This is the question that beginners ask the most, and yet it is the hardest question to answer.
There are a lot of things to consider, such as: job type (mural, faux finish, etc.
) the time you will spend on the job, material costs, job location (cost of living in your area), travel expenses, and business expenses.
I am going to go ahead and break them all down for you, one by one.
From there, you will need to come up with your own charging price.
If you are a beginner, you should start lower on the price scale and then work your way up, as you gain experience with painting.
Job Type: Every job is different.
There are many different faux finishes ranging in skill level.
There are also many different types of murals, ranging from a simple cartoon outline mural, to a very detailed trompe l'oeil.
The harder jobs will take more time and you may need more materials.
When pricing a job, try to find out the budget of your client.
Give them a few different price options, so you are not stuck painting a very detailed painting when they would've been happy with less detail, for less money.
Time: This goes along with what type of job you will be doing.
Each different job will take a different amount of time.
You may need to come up with an hourly rate and then multiply it with how long you think it may take.
I always add a few hours in case of mess-ups or mistakes - which do happen.
Do not tell your client what your hourly rate is.
You don't want them blurting it out to all their friends and neighbors - then you are stuck charging that price.
Maybe start at $20 per hour, get a few jobs to build some experience, build up your picture portfolio and then add $5 an hour every few months or so.
Material Costs: When you do your pricing, be sure to minus your materials costs.
You may want to come up with a materials sheet, so you remember everything you are going to need on a job.
If you are not sure of the materials cost when meeting with a client, then let them know you will get back with them to give them the final price.
You might be able to give them an estimated price, but let them know that it is not the final price.
The cost of paint goes up all the time and you have to make sure of these costs from your local paint dealer.
If you are using your own paints and materials left over from another job - be sure to charge for those materials.
Do not tell your clients how you charge, just tell them what the final price will be.
It is none of their business how you decide to run your business.
Job Location: The cost of living is different in different states and even counties within the same state.
A good way to tell the cost of living in your area is to check out the average price of a home.
For instance in the Carolinas, a 3 bedroom new home may go for $250,000, but here in NY the average 3 bedroom home can cost over $600,000.
So I can obviously charge much more per hour than I would be able to in the Carolinas.
Travel Expenses: This includes things like gas mileage.
The price of gas goes up every month, and even week in some areas.
Make sure you are adding this in!! Business Expenses - As you get established, you will start to have monthly business expenses for things like: insurance, marketing, advertising, website, etc.
All of this should be considered when you are pricing a job.
Average out what your expenses are and then add that to the final price of the job.
These are a few beginner tips for pricing a mural or faux finishing job.
It will get easier as you familiarize yourself with each job and how long it will take.
You can then be more confident in how you charge.