Every price on this site, in one place
Aurora Limewash: What Limewash Costs in Aurora
Square-foot rates, whole-house ranges, and the preparation that moves a quote more than the limewash does.
- Aurora and ten towns within 20 miles
- Written price before work starts
- Licensed, insured local contractors
- Historic district rules covered
Aurora Limewash put this cost guide together for owners of brick and stone homes in Aurora and the Fox Valley. It uses two published sources and says which is which: a limewash applicator working the Chicago suburbs, which publishes its prices for premium mineral limewash, and HomeGuide, a national cost guide built from project costs reported by its members, last updated in February 2026.
The short answer
Limewashing the outside of an average brick home around Aurora typically costs $4,000 to $12,000, which is $4 to $8 a square foot with a premium mineral limewash brushed on in two coats. Large houses with brick on every side can reach $10,000 to $25,000 or more.
HomeGuide's national range is lower, at $1.50 to $5.00 a square foot, or $1,500 to $6,700 for a typical home, because it includes simpler one-coat and diluted jobs. The gap between the two is mostly product and method: a premium Italian limewash at $66 to $73 a gallon, applied by hand in two coats, against cheaper mixes and lighter coverage.
Prices by job
Every service page on this site quotes one of the ranges below. They are typical ranges, not quotes.
- Exterior brick limewash: $4,000 to $12,000 for an average brick home.
- Brick front only: $1,600 to $6,400 for a 400 to 800 square foot front.
- Stone walls and foundations: $4 to $8 a square foot of stone, usually toward the top.
- Chimney alone: $400 to $1,500, in line with chimney painting.
- Fireplace surround: $500 to $1,500.
- Interior accent wall: $800 to $2,000, or $2,000 to $5,000 for a full room.
- German smear: $6,000 to $12,000 for a typical brick ranch in the Chicago area.
- Whitewash (thinned paint): $1,500 to $6,700 for an average home.
- Brick staining: $1 to $4 a square foot.
- Mineral paint on brick: $2,000 to $8,000 for an average brick house.
- Paint stripping before limewash: $2 to $4 a square foot on top of the finish.
- Tuckpointing: $8 to $30 a square foot, or $20 to $50 a row.
- Limewash recoat: $4 to $8 a square foot recoated, usually lower than new work.
- Limewash removal once cured: $2 to $4 a square foot.
- Commercial facades: $4 to $8 a square foot, before height and street access.
Not sure what your brick will take? Describe the house, the brick and the look you want, and get a straight answer on coats, prep and a typical price.
Call (630) 528-2808What moves a quote up
The limewash itself is rarely what makes one quote higher than another. What moves a quote is everything around it.
Square footage that shows
A brick front on a siding house is a fraction of an all-brick two-storey. Measure only the masonry, less windows and doors.
Coats
One coat gives a translucent wash, two give fuller coverage, three approach solid white. Each coat is more labour and product.
Height and access
Second-storey walls and chimneys need ladders or scaffold, which is why two houses with the same brick area can be priced differently.
Preparation
Washing off grime and efflorescence, repointing failed joints, and above all stripping old paint or sealer. Paint stripping alone adds $2 to $4 a square foot, and HomeGuide gives $1.50 to $9.50 a square foot for removing exterior paint from brick.
What does not change the price much
The product line, mostly. On the Chicago-suburb applicator's price list, Romabio's Classico limewash ($66 to $73 a gallon), Masonry Flat and Masonry Textured ($62 to $73 each) sit within a few dollars of each other, and the applicator says the choice is about the look and the surface, not the budget.
Limewash against paint over twenty years
Up front, limewash and paint overlap. HomeGuide puts painting a brick house at $2,000 to $8,000 on average and expects acrylic latex to last 3 to 5 years on brick, against 20 years or more for mineral paint. It expects limewash to need reapplication every 5 to 7 years to keep its original coverage, but a limewash recoat skips the stripping, because it is re-wetted and added to rather than scraped off.
The expensive scenario is the one to avoid: acrylic paint on brick that later has to come off. That is the $1.50 to $9.50 a square foot figure, often on top of brick repairs that HomeGuide prices at $20 to $50 a square foot.
Costs outside the contract
In a historic district, a Certificate of Appropriateness comes before the work. In St. Charles coating masonry is not a building-permit item, but on unpainted masonry in a district it goes to the full commission, which takes time rather than money. Allow for that in the schedule, along with the weather: Romabio says not to apply below 50°F or above 88°F. The exterior limewash page explains how the job runs once approvals are in hand.
Not sure what your brick will take? Describe the house, the brick and the look you want, and get a straight answer on coats, prep and a typical price.
Call (630) 528-2808Getting quotes you can compare
Two limewash quotes can only be compared if they describe the same job. Ask each contractor to list the product, the number of coats, the square footage they measured, and every preparation step, from washing and repointing to stripping. A quote that is much cheaper often leaves out preparation that another includes, and preparation is where the long-term result is decided.
Where the money goes on a typical job
On a sound brick house with no paint to strip, most of the price is labour: protecting the surroundings, washing the wall, keeping it damp, and brushing two coats by hand. Product is a small share, even at premium prices. On a painted house, stripping can rival the limewash itself. On an older house, repointing can be the largest single line. That is why the site visit matters more than the square footage.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to limewash a brick house?
Around Aurora, typically $4,000 to $12,000 for an average home, or $4 to $8 a square foot with premium limewash in two coats.
How much does limewash cost per square foot?
A Chicago-suburb applicator publishes $4 to $8. HomeGuide's national range is $1.50 to $5.00, including simpler jobs.
Is limewash more expensive than paint?
Up front they overlap. Over time limewash avoids stripping, while paint on brick eventually needs it.
What makes a limewash quote higher?
Brick area, extra coats, second-storey access, and preparation, especially stripping paint or sealer.
How much does a limewash fireplace cost?
Typically $500 to $1,500 for a fireplace surround.
Does the choice of limewash product change the price much?
Not much. Romabio's Classico limewash, Masonry Flat and Masonry Textured are priced within a few dollars a gallon of each other.
Talk it through before anyone opens a bucket
Say what the brick is, whether it has ever been painted or sealed, and how much of it shows from the street. You will hear what the job usually involves, what it tends to cost, and whether your town needs a sign-off first.
Call (630) 528-2808