Mural Pricing in the San Francisco Bay Area

While mural pricing can vary in the San Francisco Bay Area, there is a general price range that bay area mural artists typically fall into which is $20 - $50 per square foot. Pricing can vary based on experience, the less experienced mural artist may range between $10 - $20 per square foot. If you are on a budget, hiring a less experienced muralist can be a mutually beneficial exchange since artists need to build their portfolios and show that they are able to work on a large scale.

Generally, the per square foot cost is most dependent on the mural design (font work and exacting imagery is priced higher as it takes more labor hours to execute), while the overall cost of the mural is most dependent on the size of the commission.

Mural Design

Typically at California Mural Art our murals are created with aerosol and if the mural does not require detailed brush work, fonts or exacting imagery, the mural pricing falls within $20-$30 per square foot range. Complexity comes with very fine details requiring a lot of hand painting with brushes. Most large scale pieces are actually visually striking without using finer complex details and we can work with clients on creating a design this way to fit your budget.

The basic design cost is packaged with the cost of the mural. When you sign an artist agreement and are committed to working with me, the design time is included in the overall project cost which includes 2-3 sketch rounds. Once the sketch idea is approved by the client, the artist provides a mock-up with color. This is not a full rendering nor is it a painting. If the client requires a full rendering, there is an added cost of design time charged by the hour.

Mural Size

The complexity of design and mural size are usually the two largest factors of the commission that effect price. The larger the mural, the higher the cost of the mural as pricing is based on per square feet. For example, if you have an exterior wall that is 10ft high by 20ft long and you are looking for a basic design in all aerosol, you would calculate 10x20 = 200 x $20 for a total of $4000. Don't forget that if you live in a state that charges sales tax on mural commissions, (like WA state) that will be added to the total. This does not apply to California and Oregon.

Equipment & Location

Additional costs of equipment rental would be added into the quote based on the size of the mural. We have experience creating murals both with scissor lifts and scaffolding. If either of these are required for the mural, the cost is a transparent pass through to the client, no additional fees are added. Murals in the Greater Seattle Area or San Francisco Bay Area will not include any extra travel fees. Anything outside of these areas usually include minimal travel fees within the continental US.

Working within the Clients Budget

We have a passion for the work that we do and love working with clients on ways to stay within a client’s budget. For instance if you have a large wall, but a small budget, we can work with you on designing elements that will not fill the whole wall, but will make it look full through design elements and large graphic shapes using all aerosol. Let us help you find a solution that works!

In order to get the most accurate estimate on your commission, please include the following information:

What size is the wall? And how much of the wall do you envision being covered by the mural or painting?
Will the wall require a scissor lift/scaffolding to reach?
Is this an exterior or interior wall? If interior, is there ventilation and can we use aerosol?
What is the wall made of? (concrete, drywall, stucco, etc)
Do you have design idea examples to share?
Is the wall paint ready or will it need to be prepped?
Where is the wall located?
Please email photos of the wall along or architectural renderings (if under construction).

For a free cost estimate, please call or text 916-550-3466 or email john@californiamuralart.com with the above information along with any creative ideas you have for your custom commission.. California Mural Art services all of the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond including the greater Los Angeles, San Diego areas and entire West Coast.