Pricing
Every mural or painting is unique and there are many elements that effect pricing. Therefore, there are many ways to customize a project to suit a clients vision as well as his or her budgetary concerns. Because I do many different kinds of work, it’s not really possible to give ballpark estimates until I learn more about an individual project. I welcome any inquiries and am happy to answer any questions you may have. Initial consultations are free of charge and I always give a set bid before any final work begins. My goal is to provide every client with very best quality work possible within their budgetary parameters.
Some of the things that I take into consideration when pricing a project are…
Size
This is pretty self-explanitory. The more expansive a mural of any given style is, the more expensive it will be.
Accessibility
I must take into account how logisticly difficult executing a mural will be. Some work sites offer more challenges than others. I will consider how far I need to haul equipment from a parking area and whether there is access to water, adequate lighting, temperature control and bathroom facilities on site. Working on ceilings and/or high spaces that require scaffolding, working around built-in cabinets, fixtures, stairs or other obstacles adds to the physical difficulty of a project and requires more time.
Technical Difficulty
Some subjects like portraits, realistic machinery or buildings are technically demanding and require a high level of skill while other imagery is much easier to render.
Detail
Quite often the overall cost of a mural can be adjusted by changing the level of detail within a given area. The intricacy of a mural can range widely from sparse to complex. The two examples below have similar subject matter and style of painting and they cover about the same area, but the one on the left is less detailed and therefore less expensive.
Method
There are many different methods of painting that can be employed to achieve the style a client is looking for. Every method has its benefits and its limitations and each method may require different tools and/or supplies that can affect the cost of the project. Paint can be applied with anything from a 12” roller to a 000 detail brush.
Styles can range from strictly measured and precise to loose and organic.
Other methods may include some faux finish techniques, airbrushing or drawing with chalk pastel or some combination of these. I try to employ the most effective means to produce the most desirable ends.
Preliminary Work
When it comes to preliminary work I like to keep things simple. Depending on the project and the clients’ needs, I may do color sketches, textural samples or a scale drawing of the room in question with elements of the proposed mural drawn in place. If we’re going for realism I may do a photo montage or whatever it takes to help a client visualize the finished space and to nail down the variables that determine price.
Usually this first stage of drawings (perhaps with a few amendments) is sufficient and this work is included with the mural bid.
Occasionally a project requires a lot more work up front. This may include a lot of reasearch, full color layouts or highly specific drawings. In those instances we begin, as we would for any project, with a primary drawing. Once pricing and general design are agreed upon I require a design fee in order to complete the remainder of the necessary preliminary work.
Possible Additional Costs
I give a set bid in advance for every project I do. Once work begins the only thing that will change that bid is if the client changes or adds to the project. I firmly believe in no surprises. Listed below are some expenses that are not included in the project bid. I will always discuss any and all of these potential expenses up front.
In order to begin a mural project I require a clean work surface that is properly base coated. If necessary, I can do the base coating and prep work but this would be billed separately from the mural bid.
Prep Work
Because I typically use such small amounts of a wide variety of paint and materials I almost always include all materials in a mural bid. The exceptions to this general rule are when I need to use a substantial quantity of a given product specifically for the project in question; for instance when doing a large scale mural that requires a lot of particular paint colors in quarts or gallons, or when a project calls for specialty tools or top coats or a lot of drawing enlargements, etc.
Material Cost
Occasionally a project requires the rental of specialty scaffolding or a scissor lift if I cannot safely access the work area with the equipment that I have. The cost of this rental is incurred by the client directly.
Equipment Rental
If necessary, these expenses must be agreed upon and paid weekly in advance.