What Do Painting Contractors Charge Per Sq Ft? Regional Benchmarks and Cost Factors Explained
Commercial painting quotes can feel opaque until you break them down to the square foot. Once you do, patterns emerge. You see how prep, substrate, coatings, access, and safety shape the final number. You also see where a small change in scope saves thousands without hurting durability or appearance.
This guide translates contractor pricing into clear, defensible ranges. It draws on local job data, vendor pricing in Edmonton, AB, and hands-on experience estimating retail, office, warehouse, hospitality, and strata projects across the city. If you manage facilities or plan a repaint, use this as a reference and sanity check. If you need a fast, site-specific number, our team at Depend Exteriors can survey your building and provide a firm quote the same week.
The short answer: typical per-square-foot ranges in Edmonton
Commercial painting in Edmonton usually falls within these ranges for straightforward, occupied spaces with standard prep and lift access included. These ranges reflect wall surface area pricing, not floor area.
- Interior walls, office and retail: 1.25 to 2.50 CAD per sq ft of wall surface for two coats of low-VOC acrylic.
- Interior ceilings, open structure warehouses: 2.50 to 4.50 CAD per sq ft for dryfall acrylic or alkyd, depending on height and overspray control.
- Exterior stucco or EIFS: 2.00 to 4.00 CAD per sq ft for acrylic elastomeric or high-build coating, with hairline crack repair.
- Exterior concrete or CMU: 2.25 to 4.50 CAD per sq ft, factoring block filler if needed.
- Exterior metal siding: 3.50 to 6.00 CAD per sq ft for DTM systems, often lift-intensive.
- Doors, frames, railings, and other trim: 85 to 250 CAD per opening or piece, based on condition and finish level.
These are benchmarks. Your number moves up or down with height, substrate condition, access, coating selection, and schedule. A clean, 10-foot office repaint in Downtown or Garneau scopes differently than a 28-foot warehouse ceiling in Nisku. A windy elevation in Windermere with limited staging raises access costs. A night shift in West Edmonton Mall demands containment and security coordination that a daytime suburban office does not.
How contractors calculate square footage the same way, mostly
Estimators in Edmonton tend to follow a similar method:
- Measure paintable surface area. For interiors, that means wall length times height, minus large openings. Some contractors keep it simple and apply a door/window deduction factor. Ceilings are measured as floor plan area.
- Determine substrate and prep. Stucco, drywall, CMU, steel, wood, and aluminum take different systems and labour.
- Select a coating system and coverage rate. Two coats are standard. Block filler, primers, stain blockers, and elastomerics change coverage and time.
- Assign production rates. Labour hours per 100 sq ft vary by substrate and height. A 14-foot wall with baseboards and door frames is slower than a 10-foot blank corridor wall.
- Add access and protection. Lifts, scaffolding, masking, dust control, and overspray protection are real cost centers.
- Factor mobilization, supervision, warranty, and overhead.
Those steps feed a per-square-foot figure that reads clean on a proposal. The per-square-foot number is an average across surfaces that may vary in difficulty. When you compare quotes, check that the scope matches on these points. It prevents confusion later.
Edmonton-specific pressures on price
Local context matters. Edmonton’s climate, bylaws, and building mix create recurring cost patterns.
- Weather window and cure times. Exterior work runs from late May through September most years, with shoulder-season exceptions. Cold nights slow cure. Contractors plan for shorter productive days and more weather holds than in milder cities. That stretches schedules and raises labour carry.
- UV, freeze-thaw, and wind. South and west elevations chalk and fade faster. EIFS and stucco collect hairline cracks. Elastomeric topcoats are common and require heavier application rates, which raises material cost per square foot.
- Access and safety. Many sites need articulated lifts due to landscaping berms and snow storage zones near façades. Setbacks across places like Summerside and Terwillegar often demand longer-reach lifts. Lift rental and delivery add line items that translate back into your per-square-foot rate.
- Occupied spaces. Edmonton’s office and healthcare corridors often run daytime traffic. Phased work, infection control compliance in clinics, and protection add hours. Night work carries shift premiums.
- Supply lines. Most commercial-grade coatings are available in Edmonton with one to three business days lead time. Specialty tints and elastomerics may need a week. Rush orders can carry freight fees.
Breaking down the cost drivers that move the needle
Square-foot pricing is a blend of five main forces. Understanding each one helps explain why two similar buildings end up with different rates.
Surface condition and prep: The first hour decides the last. Clean, sound surfaces coat fast. Chalky stucco, oil-contaminated siding near loading docks, or nicotine-stained office ceilings demand extra steps. Pressure wash, degrease, patch, sand, and prime all add time and material. Block filler on CMU alone can add 0.75 to 1.25 CAD per sq ft before topcoats.
Height and access: Production slows as height increases. Work at 20 to 30 feet needs lifts or scaffold, fall protection, and more careful staging. Expect a 15 to 40 percent premium from 12 feet to 28 feet. Unusual geometry, canopies, or signage that limit reach add to setup times.
Coating system: Product choice changes price. A standard acrylic eggshell for offices costs less and spreads faster than an industrial DTM system for steel siding. Elastomeric on EIFS uses more material per square foot. Two-component epoxies and urethanes push costs higher due to pot life and PPE requirements.
Schedule constraints: Nights, weekends, or compressed timelines raise cost. Edmonton’s larger sites sometimes require phased turnovers to align with tenant schedules. That means more mobilizations, more masking cycles, and a higher effective rate.
Quantity and continuity: Larger, uninterrupted areas paint faster. A 60,000 sq ft warehouse interior might land at the low end of a range. A 4,000 sq ft dental clinic with many rooms, doors, and finishes lands at the higher end due to starts and stops.
Interior commercial pricing: offices, retail, clinics, and schools
For most interior commercial repaint projects in Edmonton, the wall surface rate sits between 1.25 and 2.50 CAD per sq ft for two coats of low-VOC acrylic, including patching minor dings, caulking small gaps, and masking flooring and fixtures.
What bumps it up: heavy patching, re-texture, smoke or grease remediation, high-contrast colour changes, or many colours. What brings it down: open areas with consistent colour and easy access.
Ceilings split into two categories:
- Drywall ceilings at 8 to 12 feet: 1.00 to 1.75 CAD per sq ft when clean and previously painted.
- Open structure ceilings at 14 to 28 feet: 2.50 to 4.50 CAD per sq ft using dryfall coatings to control overspray. Black-out or white-out projects over offices or retail aisles require full protection of contents, which increases labour.
Doors, frames, and millwork often price per unit. A hollow metal door and frame can run 120 to 200 CAD depending on condition and colour shift. Wood doors with clear finishes cost more due to prep and cure time.
If you manage properties near Whyte Avenue, you might face older plaster repairs and lead-safe protocols. In new towers downtown, expect stricter security, loading dock booking, and elevator schedules that add handling time. In industrial nodes like Northwest or Strathcona County, overhead doors and safety line painting add scope items that are usually priced separately.
Exterior commercial pricing: stucco, EIFS, CMU, and metal
Exteriors in Edmonton require planning around wind, temperature, and UV exposure. Good prep and the right coating system make the difference between a repaint that lasts three years and one that lasts seven to ten.
Stucco and EIFS: Plan for 2.00 to 4.00 CAD per sq ft for an acrylic or elastomeric https://dependexteriors.com/our-services/commercial-painting/ system. Hairline cracks need caulk or patching. Heavier cracks may require base coat and mesh. Elastomeric helps bridge hairline movement due to freeze-thaw cycles. Deep texture increases material usage.
CMU and concrete: 2.25 to 4.50 CAD per sq ft. The top end applies when block filler is required for porous CMU, especially on older walls that never had filler. Newer, sealed block can fall closer to the low end.
Metal siding and trims: 3.50 to 6.00 CAD per sq ft due to surface prep, adhesion critical primers for aged factory finishes, and the higher cost of DTM coatings. Access around dock doors, parapets, and architectural fins can add time.
Wood elements: Costs vary widely based on condition. Sound, previously painted wood siding can sit around 3.00 to 5.00 CAD per sq ft. Flaking, water-damaged sections add carpentry time before paint.
In windy pockets like Ambleside or the Anthony Henday corridors, overspray control can push the method from airless spray to back-rolling or even full roller application on certain days. That guards vehicles and landscaping but lowers daily production, raising the effective rate.
Material choices that affect both cost and lifespan
You pay for coatings twice. First at purchase. Then over years, when early failure forces another repaint. Saving twenty cents per square foot today can cost dollars per square foot in five years.
Here is how common choices shift cost and results:
- Low-VOC acrylic for interiors: Edmonton offices typically use eggshell or matte. It balances scrub resistance and touch-up. Pricing is friendly, and labour is fast. Good for corridors, offices, and retail.
- Scuff-resistant interior coatings: Slightly higher per gallon, but hallways, clinics, and schools gain longer intervals between full repaints. The per-square-foot cost rises by about 0.10 to 0.25 CAD, but the life cycle looks better.
- Elastomeric for stucco/EIFS: Higher build, higher material usage. It handles hairline cracks from thermal movement. Expect an increase of 0.50 to 1.00 CAD per sq ft over standard acrylic.
- DTM systems for metal: Adhesion to chalked or aged factory finishes is the risk. Proper primers and topcoats improve longevity. Material price is higher. Skipping prep here is a false economy.
- Dryfall for open ceilings: It drops overspray into sweepable dust. It protects retail fixtures and production lines. It costs more per gallon than standard acrylic and requires careful spray practice.
If you are unsure, ask for a base spec and an alternate. On many projects, a small bump in material cost extends the maintenance cycle by several years.
The Edmonton climate clock: planning the exterior window
Exterior season happens fast. Nights dip below 10°C even in late August some years. Many acrylics want substrate temperatures above 10°C and a rising pattern for several hours. Dew in the morning and wind in the afternoon pinch the productive window. Scheduling across May to September is a dance among sun angles, tenant hours, and lift logistics. If your building sits in a shade pocket near the river valley, start earlier in the day on east elevations and stage west elevations for the afternoon.
For budget planning, secure quotes by March or April. Book your slot by late spring. If you wait into July, your window narrows and you risk rolling into September when nights cool. That pressure can force weekend work or more staging to chase sun, which nudges per-square-foot costs up.
Case snapshots from around the city
Downtown office refresh, 18,000 sq ft of wall area: Two colours, light patching, 10-foot walls, daytime access with protection and phasing by floor. Final rate: 1.55 CAD per sq ft for walls; 1.20 CAD per sq ft for drywall ceilings.
South Edmonton retail box, open ceiling repaint, 22-foot clear height: Night work, full protection over aisles, dryfall black. Final rate: 3.85 CAD per sq ft ceiling area due to height, masking, and clean-up.
Northwest industrial exterior, CMU with aged paint: Power wash, block filler on weathered faces, acrylic topcoat. Final rate: 3.60 CAD per sq ft average across elevations. Lift rental and delivery added about 0.35 CAD per sq ft when allocated.
Windermere office park, EIFS façades with hairline cracking: Elastomeric two-coat system, sealant repair at control joints, articulated lift for landscaping setbacks. Final rate: 3.90 CAD per sq ft.
These jobs track with the ranges above and show how access, schedule, and substrate converge on the final number.
How to read quotes like a pro
A clear scope saves money and stress. Ask for these items in every proposal:
- Defined surfaces and measured square footage per surface type.
- Coating system by brand line, primer and topcoat, number of coats, and sheen.
- Surface prep steps: washing method, patching level, sealants, primers, and special treatments like block filler.
- Access plan: lifts, scaffolds, interior protection, containment, hours of work, and safety compliance.
- Warranty: years, what is covered, what is excluded, and maintenance expectations.
With this information, a lower number will stand out as a scope gap instead of a bargain. It also helps you defend your budget to stakeholders.
Ways to keep costs in check without cutting quality
You can make smart choices that hold the rate while keeping a durable result.
Consolidate colours. Each colour adds setup and touch-up runs. Fewer colours mean faster production and cleaner transitions.
Sequence work to reduce mobilizations. Group areas by access and elevation. If a lift is on site for south walls, complete all south-facing elements before moving.
Approve a practical sheen. In offices, eggshell on walls and flat on ceilings balance appearance and maintenance. Avoid ultra-flat in high-traffic corridors where marks stand out.
Fix building defects first. Leaks, failed sealants, and loose substrate will ruin fresh paint. Quick repairs upstream reduce rework and callbacks.
Plan during low occupancy. For retail and healthcare, set painting blocks during slow periods to avoid premium hours and heavy protection.
Why per-square-foot pricing can mislead without context
A single rate for an entire project looks clean, but it averages different tasks. Here are common traps:
- Ceiling heights vary across areas, but the quote uses one rate. The true cost differs by zone.
- CMU walls are mixed with drywall, but the rate does not reflect block filler in older sections.
- Night work applies to only part of the building. A blended rate can hide a surcharge you could avoid with adjusted scheduling.
- Exclusions on sealants or carpentry do not show in the per-square-foot number. They surface later as change orders.
Ask for a scope line-up by area and substrate. It allows better decisions, and it often reveals ways to phase or adjust the spec to meet budget without sacrificing the result.
Commercial painting Edmonton: what to expect from Depend Exteriors
Local crews, local suppliers, and clear communication keep projects on track. Our estimators walk your site, check moisture at suspect areas, and probe peeling sections to verify adhesion. We measure actual paintable square footage and break out surfaces by type. We source coatings from Edmonton suppliers like Sherwin-Williams Commercial, Dulux, Cloverdale, and PPG, so products and tints are available on schedule.
For commercial painting Edmonton projects, we focus on:
- Safety and access planning that fits your site, including lift selection, fall protection, and containment.
- Surface prep that matches substrate condition, from low-pressure washing to block filler and rust treatment.
- Coating systems that suit the use case, whether that is a clinic corridor that needs scuff resistance or a warehouse ceiling that needs dryfall.
- Phasing plans that limit disruption, coordinate with tenants, and maintain egress.
You get a proposal that lists square footage by surface, coating systems, production schedule, and warranty terms in plain language.
Frequently asked: quick, honest answers
Do painters charge by floor square footage or wall square footage? Commercial painters usually price by wall and ceiling surface area. Some early budget numbers use floor area as a proxy, then convert to wall area based on wall height and layout factor. Final quotes should show actual paintable area.
How many coats are standard? Two topcoats are standard over a compatible, sound surface. Primer is added when colour change is extreme, stains bleed, or substrate requires it.
What if I only need touch-ups? Touch-ups in high-traffic areas can look patchy, especially with dark colours or eggshell sheens. You may need to repaint full wall sections to match. A site visit helps confirm.
How long does exterior paint last in Edmonton? On stucco or EIFS with an elastomeric system, expect 7 to 10 years under normal exposure. On metal or CMU with proper prep and products, 5 to 8 years is typical. South and west exposures wear faster.
When should I book? For exterior, aim to confirm by late spring. For interior, plan 2 to 4 weeks ahead to align materials, crew, and tenant schedules. Rush slots sometimes exist, but they carry constraints.
A simple budgeting framework you can use now
If you need a fast, defensible budget without a site visit, try this method:
- Interiors, office or retail, 10-foot walls, light patching, two coats: use 1.60 CAD per sq ft of wall area and 1.20 CAD per sq ft of drywall ceiling.
- Open ceilings at 18 to 24 feet with dryfall: use 3.25 CAD per sq ft of ceiling area.
- Stucco or EIFS exterior with minor cracks: use 3.20 CAD per sq ft.
- CMU exterior with block filler: use 3.75 CAD per sq ft.
- Add 15 to 30 percent if night work, tight access, or many colours.
- Add lift rental if heights exceed ladder work. For mid-size sites, spread 1,800 to 3,200 CAD in lift costs across the measured exterior area.
This puts you within striking distance of a formal quote. Once you have a layout, we can refine it into a firm number with a real schedule.
Red flags that signal a shaky paint job
Be cautious if a quote:
- Ignores washing, sanding, or priming on aged exterior surfaces.
- Omits block filler for porous CMU that shows pinholing.
- Fails to specify product lines and number of coats.
- Lists a single rate for all areas despite obvious height or substrate changes.
- Offers a long warranty without surface prep detail.
Low first cost loses its shine if paint fails early. Good prep and the right system cost less than redoing a façade two years sooner than planned.
How we help Edmonton property managers stay on budget
We start with a walk-through and a simple matrix: surfaces, square footage, prep level, product, and schedule window. We flag areas where a modest spec change preserves the look and lengthens repaint cycles. We align with your tenant hours. We provide a Gantt-style schedule so you can plan with security and cleaning teams. We keep site notes and photos so future touch-ups and repaints are faster and consistent.
For multi-building campuses in areas like Ellerslie or St. Albert, we phase façades over seasons to spread cost while keeping curb appeal steady across the portfolio. For strata properties, we join AGM meetings to explain the scope and answer owner questions in plain terms.
Ready for a clear, local number?
If you manage a property in Edmonton and want a line-by-line quote that makes sense, we can meet on-site, measure accurately, and confirm substrate condition. You will see the per-square-foot numbers for each surface and the exact steps we take before paint goes on. Call Depend Exteriors or request a site visit online. We schedule most surveys within a few days and deliver a written proposal with fixed pricing and a start date. Whether you need an interior refresh in Oliver or a full exterior repaint in Summerside, we can help you plan the work and keep it on budget.
Commercial painting Edmonton is about the right spec, careful prep, and timing the work to our climate. Get those pieces right, and the per-square-foot number will take care of itself with a finish that holds up to our seasons.
Depend Exteriors provides commercial and residential stucco services in Edmonton, AB. Our team handles stucco repair, stucco replacement, and masonry repair for homes and businesses across the city and surrounding areas. We work on exterior surfaces to restore appearance, improve durability, and protect buildings from the elements. Our services cover projects of all sizes with reliable workmanship and clear communication from start to finish. If you need Edmonton stucco repair or masonry work, Depend Exteriors is ready to help.