national figure is published for cedar shingles on their own. The nearest one is wood siding at $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot. Shingles and rough cedar sit toward the high end, because the grooves and edges take more paint and more brush work.
Cedar siding and shingle accents turn up on some Fargo homes from the 1970s and 1980s. Cedar is often stained instead of painted. Stain soaks in and does not peel, so it is easier to redo. Cedar needs a stain-blocking primer under light paint, or brown tannin marks bleed through.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (701) 502-6833.