While selecting a commercial painter is difficult, determining how much commercial painting costs is the real challenge for property owners. Material costs, total square footage, spraying equipment required, and the experience of the painting contractors will all influence how much paint is used and, ultimately, the cost of painting your building. Knowing these factors will assist you in planning and budgeting for your upcoming painting project. Let’s take a look at painter’s rates, how contractors arrive at estimates, and what to expect from a commercial painting contractor.
Average commercial painting cost
Commercial painters can charge per hour or per square foot. Here’s what the costs look like for both:
Cost per hour to paint a commercial building
For commercial painting projects in Chicago, the going rate for labor is between $55 and $65 per hour. That is the amount you will be charged by a safety-certified and professional commercial painting company with experienced painters. Because of their knowledge and training, the experts can work with a variety of painting materials and tools, as well as employ industry-approved techniques, regardless of the structure.
Cost per square foot
While many factors influence the final cost of a commercial painting project, the size of the surface area, which is typically square feet, plays a significant role. Commercial painting services for buildings and facilities in Chicago cost around $0.70 cents per square foot for interior painting and $0.65 cents per square foot for exterior painting. This price is based on two coats of wall paint for walls in good condition or that do not require prior repairs.
What factors determine the commercial painting cost?
The cost of commercial painting will vary depending on the project and the location. Ask around and even request quotes from various commercial painting companies in Chicago, and you will notice that no two quotes are the same. So, what’s the deal?
There are a few factors that influence how much painting costs per square foot. When looking for a commercial painter, the following factors will undoubtedly influence the final quote.
Hours to complete the project
It’s difficult to predict how long the commercial painting project will last. The painters, on the other hand, can provide you with a reasonable estimate after performing an initial inspection of your building. Small painting jobs, such as repainting a few offices and a hallway, may require at most two painters. A large commercial building will take longer to paint, especially if hoists and spray equipment are used.
When you hire a professional to handle your painting projects, you will notice a significant difference between what they can do and what you can do yourself. And, while labor is one of the more expensive components of the overall cost, it is well worth it.
Remember that professional commercial painters are talented, precise, and work quickly. Furthermore, they can cover more ground in an hour, typically 200 square feet. Labor costs per day range from $55 to $65 per hour. When you convert this to square footage, the undercoat layer costs $0.27 to $0.32 per foot. Commercial buildings require at least two coats, raising the per-square-foot cost to between $0.54 and $0.64.
The commercial painter will do some preliminary work before beginning work. Common tasks include scraping, cleaning, calling, and priming. All of this work can add another 2-3 hours to the labor cost. Not to mention that professional painters arrive fully equipped with painting tools and equipment to use on your commercial property. Some painters include these in the price of the painting.
For example:
A 2,500-square-foot painting project requires between 24 and 27 hours of labor, according to your commercial painting company. Based on the rates listed above, you should expect to pay between $1,340 and $1,600 for the commercial painting job.
Surface area
The total area to be painted is frequently measured in square feet by commercial painters. The total surface area in square feet is calculated using a simple formula: length multiplied by width. Surface areas that do not require painting, such as windows, will also be removed by the painter.
For example:
You have a 20-foot-tall by 30-foot-long commercial space. Because there are four walls, the painting crew must cover a total of 3,200 square feet (20x40x4 feet). The space does, however, have four 4 x 6 windows. That’s 96 square feet of the unpainted surface. As a result, the commercial painting contractor will cover a total area of 3104 square feet.
Type and amount of paint
The cost of painting your commercial building is ultimately determined by the paint you choose and the amount of paint you use in gallons. Communication between the painting crew and the client is critical in this situation. It is critical to define the parameters. For example, does the painting project include painting the ceilings as well as the walls? Is the trim going to be a different color than the walls?
Commercial painters can calculate how much paint is needed for your building by crunching all of the numbers and factors related to the surface area. A similar equation will be used if the ceilings are painted. It will, however, be length x width. As an example, a 50-foot-long, 30-foot-wide ceiling will require enough paint to cover 240 square feet of surface. Your painter will know exactly how much paint you’ll need for your ceiling.
A gallon of paint will typically cover approximately 300 square feet of space. Expect to pay $25 to $50 per gallon for professional-grade paint. When everything is taken into account, you can expect to pay between $0.09 and $0.16 per square foot of painted surface.
For example:
Assume your Chicago commercial building has 2,000 square feet of surface area that needs to be painted. The painter will need approximately eight gallons of paint, which will cost between $200 and $400.
Condition of building
Commercial painting may appear to be simple, but it can be costly when dealing with an old building. Painters will include minor crack and nail head repairs in their estimates. Significant prep work, such as sealing large costs and repairing warped drywall, will raise labor costs, causing you to pay more.
The type of wall also matters. Painting flat walls are simple. Textured walls, on the other hand, may necessitate multiple coats of paint. You may also have to pay the professional painting company more if their painters are required to move furniture or equipment in order to access the wall.
Time of day and week
The day and week that our commercial painters work can also have an impact on the final cost. Labor costs will rise if the work is required outside of business hours. Skilled commercial painters can expect to earn $90 per hour. If your building remains open during the painting process, the painting contractor’s schedule must be adjusted to avoid business disruption and hazards that could endanger employees and clients.
Job complexity
Commercial painting jobs are not all the same. Simple jobs will not require a lot of time or resources. A commercial painter may delegate some of the work to others. However, if the painter needs to use special safety equipment to paint your commercial building, expect the costs to rise. A commercial painting contractor will need more skills and labor to complete a more complex painting job. Contact a commercial painter in your area and have them inspect your building to provide you with an accurate cost estimate.
Quality of paint
This is an obvious choice. Higher quality paint is usually more expensive than standard or ordinary paint. Expect to pay $50 to $75 per gallon if you use professional-grade and high-quality paint.
Hire the Best Commercial Painter in Chicago
True, there are many talented painters in Chicago. But the big question is, how much does it cost to paint a commercial building from top to bottom? There’s no guarantee you’ll get stunning results from those who charge top dollar but expect subpar work from those who charge a bottom dollar. Don’t put your project in the hands of inexperienced painters with no track record.
Contact Ohio Painting for prompt and professional commercial painting services. We have years of experience as a top commercial painter. We are meticulous in our work and provide accurate estimates to our customers. Before we begin your painting project, we will survey the building to determine the exact square footage and any complexities, such as out-of-reach areas or areas in need of repair. Our commercial painters are friendly and helpful, and they will gladly answer any questions you may have. Call (937) 409-4443 today for a free and accurate estimate.
