How to price a mural job?
Business · Pricing · Client Meetings
Pricing makes most artists nervous. It shouldn't. Be direct, know your costs, and don't waste anyone's time — including yours. Here's how I do it.
The Real-World Example
I'm currently in Birmingham doing a five-wall job. It started at £6,000. Then the client needed wall prep done — I offered to handle it and added a grand. Then logistics got complicated near the deadline, so I renegotiated to £7,500 all-in: I sort the hotel, transport, everything. They said yes, sent the deposit, and we moved on. Simple.
That only works if you know your numbers going in. Here's the checklist I run through every time.
The Pricing Checklist
01Location. Local job? Factor in travel time only. Out of town? Add petrol, parking, or train. Abroad? Flights, taxis, and excess baggage all go on the quote. If you're leaving at 5am to beat traffic, that time costs something too.
02Size of the wall. Get a photo — clients have no sense of scale. What they call "big" is often 5 metres wide, which is normal for us. Measure in metres, not vibes.
03Level of detail. A complex portrait takes three times as long as a two-tone graphic. Price accordingly.
04Materials. Emulsion, eggshell, spray cans, airbrush paints, lacquers, masking tape, dust sheets — cost it all out. Know what you're using before you quote.
05Working conditions. Indoors or outdoors? Day or night? (This job I have to spray at night because the office is occupied during the day.) Are there people around? Height involved — scaffold, cherry picker, ladder?
06Hotel & food. If you're away overnight, this goes in the quote. Keep all receipts — in the UK these are claimable expenses on your tax return.
07Usage rights. If it's a big commercial campaign and a million people will see the work, charge accordingly. This is separate from your day rate.
Quick Example Breakdown
Walls in , Birmingham, commercial client:
Base rate for artwork: £6,000 → Wall prep added: +£1,000 → Logistics renegotiated all-in: £7,500
Hotel and transport included in the lump sum. Client gets simplicity; I control my costs.
"Get a photo of the wall. Always. Clients have no idea what big means."
Before You Go: Find the Nearest Suppliers
Before heading to any job, know where the nearest B&Q, Screwfix, or art supply shop is. You will always need something you didn't plan for. Having that backup sorted before you arrive saves time and stress on the day.
Practice the Meeting First
Sounds silly, but it works — get a friend or family member to play client. Have them point at a wall and tell you what they want. Practice asking the right questions, working out the scope, and naming a price out loud. You'll iron out the awkwardness before it costs you a real job.
Be direct in meetings. Clients respect it. You don't want to be the artist who hums and haws and says "I'll get back to you" on everything — it signals that you don't know what you're doing.
You won't land every job you quote. That's fine. The goal is to spend as little time as possible on quotes that go nowhere, so keep your process tight and move on.
