The best time to paint a house in New Hampshire, measured
The best time to paint a house in New Hampshire is June through September in Manchester, Nashua and Portsmouth, and June through August in Concord. Within that window, September is the strongest month: the same workable temperatures as June with two to four more dry days. May and October work too, with a low-temperature paint and a shorter day.
- Prime
- Good, shorter days
- Marginal
- Indoors
How many prime painting days does each city get?
Every guide to the best time to paint a house in New Hampshire gives the same rule of thumb: late spring to early fall. We wanted a number for the New Hampshire paint season. So we took the 1991–2020 climate normals for four stations (NOAA), applied the temperature limits printed on the paint can, and counted. A prime day, in this article, is a dry day in a month whose average overnight low stays above 50°F.
- 82Nashuaprime dry days a year, across 4 months
- 82Portsmouthprime dry days a year, across 4 months
- 79Manchesterprime dry days a year, across 4 months
- 58Concordprime dry days a year, across 3 months
Concord, well inland, gets about 58 prime days. Nashua and Portsmouth get about 82. That is a gap of more than three working weeks, and it is why a painter's calendar in the capital fills earlier than one on the Seacoast.
The exterior paint temperature rules we applied
To find the best time to paint a house in New Hampshire, start with what the paint needs. Paint does not just dry; it cures, and curing needs warmth. The limits come from the manufacturers. Sherwin-Williams, for example, says most of its exterior latex needs air and surface temperatures of 50°F, some products are made for 35°F, and the surface should stay above the dew point for about 48 hours (Sherwin-Williams).
Standard exterior latex. Air and surface, during application and while it cures.
Low-temperature formulas. They stretch the season at both ends.
Stay above the dew point, so dew does not settle on paint that is still soft.
We then graded every month. Prime: the average low is 50°F or more, so paint can go on at any working hour and cure overnight. Good, shorter days: the average high is at least 50°F and the low at least 35°F, so there is a midday window. Marginal: warm afternoons but nights below 35°F. Indoors: average highs under 50°F.
The exterior paint temperature on the label always wins. Monthly averages are a planning tool. On any given day the painter goes by the thermometer, the forecast and the product label.
The New Hampshire paint season, month by month
Each cell shows the average high and low in °F and the average number of dry days. The color is the grade. Read across a row to see when your city's season opens and closes, and you have the best time to paint a house in New Hampshire for that city.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concord | 32° / 13°20 dry | 35° / 15°18 dry | 44° / 23°20 dry | 58° / 33°19 dry | 69° / 44°19 dry | 78° / 54°17 dry | 83° / 59°20 dry | 82° / 57°21 dry | 74° / 49°21 dry | 61° / 38°20 dry | 48° / 29°19 dry | 37° / 20°19 dry |
| Manchester | 34° / 17°21 dry | 37° / 19°18 dry | 46° / 27°20 dry | 59° / 38°19 dry | 70° / 48°19 dry | 79° / 58°17 dry | 84° / 64°20 dry | 82° / 62°21 dry | 75° / 54°21 dry | 62° / 42°20 dry | 50° / 33°20 dry | 39° / 24°20 dry |
| Nashua | 34° / 14°22 dry | 37° / 15°20 dry | 45° / 23°22 dry | 58° / 34°19 dry | 70° / 46°19 dry | 78° / 56°19 dry | 84° / 61°21 dry | 83° / 59°22 dry | 75° / 51°21 dry | 63° / 39°20 dry | 51° / 30°20 dry | 40° / 21°21 dry |
| Portsmouth | 33° / 16°20 dry | 36° / 18°19 dry | 43° / 25°20 dry | 56° / 35°19 dry | 66° / 45°20 dry | 75° / 54°19 dry | 80° / 60°20 dry | 79° / 59°22 dry | 72° / 52°21 dry | 60° / 40°20 dry | 48° / 31°19 dry | 38° / 22°20 dry |
- Prime
- Good, shorter days
- Marginal
- Indoors
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals for Concord Municipal Airport, Manchester–Boston Regional Airport, Nashua and Portsmouth. Dry days = days in the month minus average days with 0.01 inch or more of precipitation.
Two things stand out. Manchester is the only one of the four where April already makes the second grade, because its April nights average 37.5°F. And November is out everywhere for standard paint: even where the afternoon reaches 50°F, the nights average near or below freezing.
Want a date in the prime months? Quotes are free, and winter is when the calendar is open.
September beats June, and it is not close
Ask when to paint a house exterior and most people say early summer. The rain record says otherwise. June is one of the wettest months of the year by number of rainy days: 12.8 in Concord and Manchester. September has about 9.2.
In dry days, September gains 3.6 on June in Manchester, 3.5 in Concord, 2.2 in Portsmouth and 1.7 in Nashua. Daytime temperatures are in the low to mid 70s, which is close to ideal for paint to level.
The catch with painting in the fall is the calendar. Days are shorter and Concord's nights dip just under 50°F, so the crew starts a little later. For anyone asking about painting in the fall, the answer is yes: early fall is the best time to paint a house in New Hampshire if you can get the date.
Check your city and month
Not sure when to paint a house exterior where you live? Pick the nearest city, the month you have in mind and the kind of paint. The planner returns the grade, the averages behind it and what it means for the working day. Then send the request to us, or copy it and use it with any painter. It is the quickest way to check the best time to paint a house in New Hampshire for your own town.
Not near any of the four? Use the closest. Salem, Derry and Londonderry sit between Nashua and Manchester. Towns north of Concord have a shorter season than Concord does.
Going inland costs a month
The New Hampshire paint season is not one season. Concord's average January low is 12.9°F; Manchester's is 17.1°F. That inland chill shows up at both ends of the season. Concord's September nights average 49°F, one degree short of the prime grade, while Manchester, Nashua and Portsmouth all hold above 51°F.
The coast works differently. Portsmouth's summers are the mildest of the four, with an average July high of 80.5°F against 84°F in Manchester and Nashua, and its August has the fewest rainy days of any warm month in the four cities: 8.7. The sea also holds autumn warmth, so October nights there average 40.5°F against 37.8°F in Concord.
So the best time to paint a house in New Hampshire depends on where in the state you are:
- Concord and north: treat mid-June to late August as the core, and May and September as low-temperature-paint months.
- Manchester and Nashua: a true four-month season, with usable shoulders in May and October.
- Portsmouth and the Seacoast: a late, dry finish. August and September are the months to aim for, after a fresh-water rinse to take the salt off.
City pages with local detail: Concord, Manchester, Nashua and Portsmouth.
The best hours, not just the best months
The best time to paint a house in New Hampshire is a month on the calendar and also an hour on the clock. The month sets the odds; the hour decides the result. The exterior paint temperature that counts is the wall's, and a wall in full sun can be far hotter than the air, and a wall in shade on a cool morning can still be wet with dew.
So the crew follows the sun around the house, a step behind it. The east wall is painted once the morning sun has dried it, the south wall around midday, the west wall in the afternoon. In high summer the order flips to stay out of direct sun. In May, September and October, painting stops early enough that the coat is dry to the touch before the evening dew.
A year of painting, planned around the New Hampshire paint season
Knowing the best time to paint a house in New Hampshire is only useful if you book early enough to get it. This is the order we suggest to customers.
- Dec – MarGet the exterior quote. The visit is free and the calendar is open. Do interior painting, ceilings and cabinets now.
- Apr – MayWash, repair and prime as the weather allows. Low-temperature paint makes late May workable almost everywhere.
- Jun – AugPrime season. Whole exteriors, decks and trim. Expect a few rain delays in June.
- Sep – OctThe driest stretch. Finish exteriors in September; in October, shorter days and low-temperature paint.
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What to paint when the season is closed
From November to April the grades say indoors, and that is not wasted time. Rooms, ceilings, trim, doors and kitchen cabinets can all be painted in winter, and a heated house is a steadier place for paint to cure than a July porch. The best time to paint a house in New Hampshire on the inside is, in fact, winter.
We answer calls and texts from 7 AM to 8 PM every day, and paint commercial spaces between 6 PM and 2 AM. For prices, see the NH house painting cost guide. For the rules on hiring, see hiring a painter in NH vs MA. Our New Hampshire painters page lists every town we cover.
Best time to paint a house in New Hampshire: questions
What is the best time to paint a house in New Hampshire?
June through September in Manchester, Nashua and Portsmouth, and June through August in Concord. Those are the months when the average overnight low stays above 50°F in the 1991–2020 climate normals (NOAA). September is the pick of them: it has two to four more dry days than June.
What temperature is too cold for exterior paint?
Most exterior latex needs air and surface temperatures of about 50°F. Low-temperature formulas work down to 35°F. In both cases the surface should stay above the dew point for around 48 hours (Sherwin-Williams). Always read the label of the exact product.
Can you paint a house in October in New Hampshire?
Yes, with a low-temperature paint and a short day. Average October highs are about 60 to 63°F and lows about 38 to 42°F in the four cities, so the work window is roughly late morning to mid-afternoon. In Concord the margin is thinner than on the coast.
Is spring or fall better for exterior painting?
Fall, by the numbers. May and September have similar daytime temperatures, but September has fewer rainy days in all four cities and the wood has had a summer to dry out. Spring is the better time to book, because the good dates go first.
Is it too hot to paint in July?
Rarely in New Hampshire. Average July highs are 80 to 84°F. The crew avoids painting a wall in direct midday sun, because paint that dries too fast does not level or bond as well, and follows the shade around the house instead.
What can be painted in winter?
Everything indoors: rooms, ceilings, trim, cabinets, and commercial interiors. Winter is also when to get an exterior quote, so your dates are held before the season opens.
Where the numbers come from
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information: U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Monthly mean daily maximum, mean daily minimum and days with 0.01 inch or more of precipitation for Concord, Manchester, Nashua and Portsmouth.
- Sherwin-Williams: exterior product application FAQs. Temperature and dew point limits.
Method: a month is graded Prime when its mean daily minimum is at least 50°F; Good when its mean maximum is at least 50°F and its mean minimum at least 35°F; Marginal when only the maximum reaches 50°F; Indoors otherwise. Prime dry days are the dry days in Prime months, rounded. Normals describe a 30-year average, so any single year will differ.
We are painters, not meteorologists. If you spot an error, tell us and we will correct the page. The best time to paint a house in New Hampshire for your own home also depends on shade, exposure and the product, which is what the free visit is for.
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