CyberMuse

How to Price a Wall Mural

2011-01-17T16:25:00.000-06:00

I found this blog post and thought it would be helpful for some. Thank you Maria for letting me repost this.

How to Price a Wall Mural – Developing a Price Sheet and Proposal
by Maria Brophy

In this article I’m going to do something that some of my friends warn me not to because they are so darn practical:

I’m going to tell all. Oh My God, I’m sharing with the entire world our pricing structure for wall murals. (Subject to increase by 10% every year…)

Why would I do something so daring and crazy, you ask? Because that’s what this blog is all about – uniting artists and sharing information so that we all can be successful and live the dream life.

In a second follow-up article, I’m going to give you our “secrets” for making mural clients so happy that they scream from their rooftops “Use this artist for your next project. She’s/He’s the BEST!”

But first, I’ll go over the money part – because for me, money is important. I love to eat good food and travel. And for some strange reason, it costs money to do that.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP A STRUCTURED PRICE SHEET

You should have a detailed mural pricing structure in writing. And if you don’t have one already, you can use mine as a guide.

Determining what to charge for a wall mural can be tricky. But once you get a structure in place, pricing murals will be a smooth process.

This month we have two large murals that Drew has been commissioned to paint. One of the murals is for a new store called Yogurt Wave. We flew mural expert, Katie Staib, down from Spokane Washington to help make it look great.

The owners, Kerry and Tommy, contacted Drew because his fun style attracts young people that are into action sports, which is their target market.

Their first question was “what will it cost to have Drew paint a 46’ foot mural?” In just a few short minutes, I was able to give them a quote thanks to my nicely organized price sheet.

One of the most common challenges for artists is determining what to charge for a project. Developing a structure & system will make it so much easier for you.

Our current system is working well for us and our clients understand it. But there may be alternative ways to do it, so if you know of a better system, please share in the comments! I’m constantly improving upon how I do things.

HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR PRICE SHEET
Photo: Wall Mural by Drew Brophy

Your price sheet should be structured in a way that makes sense and that enables you to easily determine what you will charge based on size of the mural.

We charge approx. $35.00 per square foot with a minimum of 160 square feet. Knowing this makes it easy to establish pricing based on various sizes.

Below is a copy of the price sheet that we give to people prior to a written proposal, to let them know how we price it and what they can expect as well as what we expect from them.

Giving a potential client a price sheet helps to do two things:

1. It weeds out the people who can’t afford you (so you don’t waste your time or theirs); and

2. It demonstrates your professionalism. People tend to feel better about handing you a big check when they think you know what you’re doing.

Keep in mind, our pricing may be considered high by some standards and very low by others. We know of many artists that charge a lot more than we do. And then there are some that are charging half of what we do.

What you charge is relative to your experience, where you are located (some places are cheaper to live than others) and supply and demand of your art.

I hope that by sharing our methods I will save you time and confusion. You are welcome to copy and paste the form below and adjust it accordingly for your own use.

Minimum Price: Murals sized 0 to 160 Square Feet: Price is $5,600
Pricing starts at $35 per square foot and decreases with increased size of mural; at 290 sf price drops to $32/sf – at 500 sf drops to $30/sf – at 900 sf price drops to $28/sf.

(Square Foot is determined by multiplying the height x width of the painting surface)

*Price per square foot may increase if design requested is complex. This will be indicated in price quote and determined at the time that the final sketch is approved.

SAMPLE PRICING, per square foot:

Prices per Unit Size (sample sizes)

DIMENSIONS ²AREA PRICE

Up to 10ft. x 16ft. 160ft. $5,600.00

11ft. x 16ft. 176ft. $6,160.00

12ft. x 20ft. 240ft. $8,400.00

13ft. x 20ft. 260ft. $9,100.00

14ft. x 21ft. 294ft. $9,410.00

15ft. x 23ft. 345ft. $11,040.00

17ft. x 26ft. 442ft. $14,144.00

18ft. x 28ft. 504ft. $15,120.00

19ft. x 30ft. 570ft. $17,100.00

20ft. x 31ft. 620ft. $18,600.00

25ft. x 39ft. 975ft. $27,300.00

28ft. x 44ft. 1232ft. $34,500.00

Non-Refundable Design/Sketch Fee: $500.00 – Includes up to 2 sets of changes by client (Additional sketches charged at $100/sketch)
Pricing includes: Travel within South Orange County, all materials, rental equipment, assistant fees and work to completion.

Pricing does not include: Travel outside of South Orange County, liability insurance or Wall Preparation.

*Additional work due to adverse conditions on surface that requires extraneous labor will be charged extra, by the hour, at a rate of $95.00 / hour, and sometimes cannot be determined until after the job has begun.

PAYMENT TERMS: Design fee of $500 due prior to sketch process. A 50% non-refundable deposit is due two weeks prior to start date of painting (this allows ordering of supplies and scheduling.) Full balance is due on the final day of completion.
PRICE SHEET EXPLANATION

Every detail and *caveat on the price sheet is necessary and came from us learning the hard way. I want to explain each point:
Pricing Structure: I’ve talked to mural artists who charge $40 – $50 a square foot. For us, a starting price of $35 per square foot works, because Drew is extremely efficient and gets a project completed rather quickly.

* You might charge less if you’re new at it or if you live in a low cost-of-living area, or

* You might charge more if you are very experienced or in high demand, or live in a high cost-of-living area (like New York or LA).

Minimum Price: We charge a minimum for small murals under 160 square feet because it’s a lot of work and time to set up at a location. It’s not worth it for us to have Drew go out to paint a small mural and only be paid a couple thousand dollars. You may want to adjust this number up or down, depending upon where you are in your career.
Realistically, for murals smaller than 160 sf, an artist is better off painting an original painting in their studio. It’s easier and doesn’t require travel or set up someplace else.

Often we will suggest an original painting on canvas, instead, to clients who ask for a small mural. The upside for the client is a piece of art that they can remove from the wall if they move, or that they can resell if they want to later.
Non-Refundable Design (Sketch) Fee: Every mural we do is designed on paper first. We offer the client the ability to pay just for the sketches first, because sometimes a client isn’t sure if you can do what it is that they want.
If they don’t like your design or decide not to use your services after all, they only lose $500.00 and you are at least paid for your time to sketch it for them. We don’t sketch out anything without the design fee because it’s a lot of work. Just meeting with the person to discuss what they want can take a couple hours. You want to make sure that you are paid for that time.

Why You Should Limit the Number of Sketches: We have a limit of up to 3 sketches (2 sets of changes) and then charge for each additional sketch beyond that. When you do this, your client will be motivated to be very specific about what they want. If you don’t limit the number of sketches, they will just go on and on with changes. Trust me on this!

Wall Preparation: So far, we’ve never had to charge additional fees for wall prep. We’ve only had brand new walls to paint. But if Drew arrived at a location and the walls were in bad shape, we have this caveat in the price quote so that we can charge extra for getting the wall paint-ready.

Payment Terms: This is very Important! We require 50% of the total amount 2 weeks prior to the scheduled start date. This allows us to block out 5 or more days on the calendar (thus not accepting other projects for those days) and to purchase the necessary materials prior to the painting.

Paying a deposit is also a psychological thing with your client – you want to train them to view you as a professional who expects prompt payment, and they are fully committed when they pay half up front.

If you are just building your portfolio, you may want to only require 30% up front until you’ve become established and you have a good reputation for following through and doing top quality work.

THE BALANCE is due on the last day of the painting. This is because I personally hate chasing money. I want to be paid and done with a job when it’s finished. Also, I have to pay our assistant on that last day as well. And if you know anything about me by reading my posts, you know that I got out of the Art Banking business years ago!
PROPOSAL PROCESS
When we get a call from someone interested in a mural painting, our process is:

1.) E-mail them the pricing sheet above. This is so that from the very beginning, your client knows your general pricing and they can determine if it’s in their price range.

2.) Gather details about the mural, such as: Height and Width of the proposed mural, physical location, the shape that the wall is in, and what design they want. (I ask the client for this – we rarely go out to see the mural space until after we know it’s a “go”.)

3.) Based on the information provided above, then I’ll write up and e-mail a written proposal. (See sample proposal at bottom of post)

Throughout the process I will verbally clarify, up front, how we work (meaning our payment policies). I’ll usually say: “We will begin the sketch process once you pay your $500 fee. The fee includes up to 3 sketches, so please be as specific as you can about what you want. A 50% deposit is due 2 weeks before the painting begins. The mural will take approximately 5 days (or however many). We plan to work from 9-5 daily. Your final payment is due on the day it’s finished.”

Being clear and direct helps to prevent misunderstandings later. I don’t like surprises, especially when it comes to money. That’s why I’m so specific in both my written agreements and my verbal discussions with clients. Everything goes better that way, and clients appreciate knowing what to expect.

GIVING A DEAL/PRICE BREAK

Your client may ask for a deal on price. Sometimes it’s reasonable to give a small discount or freebie to a returning client.

For new clients: If it seems like it’ll be a less complicated design, sometimes I’ll offer to deduct their $500 sketch fee from the total of the mural price. Basically I’m waiving the sketch fee, but I still require a payment of $500 prior to the sketch process. (Read How to Never Get Ripped off Again to see why I require this).

You could also offer to lower the per-square-foot fee if the mural is going to be very simple and easy, say, like a basic design. On the other hand, if the design they want is extremely detailed, you should consider increasing the per square foot fee.

ONCE THE SKETCH PROCESS IS COMPLETE

After we get the sketch drawn out, and the client is ready to move forward, we ask for 50% down and we schedule the dates that the painting will take place.

Typically Drew can get a mural completed in 5-7 days. Using a system of gridlines and efficiency, along with the help of an assistant, most murals, even very large ones, can be completed in that time frame.

In the end, the most important thing is to make sure that your client is extremely happy with your work. Stay tuned for my next article on how to make your client so pleased, that they are screaming your name from their rooftops!

SAMPLE WALL MURAL PROPOSAL:

Artist Wall Mural Painting Proposal – SHANTI’S COSTA MESA

Date: May 29, 2010 – Proposal valid for 30 days

FOR: Shanti’s (Client) Contact Name: _________________ Phone: _________________

Billing Address:______________________________________________

Description: Client wishes to enhance their space with original artwork in the form of a mural and enhancements by Drew Brophy (Artist)

Price Breakdown:

Designs by Artist in sketch form / includes up to 2 changes to sketch $500 (add’l sketches $100 each)

Wall Mural sized 323 Square Feet / Surface is Ready-to-Paint $10,330

Price Includes: Paint Materials and Scaffolding / Expense of an assistant required to help with the painting

Price does not include: Unforeseen Complex painting design / design changes, Liability insurance, Unforeseen additional work due to adverse conditions on surface that may require extraneous labor.

PRICE/TERMS: $10,830 Deposit of $5,418 required *DEPOSIT MUST BE PAID 14 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF SCHEDULED WORK*

Full balance of $5,418 due on the day of completion. Checks should be made out to Son of the Sea, Inc. PO Box 836 San Clemente, Ca 92674.

Copyright: All copyrights to the artwork remain in the ownership of Artist

By signing below, we state that we agree to the terms set forth in this document:

FOR ARTIST: FOR COMPANY:

AUTHORIZED BY: Artists Name Here AUTHORIZED BY:

SIGNATURE:______________ SIGNATURE:_________________

I hope this has been helpful to you. If it has been helpful, please let me know in the comments below. (Or share your suggestions on how to make the mural pricing process better). Because of my freakish nature of ruminating over every little detail, it takes me hours to write these articles, and if I know that I’m helping people, I will keep on doing it!

Luv, Maria xxoo

Maria Brophy, CEO

Son of the Sea, Inc.

949-678-8133

Get your head out of the clouds!

2010-09-30T19:18:00.000-05:00

Now is the time for decorative painters to be marketing more than ever. With the economy up and down, well mostly down, you need to start thinking about how to get creative and get jobs coming in.

Add to your services...

Do you offer cabinet refinishing? How about floors or counter tops? Just because you don't have as many jobs coming in, don't slack off taking classes. Remember classes are tax deductible and you need to stay ahead of your competition and fresh for your clients.

Something else about classes. It is great to get a refresher or update class from someone locally, but for a full class I suggest going somewhere outside your area. You can't be fresh if you are offering the same finishes your competition are offering.

How about something Off the Wall as I like to call it. These are services not typically offered by decorative painters, but which are now getting very popular. Decorative mirrors, canvas art, light fixtures, these all fall into this category and can give you some very nice extra income.

Get your website up to date or if you don't have one, get one. If you prefer an inexpensive way of having a place to showcase your work, then get a blog. With all the great templates out there now, you can have a very appealing blog with a gallery for it.

Get creative with your marketing. You only get one first impression, so make the most of it. Eye catching business cards are a great way to make a lasting impression.

Two rules for success: 1. Don't tell all you know

2010-09-30T18:38:00.000-05:00

Marketing, business and promotional services for art related businesses including artists, schools, events and product dealers.

Tips for an artist's website

2010-02-23T06:23:00.001-06:00

The rules for a successful website has always been to keep it simple, keep it fast, and keep it organized. Content should be straightforward and provide content that will keep visitors on the site once they are on there. With so many great website add-ons and gadgets it is easy to get carried away and break these rules. I know this from my own experience as well as from others.

You want to make sure that first time visitors to an artists website quickly knows who the artist is, what they are selling and what the art looks like. You also want to make sure that you have easy to find contact information. You should have both a contact form and also your email address available and the address should be available on every page. All too often in the world of cyber space the form malfunctions and if this happens you could go a long time without even knowing it.

Here are some things you can do and things you can avoid in an artists website to get yourself a great online presence.

Avoid free web hosting and sub domains. The majority of free web hosting and sites offer really ugly templates and plaster your site with obnoxious advertising that make your visitors retreat in horror. Remember you are selling your art. Putting photos of your beautiful art on an ugly site is like putting filet mignon in a Big Mac box.

Only use good (scratch that), great photos of your work. I am so guilty of using crappy photos! I was a great photographer with my old film camera, but have not yet mastered taking great photos with my digital camera. Nothing looks worse on an artists website than bad photos. Even if you only have a few good quality photos on your site, that is a lot better than a hundred bad ones. If you have to, hire a pro to take some photos for you. Heck offer them a barter!

Check your website on other browsers. This is something that is oftentimes overlooked. You spend a lot of time making a great looking site, but then hear from your buddy that when they visited the site it was all distorted. Be sure to check your site in Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer and any others out there. You should also check it out in different screen resolutions. All computers are not created equal!

Don’t use a bunch of fancy gadgets. Flash and other web site gadgets can look really cool (or can be very annoying), but not everyone can view them. In fact estimates say that up to 75% of users do have a flash plug-in, but most are outdated.

Keep images under 100k. You really want a snooze fest? Go on a site that has HUGE photos that you have to watch s l o w l y trying to open. Not everyone has a high speed connection and even if they do, obnoxiously large photos still take time to open and most people won’t wait.

Avoid a lot of text. Keep your text to a minimum and be concise. A lot of text can be boring and if people really want to read more, then they can click Read more. Also, be sure to use lots of relevant keywords in your text.

Forget the music. I, like countless others, do not have exceptional computer speakers. So getting on a website with some cheesy music is like nails on a chalkboard and a quick retreat off the website.

Seo - Search Engine Optimization This is where a lot of people have trouble. How do you get your site found? There are many different tricks and tips for this, the first being, what you read today may not apply in 6 months! The SEO "rules" change all the time. For instance when I made my first website in 1998, you added every single keyword you could think of. We are talking hundreds! Today, you need to limit the amount of keywords around 20. Some places like Google will actually penalize you if you have more.

You should have your email address itself on your site, not just a form. Something like kbdesigns at gmail.com is a great way to make people physically type in your address and cut down on spam. Make sure your contact information is not only on your "contact" page, but also in the footer of your website. Have you ever gone to click on someone's contact page or filled out their contact form only to be greeted with an ERROR message? This is very frustrating, especially if there is no phone number to be found! It could be months before the site owner even checks out their own site and realizes their link doesn't work. I did a class on website optimization last year and this is one thing I stressed more than anything.

Along with filling out your sites keywords, you should also have a meta tag desciption and title for your site. Sounds a little silly about the title, but you would be surprised how many people don't add this. You should also follow your title with a brief tagline. For instance, KB Designs, decorative faux painting Minnesota. Take note of your keywords that you are using words that they are the most relevant to what your site is about and include these words in the content of your page body. You should also keep your most relevant words in the upper half of your home page.