How Much Do Painters Charge In Edmonton?
If you manage a building in Edmonton, you already know paint is more than colour. It signals care to tenants, draws foot traffic to retail, https://dependexteriors.com/our-services/commercial-painting/ and shields your asset from freeze-thaw cycles, UV, and moisture. Pricing, though, can feel opaque. One contractor quotes by square foot. Another quotes by hour. A third has line items you have never seen before. This guide breaks down real numbers, what drives them up or down in Edmonton, and how to plan a commercial painting budget that holds up during bidding and execution.
You will see common price ranges for commercial interiors and exteriors, what to expect from paint systems in our climate, and where you can save without paying twice. If you want project-specific numbers for your property in Downtown Edmonton, Whyte Ave, Ellerslie, or St. Albert, our team at Depend Exteriors can visit, measure, and quote with clear inclusions.
Typical price ranges for commercial painting in Edmonton
Every building is different, but patterns exist. The ranges below reflect current market conditions in Edmonton and nearby areas like Sherwood Park, St. Albert, and Spruce Grove. They assume professional prep, commercial-grade coatings, and safety-compliant setups.
Interior commercial spaces:
- Open office or retail with standard height (8 to 10 feet): 1.50 to 3.50 CAD per square foot of paintable wall area. Glass-heavy designs, heavy furniture, or high-traffic hours push to the upper end due to masking and off-hour labour.
- Corridors, stairwells, and lobbies: 2.50 to 4.50 CAD per square foot. These areas need higher-durability coatings and more cutting-in around doors, rails, and signage.
- Exposed structure or warehouse interiors: 1.20 to 2.75 CAD per square foot of surface area when spraying open joists and deck. Add for corrosion treatment if steel shows rust.
- Ceilings: 1.50 to 3.00 CAD per square foot for acoustic tile recoat or drywall ceilings up to 12 feet. Higher or open-deck ceilings with mechanicals visible often run 3.00 to 6.00 CAD due to lift time and masking.
- Doors, frames, and trim: 85 to 225 CAD per door set depending on existing coating, condition, and whether metal requires bonding primer.
Exterior commercial work in Edmonton:
- Standard low-rise facade (stucco, EIFS, masonry paint system): 1.80 to 4.50 CAD per square foot of wall surface. Texture, cracks, and access complexity drive variance.
- Metal siding or ACM panels: 2.50 to 5.00 CAD per square foot with a matching system to the substrate. Expect higher prep where chalking or oxidation is present.
- Repaints for concrete parkades: 2.00 to 4.00 CAD per square foot for walls and ceilings, plus 2.50 to 5.00 CAD per linear metre for lines, arrows, and stencils.
- Tilt-up concrete or block walls: 2.00 to 4.00 CAD per square foot, including crack routing and elastomeric where needed to manage moisture.
- Logo/sign band repaint: 12 to 25 CAD per linear foot depending on band height, reach, and colour change.
Hourly rates in the Edmonton area for commercial painting crews usually land between 55 and 95 CAD per hour per painter, depending on scope, experience, and union or non-union status. Lifts and swing stages bill as separate line items when needed.
Factors that drive cost up or down in Edmonton
Season and temperature. Our winters narrow the window for exterior projects. Cold weather coatings exist, but cure windows lengthen, which stretches labour. Spring and late summer are busy. If your project allows a shoulder-season schedule with enclosed heat or interior focus, rates can be more favourable.
Access and safety. Multi-storey exteriors need lifts, stages, or rope access. Busy urban sidewalks near Jasper Avenue or Whyte Ave require permits and protective tunnels. Those costs are real and should appear in your quote. Interiors with sensitive equipment need more masking and dust control.
Existing condition. Fresh drywall ready for paint moves fast. Old stucco with hairline cracks and chalking slows the crew due to washing, patching, and primers. On interiors, smoke damage, grease near food prep, or marker bleed all trigger specialty primers and extra coats.
Colour and sheen. Deep bases and reds often need extra coats. A white-on-white refresh may cover in two coats. Higher sheen levels show defects. That may mean more wall preparation to keep the finish tight.
Occupied spaces. Night or weekend work limits noise and odor conflicts but comes with premium labour rates. Hotels, medical offices, and schools require clean containment and daily turnover, which adds setup and takedown time.
Moisture and freeze-thaw. Edmonton’s climate stresses coatings on stucco, EIFS, and concrete. Paint systems that stretch and breathe cost more up front but cut recoat cycles. For example, an elastomeric on south-facing stucco may run higher per square foot than a standard acrylic, yet it handles microcracking far better.
Warranties and spec. A 2-year labor warranty with mid-grade paint costs less than a 5-year warranty with top-line products. Federal or institutional specs might demand low-VOC, MPI-approved systems, and wet film thickness checks, which add time.
How contractors measure and quote
Surface-based quotes. Most commercial painters quote by measured square footage of walls and ceilings, or by linear footage for trim and base. They will subtract major openings and detail height bands. Expect a site visit and a marked-up plan, or a digital takeoff if drawings are current.
Unit pricing for components. Doors, frames, bollards, beams, handrails, and mechanical housings often price as units because prep varies widely.
Allowance and exclusions. Responsible quotes list what is in and out. Common exclusions include carpentry, window glazing, leak repair, and full stucco remediation. If the painter flags a substrate concern, plan to bring in a specialist or authorize time and materials for deeper fixes.
Change orders. Price changes happen when hidden conditions emerge. Rust behind cladding, failed caulking, or double layers of paint that test hot for lead all shift scope. A structured process avoids surprises: document the condition, confirm the added cost, and approve before work proceeds.
Budget examples across Edmonton property types
Retail bay in South Edmonton Common, interior repaint, 1,500 square feet of wall area, 10-foot ceilings, two colours, during business hours. Typical budget: 2,250 to 4,200 CAD. Add 300 to 600 CAD if doors and frames switch from oil to waterborne systems and need adhesion primers.
Downtown office floor, 8,000 square feet of wall area, 9’6” ceilings, drywall in good shape, weekday evening shifts. Typical budget: 12,000 to 24,000 CAD, driven by colour changes and coverage. High-sheen feature walls add prep and may add 1,000 to 2,000 CAD.
Warehouse in Nisku, 20,000 square feet of open deck and walls, lift access, minor rust on steel. Typical budget: 26,000 to 55,000 CAD. Rust treatment and DTM (direct-to-metal) systems add meaningful cost but extend service life.
Stucco strip mall in Mill Woods, 12,000 square feet of exterior wall, hairline cracking, faded colours. Typical budget: 24,000 to 48,000 CAD. Elastomeric systems trend higher; expect pressure washing, crack filling, and two coats minimum.
Parkade in Oliver area, two levels, 25,000 square feet of walls and ceilings, traffic markings. Typical budget: 55,000 to 95,000 CAD depending on layout, lighting, and moisture levels. Humidity slows cure and extends access control.
These examples assume basic patching and two-coat systems. If there is heavy damage, graffiti resistance, or a full colour shift across a brand package, expect higher totals.
How “commercial painting Edmonton” differs from residential work
Time windows. Commercial buildings often run on tight schedules with phased handovers. A contractor used to homes may not plan crews for night shifts or rapid floor turnovers. Ask for a phasing plan matched to tenant operations.
Safety and access. Commercial projects demand WHMIS training, fall protection, man lift tickets, and site-specific safety plans. That gear and training factor into pricing. Insist on certificates upfront.
Product performance. Office corridors, schools, clinics, and restaurants need scrubbable coatings that tolerate frequent cleaning. On exteriors, sun-exposed west facades and windy corners wear faster. Commercial-grade acrylics, elastomerics, urethanes, or epoxies carry the load. The wrong product costs more later.
Documentation. Property managers and facility teams often need SDS sheets, MPI numbers, VOC data, and warranty letters. Contractors who work in this space have that paperwork ready.
Product choices and life-cycle cost in Edmonton’s climate
A low initial price can become the high one five years later. Think life-cycle cost. If a stucco facade takes a standard acrylic at 2.50 CAD per square foot and lasts 6 to 8 years, while a higher-build elastomeric at 3.50 CAD per square foot lasts 10 to 12, the longer cycle with fewer crack returns often wins over time. The right choice depends on exposure and substrate.
Interiors tell a similar story. In high-touch spaces like clinics or schools, an eggshell in a premium line resists scuffs better than a budget paint. It limits repaints and cleaning labour. In low-traffic storage rooms, a standard acrylic works fine. Match sheen and product grade to use, not to a default preference.
For steel, DTM acrylic or urethane systems resist corrosion. Where moisture persists, epoxies and moisture-tolerant primers make sense. In food prep or labs, low-odor, low-VOC coatings keep air quality better during work hours.
Labour, materials, and overhead: where your money goes
A balanced commercial quote in Edmonton typically splits like this: labour at 55 to 70 percent, materials at 15 to 25 percent, equipment and access at 5 to 15 percent, and overhead/warranty carry at 5 to 10 percent. Labour rises with prep and tricky access. Materials rise with premium systems, colour shifts, and specialty primers.
If a bid looks far lower than the pack, ask where the savings come from. Common red flags include one-coat coverage on a colour change, no primer allowances, missing lift rentals, or no provision for patching and caulking. A clean, realistic scope protects your schedule and finish.
Permits, bylaws, and building rules
Edmonton jobs downtown and in dense retail areas can require street or lane closures for lifts. The city issues permits, and timelines vary. Expect a fee line item and lead time. Some buildings require COIs with specific wording, WCB clearance letters, and contractor orientation. Plan a week or two for paperwork before work begins.
HOA and property management rules may limit work hours and noise. Clarify delivery routes, elevator bookings, and staging areas to avoid delays. If your exterior needs a logo repaint, confirm brand sign codes and landlord approval windows.
Prep standards that protect your finish
Most premature failures trace to poor prep. For exterior stucco, look for pressure washing with the right PSI, chalk test results, crack filling with elastomeric caulk, and an adhesion test where existing paint condition is in doubt. For metal, expect degreasing, sanding, rust conversion or removal, and a bonding primer.
On interior drywall, proper patching, sanding, and dust control matter. Shiny spots or marker bleed call for stain-blocking primers. Peeling trim paint often needs full scuff sand and an adhesion primer, especially on old oil-based coatings. Your quote should spell out these steps, not just say “prep as needed.”
Schedules that work in living buildings
In occupied buildings, painting should feel invisible to tenants. That demands clear phasing. Plan floors or zones so crews complete prep, cut, roll, and cleanup without leaving splatter guards for days. Communicate daily with signage and email updates. Offer low-odor products and isolate ventilation when possible. Night shifts shorten interruptions and can shorten project duration despite premium rates, because crews work without traffic.
If your property sits in busy nodes like West Edmonton Mall’s orbit or the Strathcona strip, ask for a schedule that respects peak customer hours. Your painter should adapt to deliveries, quiet times for clinics, and exam schedules for schools.
Comparing quotes: an owner’s quick checklist
- Scope apples-to-apples: Confirm square footage, number of coats, primer, and products by brand and line. Clarify inclusions like doors, frames, ceilings, and baseboards.
- Access plan: See lift or staging details, permits, and sidewalk protection. Ask for a written safety plan and certification list.
- Prep detail: Look for washing, sanding, patching, caulking, rust treatment, and adhesion testing. Vague prep lines hide change orders.
- Warranty terms: Length, what it covers, and what voids it. Longer is not always better if the product choice or prep is weak.
- Schedule and phasing: Confirm working hours, area turnover sequence, and cleanup standards.
This short list keeps your comparisons clean and avoids lowball traps.
How we quote commercial painting Edmonton projects
Depend Exteriors runs site-based estimating. We measure, photograph, and test. If exterior paint chalks, we show the cloth. If a metal door needs bonding primer, we note it. You get a line-item scope that matches your building. Our crews work all over Edmonton, from downtown towers and Whyte Avenue storefronts to Southwest industrial bays and North Side retail pads.
For commercial painting Edmonton clients, we carry general liability, WCB, fall protection, and lift tickets. We prepare safe work practices and daily logs on active sites. Our product recommendations match the building’s use and exposure. Where budgets are tight, we suggest smart value swaps — for example, keep premium scuff-resistant paint in corridors and drop to a standard line in storage areas.
Case notes from local jobs
Riverside office, central Edmonton. The tenant asked for a weekend flip on 5,500 square feet of wall area, three colours, existing walls in fair shape. We ran two crews for two evenings and one Saturday. Cost landed at roughly 2.40 CAD per square foot. The only add was a stain-blocking primer in a boardroom with heavy marker bleed.
South-side stucco retail facade. Heavy UV fade and hairline cracking on 8,000 square feet. The owner wanted fewer callbacks over winter. We specified an elastomeric acrylic, filled cracks, and recut control joints. Price came in at 3.20 CAD per square foot including washing and a two-coat build. Snow arrived two weeks later, and the system cured well within the safe window.
Warehouse corridor refresh near Yellowhead. Long runs, hard knocks from carts, and lower light. We used a high-build eggshell in a commercial line for washability and glare control. Cost averaged 2.85 CAD per square foot of wall area. The client reported easier cleaning and fewer scuff marks during the next quarter.
These are snapshots, not promises. They show how condition and use steer product choices and cost.
How to plan your budget by quarter
If you manage multiple buildings, slot painting into a quarterly plan. Spring and summer suit exteriors and parkades. Fall suits interiors, especially before holiday retail rush. Winter is strong for office floors, common areas, and stairwells. Group projects by product type to gain pricing leverage and reduce mobilizations. If your board wants fixed numbers, get pricing in late winter before the spring rush. Locking schedule and scope early reduces surprises.
Warranty, maintenance, and recoat cycles
In Edmonton, exterior repaints on stucco or EIFS run 7 to 12 years depending on exposure and product. North faces last longer. West and south faces fade faster. Metal cladding with quality systems holds 8 to 12 years if prepped right. Parkade striping often needs touch-ups every 2 to 4 years due to sand and salt.
Interior corridors and lobbies might want a refresh at 5 to 7 years, sooner if colour trends shift or tenant turnover is high. A maintenance plan that tackles scuffs and minor touch-ups each quarter can delay full repaints and keep common areas presentable.
Ask your painter for a post-job care sheet: cleaning guidelines, touch-up instructions, and colour logs. Depend Exteriors keeps a file with your product data, colours, and dates so reorders and touch-ups match.
Practical ways to reduce spend without hurting quality
Standardize colours across buildings. You buy paint more efficiently and reduce partial cans. Touch-ups blend better.
Control scope creep. Feature walls look great. They also add cutting time. Reserve accents for focal zones where they deliver value.
Sequence with other trades. If flooring installers come after painters, expect touch-ups. Plan the order so painters finish last where possible.
Protect high-traffic corners. Corner guards and chair rails reduce dents and repaint cycles in busy corridors.
Do a mockup. One test wall with the selected product and colour can confirm coverage, sheen, and preparation level. It avoids full-area rework.
What a clear commercial painting contract includes
Expect property address and access rules, a detailed scope with products and coat counts, surface prep steps, unit pricing for adds, a schedule with milestones, safety commitments, payment terms, and warranty language. If your building needs overnight work, include the working hours in writing. If tenants require quiet windows, spell them out.
Good contracts reduce friction. They protect both sides and keep the crew focused on production, not disputes.
The bottom line for Edmonton owners and managers
In our market, a straightforward interior repaint lands near 1.50 to 3.50 CAD per square foot of wall area. Exteriors span 1.80 to 5.00 CAD per square foot depending on substrate and access. Those numbers tighten when we see the site. The most expensive paint job is the one you redo early. Strong prep, the right product for the substrate and use, and a schedule that fits your building will save more than a few cents per square foot.
If you need pricing for commercial painting Edmonton, call Depend Exteriors. We assess your property in person, explain options in plain language, and deliver a schedule that works for tenants and operations. Whether you manage a downtown office, a Whyte Ave storefront, a south-side warehouse, or a strip mall in Mill Woods, we can quote fast and start on a timeline that matches your needs.
Book a site visit today. We will bring the colour decks, measure accurately, and give you a clear number you can take to your stakeholders with confidence.
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.