What goes into the pricing of a custom painted wall mural?
When pricing a custom painted mural, several factors come into consideration. I need to know the size, level of detail and complexity of subject matter. Once this information is received, I estimate how long it will take to finish (days and hours) and compare the project to similar sized projects that have been completed. This is a check and balance system that I use for accuracy in pricing. Finally, the cost of supplies and any prep work such as research and sketch time is calculated. The estimate shows a breakdown according to sections of the room or parts of the mural.
When I talk about size, I mean the total square footage that the design will occupy. For example: the project is “A Jungle Mural” on a 10’x12’ wall. I would need to know if the customer requests a full background to be included or just several animals painted directly on the wall without a painted sky or background of tree canopy. As you can see, there is quite a bit of flexibility for every project and every budget. I have painted princess castles ranging in size from 3’ to 6’. The larger size would, of course, cost more.
The second element of pricing is “level of detail”. For example: A 4’ mural of a detailed village with buildings, scenery, fountains, people, etc.. would take more time to complete than a mural of the same size showing simple flat-colored, black outlined characters. Realistic renderings are usually higher in price than clip-art or graphic art styles. Any work that requires many hours of research and conceptualization beyond a quick rendering will also add to the final cost. This is described as “complexity of subject matter”. If you are unclear on what you want, most likely there will be some extra time involved on my end to work out several comps. Most of my comps are created in Adobe Photoshop for easy editing.
The cost of acrylic paints is included in estimate but not listed. I will list any custom latex colors that need to be purchased. Travel time is included in my estimate. I do not charge for first appointments or for early concepts/Photoshop comps. Once general concept and pricing is agreed upon, I will require 20% deposit before finalizing details of job. This may require many edits and time at home preparing job, printing reference materials and purchasing paints. If the mural is covering a large area, there will be additional “sketch” and “prep” time added to the estimate above the time it takes to paint it. What about base painting the room? (You may be asking)… I am a mural painter, not a faux finisher or house painter, but if the project requires the room to get a fresh coat of paint before I begin, I can do that for an additional fee or recommend someone to help you.
The value that I add to every job is not only measured in time but in years of experience and training. I have worked in the graphic arts field for 15 years and the mural painting business for 15 years. I built this business from the ground up, learned from my mistakes, and I take pride in the level of quality and customer satisfaction that Walls of Wonder has based it’s reputation on. I hope this blog is helpful. The more information you can give me at the start of a project, the better equipped I am to give an accurate estimate. If you already have a set budget, I can tell you what I can give you for that price. I am easy to work with and enjoy hearing your ideas!