In this article
- Commercial painting cost by project type
- Production rates: the core of a commercial bid
- Scope checklist: what must be in every commercial bid
- Markup and overhead: commercial vs residential
- After-hours and phased work premiums
- Insurance, bonding, and compliance
- Sample bid walkthrough: 5,000 sq ft office suite
- Frequently asked questions
- Keep reading
Quick answer: Commercial painting jobs are priced at $1.50–$6.00 per sq ft of wall area for interiors, and $2.50–$8.00 per sq ft for exteriors. Offices trend low, restaurants and retail trend mid, warehouses and parking structures trend high because of access and coating requirements. A typical 5,000 sq ft office suite repaint runs $6,500–$22,000.
Reviewed by John Miller
Licensed painter, 15 years in the field
“Commercial is about production rates and access, not retail pricing. The guys who win these bids know their crew can roll 250–400 sq ft per hour on open wall, and they know how to price the detail work that kills margin — ceilings over drop-tile grid, trim around 40 doors, columns. Residential instincts will lose you money on commercial.”
Commercial painting cost by project type
| Project type | Cost per sq ft (wall area) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Class B / C office (drywall) | $1.50–$3.00 | Open floors, minimal trim |
| Retail (storefront, small) | $2.00–$4.50 | Detail trim, after-hours work |
| Restaurant interior | $3.00–$6.00 | Kitchen-grade coatings, tight schedule |
| Medical office | $3.00–$5.50 | Low-VOC, scrubbable paint required |
| Warehouse / industrial | $1.25–$3.50 (sprayed) | Lifts, block, deck/joist work |
| Multi-tenant (apartment turn) | $1.25–$2.75 | Volume pricing, 1-coat spray-and-backroll |
| Exterior stucco / block | $2.50–$5.50 | Elastomeric, pressure wash + prime |
| Exterior EIFS / metal | $3.50–$8.00 | Specialty primers, caulking |
| Parking structure | $4.00–$10.00 | Epoxy, traffic striping, lift access |
Production rates: the core of a commercial bid
Commercial estimators work in sq ft per hour per painter. These are realistic production rates for experienced crews on open walls, two coats, with a back-roller on sprayed work:
- Brushed cut-line (ceiling/trim edge): 60–120 linear ft/hr
- Rolled wall, open: 200–400 sq ft/hr per coat
- Sprayed + back-rolled wall: 500–900 sq ft/hr per coat
- Sprayed open ceiling (warehouse deck): 800–1,500 sq ft/hr per coat
- Doors (both sides, jamb): 1–2 per hour
- Frames (door + window): 2–4 per hour
- Metal railing per linear ft: 15–30 lf/hr
These numbers are field-verified on 50+ commercial jobs. Conservative bidders use the low end. Experienced crews on clean work can hit the high end.
Scope checklist: what must be in every commercial bid
- Measurement basis. Wall sq ft, ceiling sq ft, linear ft of trim, door/frame count. Not floor sq ft.
- Coat count per surface. Walls (typically 2), ceilings (1 if white-on-white, 2 if color change), trim (2).
- Surface prep scope. Pressure wash? Scrape? Patch? Skim-coat? Caulk? List each.
- Paint specification. Manufacturer, product line, sheen, VOC rating. Architect/owner may dictate.
- Access assumptions. Ladders, scissor lifts, boom lifts, scaffolding. Who provides?
- Schedule constraints. After-hours, weekend, tenant occupied, phased.
- Protection. Flooring, fixtures, equipment, parking lot/landscaping.
- Color changes. How many colors, how many change-points.
- Exclusions. Wallcovering removal, drywall repair beyond X sq ft, mold remediation, lead.
- Warranty. Typically 1–2 year workmanship. Paint warranty is separate, manufacturer-backed.
Markup and overhead: commercial vs residential
Commercial markup structures differ from residential:
- Direct labor cost — painter hourly rate × hours, including taxes/benefits (~35% burden)
- Materials — paint + sundries at cost, usually with 10–20% material markup
- Equipment — daily rental or allocated cost for lifts, sprayers
- Overhead — office, insurance, vehicles, estimator time (15–25% of direct cost)
- Profit — 8–20% depending on market and risk
- Total markup on direct labor+materials — typically 1.45× to 1.80×
After-hours and phased work premiums
- After-hours / 2nd shift — +15–30% on labor
- Weekend / 3rd shift — +25–50% on labor
- Phased (multiple mobilizations) — +10–20% to cover re-setup costs
- Occupied tenant space — +10–20% for extra protection + coordination
- Low-VOC / no-odor specification — +$5–$15/gallon on paint
Insurance, bonding, and compliance
- General liability: $1M/$2M minimum, often $2M/$4M for larger work
- Workers’ comp: mandatory in all 50 states with employees
- Commercial auto: required for fleet vehicles on site
- Umbrella policy: $2M–$5M common for larger commercial
- Bonding: performance/payment bonds required on public work; budget 1–3% of contract
- Prevailing wage: federal/state public jobs — labor doubles or more
- Certified payroll: required on Davis-Bacon work; adds admin overhead
Sample bid walkthrough: 5,000 sq ft office suite
Scope: two-coat repaint, walls only, drywall in good condition, 40 doors, 60 linear ft of base reveal, standard ceiling tile (not painted), one color, after-hours.
- Wall area: ~9,500 sq ft (perimeter × 9’ ceiling, less openings)
- Labor: 9,500 sq ft ÷ 300 sq ft/hr/painter × 2 coats = 63 labor hours
- Cut-in labor: 1,400 lf of ceiling/base edge ÷ 90 lf/hr = 16 labor hours
- Door labor: 40 doors ÷ 1.5/hr = 27 labor hours
- Subtotal labor: 106 hrs × $55/hr loaded = $5,830
- After-hours premium (+20%): $1,166
- Paint: 9,500 sq ft × 2 coats ÷ 350 sq ft/gal = 55 gal × $50/gal = $2,750
- Sundries + masking: $450
- Subtotal direct: $10,196
- Overhead + profit (55%): $5,608
- Total bid: $15,804 (~$3.16 per wall sq ft)
That lands cleanly in the $1.50–$6.00 range and reflects realistic 2026 metro pricing.
Want a number for your project?
Building a commercial bid? The PaintPricing calculator handles production rates, coat counts, door/trim counts, and markup tiers.
Frequently asked questions
How do you estimate commercial painting?
Measure wall sq ft and linear ft of trim (not floor area). Apply production rates (200–400 sq ft/hr rolled, 500–900 sprayed). Multiply labor hours × loaded rate. Add materials at cost + 10–20%. Add 45–80% markup for overhead and profit.
What’s the cost per square foot for commercial painting?
$1.50–$6.00/sq ft of wall area for interior, $2.50–$8.00 for exterior. Warehouses with spray access run $1.25–$3.50/sq ft. Parking structures and specialty coatings run higher.
How much do commercial painters charge per hour?
Loaded labor rate (wage + burden + overhead) runs $45–$85/hr in most metros. Journey-level painters on prevailing-wage public jobs can run $95–$140/hr loaded.
What’s the production rate for commercial painters?
Rolled wall: 200–400 sq ft/hr/painter. Sprayed + back-rolled: 500–900 sq ft/hr. Open deck spray: 800–1,500 sq ft/hr. Use the low end for detailed work, high end for open wall.
How much markup do commercial painting contractors use?
45–80% over direct cost (labor + materials). That covers overhead, insurance, estimating, profit. Quotes below 40% markup usually mean the contractor is working at cost or cutting scope.
Is commercial painting more expensive than residential?
Per sq ft of wall area, commercial is usually slightly cheaper because of open space and spray access. But the total project is bigger, the schedule constraints are tighter, and the insurance / bonding requirements are heavier — which is why most residential painters can’t bid commercial profitably.
What’s included in a commercial painting scope?
At minimum: wall area + coat count, ceiling scope, trim + door count, prep specification, paint manufacturer + line, access plan, schedule, protection of existing finishes, and exclusions. Anything not listed is a change order.
Keep reading
How to write a painting estimate →
The itemized format that wins more bids.
Best painting estimate software →
Compared honestly for solo, residential crew, and commercial operations.
How to estimate exterior painting →
Production rates and access pricing for exteriors.
How we source this data
Prices reflect 2026 U.S. averages. We combine contractor-reported rates, manufacturer spec sheets, and federal wage data, then cross-check against John Miller’s 15 years of field experience pricing residential and commercial jobs. Numbers are updated quarterly.
Primary sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics: Painters, Construction and Maintenance (2024)
- Sherwin-Williams product data sheets (Emerald, SuperPaint, Duration)
- Benjamin Moore technical data sheets (Aura, Regal Select, Ben)
- HomeAdvisor / Angi national cost reporting (2025 survey data)
- PaintPricing field data from licensed contractor John Miller (2010–2026)
