How Much Do Painters Charge in Edmonton? Plus Commercial Painting Margins and Canadian Licensing Rules
Job scopes vary wildly across Edmonton, from repainting a Garneau storefront to a full interior at a West Edmonton office tower. Prices range the same way. If you plan work for a retail unit, a condo lobby, or a distribution warehouse, you need realistic numbers and the rules that guide reputable contractors. As a commercial painting company in Edmonton, Depend Exteriors quotes hundreds of projects every year. The ranges below reflect current local market conditions, typical material specs, and the realities of working through Alberta seasons.
The short answer: typical painting price ranges in Edmonton
For straightforward residential interiors, many painters quote by square foot or by room. Commercial projects often use unit rates with clear inclusions and exclusions. Expect these local ranges in Edmonton, AB:
Interior repaint, occupied space with standard prep, low-VOC latex on walls: $2.00 to $3.50 per square foot of floor area. Busy corridors, high-traffic offices, and frequent colour changes land toward the top, especially if night shifts are required.
Interior new drywall (tape ready), primer plus two coats: $1.80 to $3.00 per square foot of floor area, depending on ceiling height, access, and paint spec.
Ceilings, typical 8 to 10 feet: $0.85 to $1.50 per square foot of ceiling area with flat latex. Heavy stains, nicotine, or prior oil-based coatings push costs up because they need bonding primers.
Doors and trim: $80 to $160 per door set including casing, or $2.50 to $4.50 per linear foot for baseboards and casings. Pre-finished MDF and sprayed enamel finish increase labour but speed the result if the site allows a spray zone.
Exterior commercial repaints, stucco/EIFS or Hardie: $2.50 to $5.50 per square foot of wall area. Large, simple elevations near ground level fall on the low side; complex façades, swing stage access, or significant patching land higher.
Metal siding, canopies, bollards, and railings: $3.00 to $7.00 per square foot of surface for proper prep and industrial coatings. Sanding, rust conversion, and two-component products add hours and material cost.
Warehouse deck and open steel (ceilings) with intumescent or DTM: $4.00 to $10.00 per square foot of plan area, tightly tied to lift time, masking, and product curing windows.
Commercial floor coatings, epoxy or polyaspartic: $4.50 to $8.50 per square foot for grind-and-coat systems on sound concrete. Moisture issues, slab repairs, coves, and quartz broadcast increase the budget to $7.50 to $12.00 per square foot.
These are real numbers we see on tenders and negotiated work in Edmonton. The band is wide because project conditions vary. The fastest way to narrow your budget is a site walk with a contractor who can test existing Edmonton retail store painting solutions coatings, flag access constraints, and account for building operations.
Why prices swing: variables that move your quote up or down
Access drives cost. Downtown sites with loading dock restrictions, paid parking, and limited hours take longer. If painters spend 45 minutes moving lifts or waiting for a freight elevator, production drops and labour climbs. Suburban sites with open parking and 24-hour access are cheaper.
Substrate condition matters more than colour. Clean, dull latex on drywall needs a quick wash and a single prime spot on patches. Gloss alkyd on handrails needs scuffing, bonding primer, and a compatible topcoat. Rusted steel or chalky stucco demands extra prep. Prep time can double the labour on a difficult surface.
Ceiling height and obstructions change production rates. Ten-foot open offices are one pace. Twenty-two-foot retail ceilings with ductwork and signage are another. Add lifts, safety watch, and masking time for sprinklers and lights. Higher ceilings almost always push the project into premium labour.
Product selection is a lever. Premium wash-and-wear acrylics cost more per gallon but can cut a coat in high-hiding colours. Elastomeric exterior coatings bridge hairline cracks but require strict film thickness, which slows application. Two-component epoxies are durable but have pot life limits. The right spec balances upfront cost with performance.
Scheduling can be worth real money. Nights and weekends cost more due to premiums and supervision, yet they protect your business operations. If your team needs a quiet workday, off-hours painting is the practical choice and often protects revenue.
Edmonton-specific cost pressures you should expect
Weather in Edmonton shapes exterior schedules and the coatings we use. Acrylics need the right temperature and dry time. Spring and fall are prime exterior seasons, but shoulder weeks can go sideways with overnight cold snaps. Good commercial painters build in weather buffers and choose products with workable temperature windows. That planning shows up in the quote.
Logistics around the Henday and Yellowhead matter on large jobs. Travel time to industrial parks in Nisku or Acheson affects labour budgeting. On downtown towers, swing stage or bosun chair access requires engineering and third-party inspections, plus sidewalk protection and permits. Those hard costs are predictable line items.
Safety compliance is non-negotiable in Alberta. Fall protection, lift certifications, silica control when sanding concrete, and hazard assessments are part of a professional bid. If a number looks low compared with the field, ask what safety measures the contractor omitted. Cutting safety cuts production and exposes owners to risk.
How commercial painters in Edmonton structure quotes
Commercial tenders often present unit rates: dollars per square foot for walls, ceilings, and exposed structure; dollars per linear foot for baseboard; per-door pricing for frames and slabs. Alternates may list premium coatings or additional areas. Exclusions spell out surface repairs beyond a quarter-sized patch, smoke damage, or broken drywall tape.
On negotiated work, we prefer a scope-driven lump sum with a clear spec, product data sheets, and a schedule. We list assumptions: working hours, who moves furniture, how many colour changes, and whether we include hoarding and floor protection. If a landlord or property manager requires warranty language or colour mockups, we include the path and cost for approvals.
Payment terms on commercial jobs often run net 30 to 45 days. Larger projects can include holdbacks under Alberta’s Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act. Your quote should state these terms and the draw schedule tied to milestones like completion of primer coats, walls complete, and deficiencies resolved.
What a fair commercial painting margin looks like
Painters in Edmonton target healthy but realistic margins that keep crews employed year-round and cover warranty risk. On average:
Gross profit (after direct labour, materials, rentals, and site costs): 30 to 45 percent on small commercial and retail fit-outs; 25 to 35 percent on larger base building work. Efficient crews, smart sequencing, and low rework can push actuals higher.
Overhead for an established commercial painting company in Edmonton sits around 10 to 18 percent. This pays for estimators, project managers, shop rent, vehicles, insurance, training, accounting, WCB, and slow-season carry.
Net profit usually lands in the 8 to 15 percent range if the contractor runs tight quality control and change management. Risky access, night shifts, or force majeure events can compress net profit to the low single digits.
These ranges are healthy. If you see quote margins that seem razor thin, the contractor might be buying the job and betting on change orders. That approach can sour relationships. If the quote seems inflated without a clear reason, ask the painter to explain access, product choice, and schedule. A transparent firm will walk you through the math.
Labour, materials, and production rates: what drives the budget line by line
Material cost for most commercial interior wall paints runs $40 to $80 per gallon for reputable brands in low-VOC lines. Coverage roughly 350 to 400 square feet per gallon per coat, depending on colour and porosity. Primer costs are similar, with specialty bonding primers at $70 to $120 per gallon. For trim enamels and urethanes, material prices climb, but less surface area offsets the spend.
Labour is the larger piece. A two-painter crew can cover about 1,200 to 1,800 square feet of wall surface per day in open, unobstructed space with light prep and two coats. Add furniture, glass partitions, or tight corridors and production can drop to 800 to 1,200 square feet. High walls with ladder moves or lift time reduce output further.
Spraying speeds work in empty shells, warehouses, and new builds. It requires masking skill, adequate ventilation, and a clean sequence with other trades. In occupied offices, rolling and cutting is safer for finishes and tenants. The best production method is the one that keeps quality high and disruptions low.
How to compare quotes fairly
Look at scope alignment first. The lowest quote may exclude door frames, ceilings, or primer. Confirm the number of coats. One coat over a similar colour can work on fresh paint, but most repaints need a full two-coat system for even sheen and service life. Make sure all bidders include the same areas and product systems.
Check for product data sheets. You want recognized brands and commercial lines with stated performance: scrub resistance, stain resistance, and approved substrates. Ask whether the price includes colour changes and how many. Every colour switch adds cleaning and setup time.
Review schedule and site rules. If you run a clinic in Oliver or a warehouse in Northwest Edmonton, operations come first. Bids should reflect your hours, noise limits, and housekeeping standards. Ask who patches the walls after IT installs and who handles furniture moves. Small gaps become friction during the job.
Ask for references in your property type. Painting an industrial mezzanine is different from returning a Class A office floor to a landlord’s white box. A contractor who shows photos and provides site contacts is better positioned to deliver smoothly.
Licensing and regulatory basics for painters in Alberta and across Canada
Painting is not a compulsory trade in Alberta, which means there is no Red Seal requirement to operate. That said, credible commercial painters follow several rules:
Business licensing. In Edmonton, contractors require a City of Edmonton business license. If work crosses municipal boundaries, verify local licensing.
Insurance. Commercial general liability is standard, often $2 million to $5 million depending on contract size. Ask for a certificate naming your company as an additional insured for the project term.
WCB coverage. In Alberta, employers must register with WCB and maintain accounts in good standing. As an owner, ask for a WCB clearance letter before work starts.
Safety certifications. Crews should hold WHMIS, fall protection, aerial work platform, and first aid where applicable. Larger sites may require site-specific orientations. For swing stage work, ensure the contractor uses certified equipment and follows suspension code and engineered tie-backs.
Environmental rules. Low-VOC products meet most indoor air quality expectations. Painters must manage waste like solvent rags, washout water, and empty cans per provincial and municipal guidelines. In older buildings, if lead-based paints or asbestos-containing materials are suspected, an environmental assessment comes first. Removal and encapsulation must follow OHS rules.
Contracts on public projects may demand COR or SECOR safety certification. Many private owners in Edmonton have adopted the same standard. A serious commercial painting company in Edmonton will be familiar with these requirements and carry the documentation.
Interior repaint pricing: small offices, clinics, and tenant improvements
Small offices in Ritchie or Strathcona with 2,000 to 5,000 square feet of floor area usually price in the $2.00 to $3.25 per square foot range for walls, assuming light patching and two coats. Include doors and frames at a per-piece rate if you want a full refresh. If the building needs after-hours work and plastic protection for office equipment, expect a modest premium.
Clinics and labs in South Edmonton Common or near the University often specify higher-scrub coatings and stricter odor control. The material cost rises, yet the rooms are repetitive and compact. The total may land similar to a standard office, but scheduling and air handling coordination matter more.
Tenant improvements in downtown towers include base-building white out, corridor tie-ins, and occasional fireproofing touch-ups. Quotes here depend on coordination with drywallers, electricians, and flooring. Painters who manage sequences well can hold tight pricing by avoiding rework.
Exterior repaint pricing: retail, multifamily, and light industrial
Retail façades along Whyte Avenue or 124 Street often need quick refreshes with limited closures. Access gear, business hours, and city permits for sidewalk hoarding add direct costs. A 3,000-square-foot stucco façade with patching, primer, and two coats might sit near $12,000 to $18,000. Signage removal and reinstall may be separate.
Multifamily exteriors with balconies and guardrails create unit-rate stacks: walls per square foot, railings per linear foot, doors per piece. The big driver is access. Scaffolding, swing stage, or boom lifts change the budget materially. On a 60-suite building, exterior repaint budgets often run in the low six figures.
Light industrial in the northwest or Sherwood Park tends to be economical on wall areas but pricier on metal elements. Corrugated metal siding that has chalked requires detergent wash and adhesion testing. Expect $3.25 to $5.50 per square foot for a sound result with a DTM acrylic or urethane.
Real examples from recent Edmonton work
A Westmount boutique, 1,800 square feet, closed Mondays, wanted fresh white walls and satin black feature displays. We scheduled one long day for prep and first coat, then returned off-hours for the second coat and cleanup. The budget landed at $5,400, including materials and minor drywall patching. The owner lost zero trading days.
A north-side warehouse office, 7,500 square feet, needed a neutral repaint with washable eggshell and semi-gloss on doors. Work happened at night, three colours, with light furniture moves and floor protection. The final number landed near $19,000 and took five shifts with a four-person crew.
A mid-rise exterior in Garneau needed stucco crack repair and elastomeric coating on 10,000 square feet of wall area, balcony soffits, and metal rails. Two boom lifts, safety watch, and six weeks of good weather. The budget ran $68,000 for walls and $22,000 for metal rails, materials included.
These jobs show the spread. Scope, access, and schedule shape the price more than the sheer size.
How Depend Exteriors builds quotes that hold
We measure twice and write it down. On site, we test existing paint with alcohol or lacquer thinner to identify latex vs. alkyd. We check adhesion with a simple cross-hatch test on questionable areas. We scan elevations for hairline stucco cracks or chalking. These quick checks save surprise change orders.
We price production, not hope. Our estimators use realistic square-foot and linear-foot outputs based on site conditions. If your clinic allows only weekend work, we schedule twice as many weekends rather than jam a weekday plan into off-hours and miss. That honesty is visible in the program we propose.
We specify products for your use case. If you run a daycare in Mill Woods, scuff and wash resistance matter. If you manage a gallery in Old Strathcona, color fidelity and even sheen matter. We propose coatings that fit, and we share the data sheets with your facility team.
We keep communication tight. You get a daily update with progress photos, any access issues, and the next steps. You will not wonder where the crew is or what got finished overnight.
Budget planning tips that save money without cutting quality
Group colour changes. If your brand requires feature walls, pick one shade per floor to reduce waste and setup time. Each unique colour adds remnants and cleaning time for tools.
Sequence with other trades. Painters follow drywall and precede flooring. If carpet goes in before paint, we spend hours protecting it and still face risk. Aligning trade order saves everyone.
Solve substrate issues early. If you suspect nicotine, grease, or moisture-driven failures, bake in a test area and primer upgrade before committing to full production. The added day beats a failed topcoat.
Keep touch-up paint on site. We label colours and sheens, leave a map, and store sealed cans for facilities. Spot touch-ups look best when you use the exact original product.
What you should see in a professional painting proposal
Clear scope with drawings or marked-up plans. Surfaces listed by type, area, and coat counts. Preparation steps spelled out: washing, sanding, patching, caulking, priming. Product list with brand, line, and sheen. Access equipment included or excluded. Schedule with working hours and milestones. Safety plan highlights. Warranty terms, usually one to two years on labour and materials under normal wear. Proof of WCB and insurance. A single point of contact.
If a proposal misses any of these, ask the contractor to revise it. You will save time during the job by setting expectations now.
How this applies to your building type in Edmonton
If you own a retail unit along Jasper Avenue, plan for early mornings and late evenings. We block the work in short shifts, guard the storefront glass, and keep the sidewalk clear. Expect a modest inconvenience window, but no revenue loss.
If you manage an office in Windermere, open weekends can cut costs because crews can spray open areas safely. If weekends are off limits, we build a rolling zone to keep staff working while we move through the floor.
If you operate a food service venue, low-odor, quick-curing coatings and containment are vital. We coordinate with your hood cleaning and deep clean schedule and return during off-hours for second coats.
If your site is a warehouse in Acheson with high racking, we will meet you during a re-slot or inventory window. Lift access and open aisles can cut the painter’s time by a third.
Red flags to watch in painting bids
Quotes with vague language like “paint walls as needed” without coat counts or product lines. Prices that ignore access realities like downtown parking, lift rentals, or off-hours premiums. Missing WCB or expired insurance. No mention of protection for floors, furniture, or IT gear. Unwillingness to test existing coatings or address failure risks. These markers point to short-term thinking and long-term headaches.
The value of a local commercial painting company in Edmonton
Local crews know winter limits, municipal permit processes, and suppliers who stock the right products. We know which primers bond to the glossy trim you see in 1990s offices and which elastomerics survive the freeze-thaw cycles on south-facing walls. We also have relationships with lift rental providers, waste handlers, and colour consultants. A commercial painting company in Edmonton should bring this ecosystem to your project and transfer the time savings to your budget.
Ready to price your project?
If you need a firm estimate for a downtown office refresh, a Strathcona storefront, or an exterior facelift in Northwest Edmonton, Depend Exteriors can walk the site this week. We will bring moisture and adhesion tests, confirm product compatibility, and give you a written scope with real unit rates. You will know exactly what it costs, how long it takes, and how we protect your space.
Call Depend Exteriors to schedule a site visit, or send your plans and a few photos. If you prefer, we can start with a quick budget range over the phone and tighten it after a walkthrough. Either way, you will leave the first conversation with clear numbers and a straightforward path to a clean, durable finish that reflects well on your property.
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.