Charging by the Square Foot Based on Your Hourly Rate
The biggest problems mural artists encounter is setting a price and sticking to it. However, if you undervalue your work, then so will your customers. There is no universal rule that artist must starve. If you are afraid to charge what you are worth, then you should reconsider being a mural artist because it is hard physical work and lack sufficient pay will burn you out quickly.Pay per hour:
You need to know what you want to make an hour. A new muralist who is a decent painter should start at approximately $30.00 and hour. After a couple years experience, your hourly rate should be up to at least $50.00 an hour. Experienced and confident mural artist make upwards of $100.00 an hour. Yes, as a professional artist, you are worth just as much as your plumber or dentist, if not a lot more. Personally, I charge higher for in home murals and a lot less for murals on canvas done in my home studio. The reason I drop my price for canvas murals is that I PREFER doing them in private, and then having them installed over painting the murals on site.
The problem with asking for hourly pay:
The problem with requesting hourly pay may turn clients off because they have no idea how long you will take to paint the mural. You can give a maximum and minimum price set in stone to calm their fears. If you can give references who will say that you stick to your quotes, then you can gain your customers confidence. Another option is to translate your hourly rate into a square foot price.
Transferring your hourly rate into a square foot price.
To transfer your desired hourly rate into a square foot price, you need to be able to determine how long it will take you to complete the mural, based on the size and amount of detail the customer desires. Here is an example of my rates for murals done in the home.
Low detail mural $10.00 per square foot
Medium detail mural $15.00 per square foot
Highly detailed mural $20.00 per square foot.
These stated prices should be attached to photos of what you, the artist, consider a low, medium, and highly detailed mural.
- Experienced muralists make should be charging prices comparable to this International mural price chart
Comments
Mural job on the wall
(Guest)
(Guest)
10/04/2009
Im looking for some artist who might do some mural job for me. have to move my restaurant to another location, but im struggled with money now. If some artist want to have free exhibit with his signature on it. Let discuss. I was thinking of something tuscany.....im in NY-Brooklyn. ana73pl@yahoo.com
Chris Frosztega
(Guest)
(Guest)
01/15/2009
It is only with experience that one can develop a per square foot based on hourly rate model.
Great post, I agree that per square foot pricing is more transparent to the customer.
Kellea
(Guest)
(Guest)
07/05/2008
How much should I charge for faux finishing cabinets?
Christopher
(Guest)
(Guest)
04/28/2008
Thank you for the breakdown and clear direction on ataining a reasonable means of pricing my work. I always struggled with pricing, and now you have given me confidence to assume a proper pricing arrangement. Again, Thanks!
KELVIN
(Guest)
(Guest)
02/14/2008
I was looking for a simple pricing system...BANG!!!!......you hit it right on, the low to high detail was a great help.Thanks a lot!!
Sarah
(Guest)
(Guest)
04/23/2007
This is perfect... thanks so much! I am so much more confident with the idea of telling someone a square footage price than an hourly rate and you break it all down so simply, ceilings, ladders and all!
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