How Much to Charge for a Mural: Pricing Guide for Artists
A step-by-step way to price a mural: your day rate, materials, access, design fee and a minimum. Worked example, pricing worksheet and how to present the quote
Short answer: work out what the job costs you – your days on the wall at your day rate, plus materials, access equipment, travel and design time – add a margin for the unexpected, and check the result against a minimum fee and the going rate per square foot in your market. Then present it as a clear proposal with a deposit and staged payments.
Most underpriced murals aren't underpriced because the rate was too low. They're underpriced because the quote left something out: the lift rental, the second coat on a thirsty brick wall, the three rounds of design revisions, the drive.
Start with your day rate
A per-square-foot price is what clients compare. A day rate is what keeps you in business. Set the day rate first, then translate it.
Your day rate has to cover more than the hours you paint: prep and cleanup, admin, client calls, unpaid days between jobs, insurance, tools wearing out. Two muralists on Thumbtack publish theirs – about $325 a day including materials, and about $600 a day. Use published rates as a sanity check, not as your number.
Rule of thumb: if a job takes four days on the wall, it takes you at least five – count the day of prep, buying materials and travel.
The formula
Price every mural the same way and quotes stop being guesswork.
Production = days on the wall × your day rate
Design = design hours × your hourly rate (or a fixed design fee). Include a set number of revision rounds – two is a sensible default – and price extra rounds separately
Materials = paint, primer, sealant, brushes or cans, tape, drop cloths. Use the Paint Calculator for paint quantities by area and colour
Access and travel = ladder, scaffold tower or lift rental, plus travel and accommodation if the wall isn't local
Contingency = 10–15% on top of 1–4 for the wall that turns out worse than the photos
Quote = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5, and never below your minimum fee.
Then divide the total by the wall area. That's your effective price per square foot (or square metre) – the number you check against the market.
Worked example
Hypothetical inputs – replace them with your own.
An exterior wall, 20 × 10 ft (200 sq ft, about 18.6 m²), moderate detail, one storey, local.
Line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Production | 4 days × $450 | $1,800 |
Design | 8 hours × $60, two revision rounds | $480 |
Materials | exterior paint, primer, UV sealant | $400 |
Access | scaffold tower, 1 week | $250 |
Subtotal | $2,930 | |
Contingency | 10% | $293 |
Quote | $3,223 |
Effective rate: $3,223 ÷ 200 sq ft ≈ $16 per sq ft (about $173 per m²).
Now check it against the market. Most professional murals are priced at $10–$50 per sq ft (see the published numbers). $16 sits at the lower end for an exterior wall. If your portfolio is strong, the formula tells you where your floor is – not that you have to stay on it.
Set a minimum fee
Small walls are where muralists lose money. A 4 × 6 ft wall still needs a site visit, a design, a materials run, setup and cleanup. Published muralist minimums on Thumbtack range from about $555 to $3,800 per project.
Pick yours by asking: what's the least I'd accept for one day plus everything around it? Put it in writing on your website and in every quote.
What moves the price up
Adjust the formula, not your gut feeling, when the job includes:
Height. Above one storey: lift or scaffold, safety time, sometimes a second person.
Surface. Brick, stucco and raw concrete drink paint and need more prep.
Detail. Photorealism, portraits and lettering take far more hours per square foot than flat shapes.
Outdoor conditions. Weather days, exterior-grade paint, protective coating.
Deadline. A rush job means turning down other work – charge for it.
Commercial use. A brand using your mural in its marketing is buying more than a wall. Price usage rights separately from the painting.
How to present the price
The same number feels different depending on how you show it.
Itemise. Design, production, materials, access – clients accept a total more easily when they see what's inside it.
Show the area and the rate. "200 sq ft at $16/sq ft" answers the comparison question before the client asks it.
Ask for a deposit. A deposit on signing covers materials and protects your calendar. A common structure is 30% on signing, 30% midway, 40% on completion.
Set a validity date. Paint prices and your schedule change; a quote valid for 30 days keeps both under control.
Get it signed. A quote becomes an agreement when both sides sign it. For large projects, add a separate written contract.
Turn this into a proposal in minutes. Mural Quote takes your wall size, price per sq ft or m² or a fixed price, tax, timeline and a 30 / 30 / 40 payment plan, and gives you a clean one-page PDF with your logo. Create a mural quote – free
FAQ
How much should I charge for a mural as a beginner? Calculate the job with the formula above using a modest day rate, and don't go below the cost of your materials, access and a minimum fee. Low rates are fine while you build a portfolio; working at a loss isn't.
Should I charge per square foot or per day? Calculate in days, present in square feet or square metres. Days keep your income safe; area makes your quote easy to compare.
Do I charge separately for the design? Many muralists do, especially for original artwork. If the client brings their own design, you charge for production only.
How much deposit should I ask for a mural? Enough to cover materials and secure your dates – often around 30% on signing, with the rest in stages.
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