“A Woman’s Place,” ??2001, Juana Alicia
Painted Acrylic Mural (600 square feet)
Materials
An acrylic mural on panels costs approximately $10 per square foot in materials. Depending on the size, the cost of labor and materials will vary. If it painted directly on the wall, you don’t need to add the price of panel construction. Below is the budget for materials for a 20′ x 30′ mural on panel, or 600 square feet. If you are considering an exterior site, and want the mural to last a few years in the elements, you need to double the amount of varnish/ protective coating to include the back side of the panels and their frames.
| Materials for Mural |
| Design materials: paper, paint, photocopying |
$75.00 |
| Paint, varnish and brushes @ $7 per square foot |
$4,200.00 |
| 3 gallons of anti-graffiti varnish @$50.00 per gallon |
$150.00 |
| Eight (8) MDO board 4′ x 8′ panels @$30.00 per panel |
$320.00 |
| 2 x 4 framing for panels, hardware/td> |
$300.00 |
| Subtotal materials for mural |
5,045.00 |
| Carpentry and Finishing Labor |
| Weatherproofing and varnishing of panels and 2×4 framing: 16 hours @ $37.50 |
$600.00 |
| Carpentry for framing panels: estimated @ $800.00 |
$800.00 |
| Installation of finished panels |
$1,000.00 |
| Total carpentry and finishing labor for acrylic mural |
$2,400.00 |
| Total materials for acrylic mural |
$7,445.00 |
Labor
| Design and Production Service Fees |
Est. Hours |
Amount |
| Client Meetings/Working with community @ $60 per hour |
20 |
$1,200.00 |
| Preliminary Illustration/Drawings/Sketches: |
100 |
$6,000.00 |
| Total fee for mural research and design |
$7,200.00 |
Artist’s fee for Final Art Work
| 480 hours (three months of full time work) |
$28,880.00 |
| Total fee for artist’s labor |
$36,080.00 |
Acrylic painted mural
| Total materials and labor |
$43,525.00 |
Restoration and maintenance of exterior acrylic mural
Painted acrylic murals require restoration and maintenance when located in an exterior setting, The mural should be washed and re-varnished every three years, and the painting should be restored every six years. The schedule and costs would be as follows:
| YEAR THREE |
| Clean and Re-varnish 16 hours @ $30 per hour |
$480.00 |
| YEAR SIX |
| Clean 8 hours @ $30 per hour |
$240.00 |
| Restore painting @ $60 per hour |
$4,800.00 |
| Re-varnish 8 hours @ $30 per hour |
$240.00 |
| YEAR NINE |
| Clean and Re-varnish 16 hours @ $30 per hour |
$480.00 |
| YEAR TWELVE |
| Clean 8 hours @ $30 per hour |
$240.00 |
| Restore painting @ $60 per hour |
$4,800.00 |
| Re-varnish 8 hours @ $30 per hour |
$240.00 |
| Cost of Maintainence for a Twelve Year Period |
$11,520.00 |
“Virgen de la Libertad” ?? 2001 Juana Alicia
Ceramic title mural (300 square feet)
Ceramic tile murals cost $100 per square foot in materials. This includes the materials and cost of production: clay, glazes, firing and installation. For a 300 square foot ceramic tile mural (i.e. 10′ x 30′), the cost of materials is $30,000.
Labor
| Design and Production Service Fees |
Est. Hours |
Amount |
| Client Meetings/Working with community @ $60 per hour |
20 |
$1,200.00 |
| Preliminary Illustration/Drawings/Sketches |
100 |
$6,000.00 |
| Total fee for mural research and design |
$7,200.00 |
Artist’s Fee for Final Artwork
| 800 hours (five months of full time work) @ $60 per hour |
$48,000.00 |
|
| Total fee for artist’s labor |
$52,000.00 |
|
CERAMIC TILE MURAL
TOTAL COST OF LABOR AND MATERIALS |
$85,200.00 |
|
One might consider doing a ceramic mural at half the size, or about 150 square feet (10′ x 15′), which is still quite large. This would cut the material budget in half and somewhat reduce the cost of labor as well. The advantage of a ceramic tile mural is its durability. It needs little to no upkeep or restoration, and can remain brilliant in an exterior setting for centuries. An acrylic mural, on the other hand, needs restoration every six years in an exterior setting.
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