How Much Do Painters Charge In Edmonton?
Pricing a paint job in Edmonton is more than a square-foot formula. Materials, building condition, access, colour changes, and schedule pressures all move the number. If you own or manage a commercial space, you want a clear range, what drives it up or down, and what a fair quote looks like in Edmonton, AB. You also want to compare a commercial painting company Edmonton property managers trust against a handyman bid or a national chain. That is what this guide covers, with real numbers and local context.
The quick answer: typical price ranges in Edmonton
For most Edmonton properties, expect the following ballpark figures before site specifics:
- Interior commercial repaint: $2.50 to $5.50 per square foot of painted area, including labour and standard materials.
- Retail or office tenant improvement with colour change and patching: $3.50 to $6.50 per square foot.
- High-traffic facilities like schools, gyms, or healthcare: $4.00 to $8.00 per square foot, due to coatings and prep.
- Exterior commercial repaint (stucco, concrete, block): $1.80 to $4.50 per square foot of wall surface.
- Exterior metal siding or corrugated steel: $2.50 to $6.00 per square foot, depending on rust treatment and access.
- Small commercial unit refresh (under 1,200 sq. ft.): $3,000 to $7,500 total, project minimums often apply.
- Hourly labour for small service calls or maintenance: $65 to $95 per hour per painter, plus materials.
These ranges assume standard prep, mid-grade commercial coatings, and normal access. Night shifts, union sites, or swing stage work will sit above the midpoint. New-build projects with bare walls and easy access may fall toward the lower end.
Why Edmonton paint pricing looks the way it does
Paint is local. Our climate swings, our construction mix, and our labour market set the curve.
Edmonton winters push exterior work into a short season, so exterior crews book up from late May through September. Stucco and masonry dominate many commercial façades across neighbourhoods like Strathcona, Downtown, and Westmount, and those substrates need different primers and elastomeric or high-build products to handle freeze-thaw cycles. On interiors, you will see a lot of Level 4 drywall in offices and Level 5 in medical or Class A space along Jasper Avenue and in ICE District. That finish level drives the prep and the price.
Commercial properties also carry stricter schedules. You might shut down a retail bay in South Edmonton Common for two nights, or you might need low-odour, low-VOC coatings for a clinic in Terwillegar. Those choices affect productivity, cure times, and labour shifts.
What shapes your quote: the cost drivers that matter
Square footage sets the stage, but the following have the biggest impact on your final number.
Surface condition and prep. Fresh drywall in a new tenant build-out is faster than a repaint with dings, failed tape joints, or nicotine staining. Deep patching, skim-coating, stain blocking, or lead-safe work increases labour. In older buildings off Whyte Avenue, we often discover hairline stucco cracks or chalking that demand power washing and elastomeric primers.
Coating system and sheen. A basic two-coat eggshell system is cheaper than a scuff-resistant acrylic for corridors, an epoxy for back-of-house floors, or a urethane for metal doors and frames. Higher sheens show more flaws and require tighter prep.
Colour and coverage. A sharp colour change, such as dark to light, often needs a prime plus two topcoats, sometimes three, to avoid flashing. Accent walls in bold colours can require a gray-tinted primer. Expect additional material and time.
Access and height. Twenty-four-foot ceilings, stairwells, escalator voids, and atriums need lifts or scaffolds. In Downtown towers and in large warehouses in the Northwest Industrial area, access planning adds cost for equipment, spotters, and safety.
Occupied vs. vacant space. Working around staff, merchandise, or patients slows production. Overnight or weekend work costs more due to premiums and smaller crews. Vacant shells or full shutdowns move faster.
Protection and cleanup. Masking sensitive equipment, covering stock, or building containment around food prep areas takes time. Healthcare and labs in Edmonton’s University and Kingsway districts often require specific infection control protocols.
Permits and building rules. Some properties require security escorts, background checks, or strict loading dock windows. Time lost in elevators and freight scheduling shows up in labour hours.
Seasonal conditions. Exterior projects hinge on temperature, humidity, and wind. Spring and fall shoulder seasons require longer cure times and careful product selection. Winter interiors are steady, but snow and salt mean more floor protection and cleanup.
Interior commercial painting: real figures from Edmonton jobs
A standard office repaint in an occupied space in West Edmonton, about 8,000 square feet of wall area with 9-foot ceilings, neutral colour, light patching, and two coats of a low-odour acrylic typically lands between $24,000 and $36,000. That includes minor drywall repairs, caulking, masking, labour, and materials.
A medical clinic in Windermere, same wall area but with Level 5 drywall, scuff-resistant coatings in hallways, and strict daytime odour limits, often comes in closer to $32,000 to $44,000. Higher-grade coatings cost more and extend dry times, which lengthens the schedule.
For common areas and stairwells in a multi-tenant building near Bonnie Doon, with 20-foot ceilings and railings, add lift rental and working-at-height safety time. A 5,000-square-foot repaint can range from $18,000 to $30,000, depending on colour change and metal prep.
If you are planning a tenant improvement in the Brewery District with new drywall, the price can dip toward $2.50 to $3.25 per square foot of painted area because prep is minimal and spaces are still empty.
Exterior commercial painting: Edmonton-specific realities
Edmonton exteriors need coatings that flex and breathe. Stucco and acrylic EIFS systems move with freeze-thaw cycles. We often recommend breathable elastomeric topcoats for hairline crack bridging. Expect $2.50 to $4.50 per square foot for stucco when washing, minor crack repairs, and two coats are included.
Concrete block walls cost less when sound, about $1.80 to $3.50 per square foot, but heavy efflorescence or chalking pushes you toward masonry primers and extra washing time. Corrugated metal often needs rust conversion, spot-priming, and a urethane acrylic topcoat to stand up to UV and snow load runoff. That sits in the $3.50 to $6.00 per square foot range, particularly if lifts or swing stages are required.
Timing matters. Exterior season compresses in Edmonton. Booking early gives you better dates and pricing. Emergency summer schedules or tight turnarounds add premiums, especially if we bring in extra crews to meet a grand opening in Summerside or a rebrand on Calgary Trail.
Materials: what contractors pay and what you should expect on your invoice
For mid-grade commercial acrylics from reputable brands commonly used in Edmonton, five-gallon pails range from $150 to $300. Elastomerics run $220 to $380 per pail. High-solids epoxies can exceed $400, plus activators. Primer selection matters: masonry primers are usually $140 to $220 per five gallons, stain blockers and bonding primers can be higher.
Most commercial painting company Edmonton clients work with will include materials in the quoted price, but your proposal should still name the product line and sheen. Ask to see the data sheets. This avoids bait-and-switch with lower-grade paints that burnish, chalk early, or fail under cleaning.
Labour: production rates you can sense-check
In empty office shells, a two-person crew can often produce 1,200 to 1,800 square feet of wall paint per day at a two-coat system. In occupied spaces, that falls to 700 to 1,000. High walls, heavy masking, and frequent colour changes reduce output. Stairwells or feature ceilings may drop to 300 to 600 per day due to set-up and access.
These are averages. Good foremen build the day around drying windows and have rolling and cutting working in sync. If a bid suggests 3,000 square feet per Depend Exteriors painter per day in an occupied clinic with strict schedules, be cautious. The gap will show up mid-project as change orders or rushed finishes.
Project minimums and why they exist
Mobilizing a professional crew has a cost. Site visit, colour consultation, product pickup, masking, and cleanup make small jobs inefficient. For that reason, most established contractors set minimums in the $1,200 to $2,500 range for small interior work and $2,500 to $4,000 for exteriors. If you have a one-room repaint in a retail bay off 124 Street, combine it with door and frame refreshes or back-of-house touch-ups to make the visit worthwhile and to secure better value.
How Edmonton’s climate and building stock affect prep
On exteriors, we deal with chalky stucco and hairline cracks. Proper prep includes pressure washing, allowing enough dry time, priming chalky surfaces, and using elastomerics where needed. Skipping primer leads to premature peeling. Freeze-thaw demands flexible systems. South-facing walls take a UV beating; we often specify higher-grade topcoats there.
For interiors, winter dryness makes static dust a problem, so cleaning between coats matters. Snow and salt mean extra floor protection, especially in the entry areas of shopping centres in Mill Woods and Capilano. Mechanical rooms and loading docks show abrasion and chemicals. Epoxy or polyaspartic systems hold up, but they require precise prep and controlled temperatures.
Comparing bids: apples to apples
You will likely see two or three quotes for the same project. Price deltas can be significant. Look for these points to make a fair comparison:
Scope line items. Do all quotes include the same walls, doors, frames, ceilings, and baseboards? Are accent colours counted? Are stair stringers and railings included?
Prep detail. Does the price include patching, caulking, priming of patched areas, and stain blocking? Is Level 5 skim-coat specified where needed?
Product names and sheens. You should see brand, line, and sheen on the proposal. “Commercial-grade paint” tells you nothing about durability or washability.
Coat counts. Prime plus two is different from two self-priming coats, especially over colour changes. Coverage and opacity vary by brand and colour.
Access equipment. Are lifts, scaffolds, or swing stages included, and for how long? Who pays for extra rental if the schedule shifts?
Scheduling. Is night or weekend work priced in? What are the overtime rates if you need to compress the timeline?
Warranty. A one-year labour-and-material warranty is standard. Two years on exteriors is common when prep and product grade are solid. Warranties should be in writing.
If a bid is far lower than the others, it usually omits prep, downgrades product, or assumes an unrealistic production rate. Those savings reappear later as touch-ups, callbacks, or earlier repaints.
What a professional process looks like
A reputable commercial painting company in Edmonton will start with a site visit. We measure, ask about your operating hours, look at traffic patterns, and test for chalking or adhesion. We then write a clear scope: surfaces, prep, products, coat counts, and schedule.
On site, you should see proper masking, dust control, and floor protection. Crews should label colours by room or zone, keep lids and data sheets on hand, and maintain a clean staging area. Daily check-ins matter. If a conference room needs to be back online by noon, the foreman plans around it. At the end, a joint walkthrough and a punch list ensure you get the finish you paid for.
Budgeting by building type: Edmonton examples
Office and co-working spaces in Downtown, Oliver, and ICE District. Expect clean drywall, many doors and frames, and durable finishes in corridors. Budget $2.75 to $5.00 per square foot of painted area for a typical refresh, more for higher sheen and Level 5 work.
Retail bays in South Edmonton Common, 17th Street, and Mayfield. Shelving and fixtures slow masking and cut-ins. After-hours work is common. Budgets land around $3.50 to $6.00 per square foot depending on colour branding and access.
Industrial and warehouses in Northwest and Southeast Industrial. Tall walls, exposed steel, and block. Access equipment and floor coatings push budgets to $2.25 to $4.50 per square foot for walls, with floor epoxy systems priced separately per square foot of floor.
Healthcare and dental clinics in Terwillegar, Windermere, and near the University. Low-odour products, strict cleanliness, and higher-finish walls. Plan on $4.00 to $8.00 per square foot of painted area.
Education and recreation facilities in Mill Woods and Castle Downs. Scuff-resistant coatings, gym lines, and high ceilings. The range runs $3.50 to $7.00 per square foot, depending on ceilings and specialty products.
Where the money goes: a transparent cost breakdown
On a typical interior commercial repaint priced at $100, materials account for $20 to $35, labour for $55 to $70, equipment and overhead for $10 to $20, and profit for $5 to $15. Labour is the swing factor. Anything that slows production increases cost. That is why a clean, empty space with easy staging always prices better than a live environment with tight hours.
How to save without hurting quality
Paint fewer colours. Every extra colour adds setup, labelling, and partial cans that go unused. Keep accent walls to feature areas and choose mid-tone neutrals with strong hide.
Plan your schedule. A single mobilization beats multiple starts and stops. If you can give full access for consecutive days, crews move faster and charge less.
Fix drywall before painting. If your building needs extensive skim-coating, do it ahead with a drywall crew or budget for it fully. Half-measures lead to visible seams under higher sheens.
Choose the right sheen. In corridors and back-of-house, a scrubbable eggshell or low-sheen satin withstands cleaning. Using flat to save a few dollars is false economy.
Book early for exteriors. Lock in summer dates in spring. Rush premiums and equipment shortages cost more in July.
What about residential? Typical Edmonton homeowner numbers
While this article focuses on commercial work, many property managers also handle residential units. For a standard Edmonton home interior repaint, walls only, 1,800 to 2,200 square feet of living space, typical costs land between $3,000 and $6,500 with mid-grade paint, more if ceilings, trim, and doors are included. Trim and doors can add $2 to $4 per linear foot for trim and $90 to $180 per door and frame, depending on condition.
Red flags that raise total cost later
Vague scopes such as “paint all areas as needed” hide change orders. A promise to “use high-quality paint” without brand and line often means a lower-grade product will be used. Quotes that lack preparation details usually assume painting over defects. Lastly, extremely low per-square-foot pricing on complex sites suggests the contractor is banking on limited access to skip proper coats.
Warranty and maintenance in Edmonton conditions
Expect at least a one-year warranty on labour and materials. For exteriors, two years is common when elastomeric or quality acrylic systems are used and substrate repairs are completed. Maintenance matters: light washing of exterior walls every one to two years reduces dirt bonding and prolongs coatings. Interior high-touch areas like corridors and reception desks benefit from annual touch-ups, which cost far less than full repaints and keep your space presentable for tenants and customers.
Insurance, safety, and compliance
Professional firms in Edmonton carry WCB coverage and at least $2 million in liability insurance, often $5 million for larger sites. Ask for certificates. Crews should be trained for aerial work platforms where applicable. Larger downtown buildings may require site-specific safety orientations. You should not see painters on makeshift ladders reaching over stairs or working without fall protection where it is required. Safe sites produce better work and fewer delays.
How Depend Exteriors estimates your project
We start with a walk-through. We measure walls and ceilings, note substrate conditions, look at traffic patterns, and ask about open hours. We test adhesion where we suspect previous coating failure. You receive a written scope that names prep tasks, products by brand and sheen, coat counts, and a schedule that respects your operations.
For a typical 6,000-square-foot office refresh in Edmonton, your quote will break out walls, ceilings, doors and frames, and any specialty areas. We price night work if needed and include lifts where heights demand them. If we can save you money by grouping work areas or adjusting colour choices for better coverage, we will show you those options upfront.
We operate across Edmonton, including Downtown, Oliver, Glenora, Strathcona, Mill Woods, Terwillegar, Windermere, and the Northwest and Southeast Industrial areas. If you need a commercial painting company Edmonton property managers recommend for clear scopes and tidy sites, we would like to earn your business.
Frequently asked questions from Edmonton clients
How many coats do I need on a colour change? Over strong colours, expect a dedicated primer and two finish coats. Some deep tones may need a third coat for uniformity. We test a small section to confirm coverage before committing.
Can you work after hours to avoid downtime? Yes. Night and weekend shifts are common for retail and office spaces. There is a labour premium, but the productivity gain often offsets it because crews have full access.
Which brand do you use? We specify well-known commercial lines with strong washability and consistent hide. We select products based on substrate and building use, and we list them on your proposal so you know exactly what is going on your walls.
Do you repair drywall and stucco? We handle typical commercial patching and hairline stucco crack repairs. For large-scale substrate repairs, we bring in specialized trades and coordinate the schedule so paint follows at the right time.
How soon can you start? Interior projects can often start within two to three weeks, faster for small service calls. Exterior season books fast; calling in early spring helps secure prime dates.
A realistic example: breaking down a mid-size office repaint
A 7,500-square-foot office in Westmount requests a refresh. Wall area measured at 9,800 square feet. Surfaces include drywall walls, acoustic tile ceilings left untouched, and 24 hollow metal doors with frames. The client wants a light neutral with one deep accent colour in reception, plus a scrubbable finish for corridors. Occupied space, night work, five consecutive nights.
Prep includes light patching, sanding, and spot-priming patched areas. Two coats on walls, scuff-resistant acrylic in corridors, standard acrylic elsewhere. Doors and frames receive a degrease, sand, bonding primer, and two coats of waterborne alkyd.
Labour estimate is 8 painter nights at an average of 4 painters, given access and masking. Material includes 20 to 25 gallons of wall paint, 8 gallons of corridor coating, 6 gallons for doors and frames, primers as needed, tape, plastic, and sundries. Lift not required. Total price: $32,000 to $38,000 plus GST, depending on final colour coverage and number of door frames added during walkthrough. This aligns with the ranges above and shows how schedule and scope shape the number.
Ready to price your space?
If you manage a retail unit in South Edmonton, a clinic in Windermere, or an office downtown, you can get a clear, line-by-line estimate in a single site visit. Depend Exteriors quotes are detailed and predictable, and our crews are tidy, respectful, and on schedule. Tell us your address, hours of operation, and a rough scope. We will meet you on site, confirm measurements, and email a firm price with product data sheets attached.
Call Depend Exteriors or request a visit through our contact form. If you prefer, send floor plans and photos from your phone. We will reply the same business day and hold a slot that fits your timeline. For a commercial painting company Edmonton businesses trust with repeat work, we are ready to help you plan, price, and complete your next project.
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.