Line striping is priced by the foot or by the stall, never by area, and it uses different materials and different production rates from the rest of the trade. These calculators handle the three ways striping work is normally quoted.
Pick your job
| Calculator | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | Total linear feet of line across a lot, including aisles and crosshatch. |
| Parking stall | Priced per stall, which is how this work is normally quoted. |
| Curb | Linear feet of kerb face and top, usually in safety colours. |
Per stall or per linear foot
Both are legitimate and they suit different jobs. Per stall is how most parking lot work is quoted, because a stall is a repeatable unit that includes its own share of line, and a customer can understand a price per space. Per linear foot is better for anything that is not a regular grid: aisles, crosshatched loading zones, fire lanes, kerbs and long boundary lines.
A standard stall is not just its own two side lines. Adjacent stalls share lines, so counting each stall as two full lines will overstate the paint substantially on a large lot. The stall calculator accounts for shared lines; if you are working in linear feet, measure the actual painted length rather than multiplying stalls by a line length.
What drives the figure
Line width is the first thing, and it varies by jurisdiction and by the customer’s own standard. A wider line uses proportionally more paint over the same length. Paint type is the second: traffic paints differ substantially in coverage and in how they behave on asphalt versus concrete. The third is the surface itself, because fresh asphalt, aged asphalt and concrete all take material differently.
Then there is what is already there. Restriping over existing lines that are in good condition is quick. Restriping where the old layout is wrong, faded unevenly or has to be blacked out first is a different job with a different price, and it needs to be seen rather than quoted over the phone.
The parts that are not painting
Striping jobs carry a large amount of work that is not laying paint. Sweeping and cleaning the surface, which has to happen or nothing bonds. Layout and measuring, especially on a lot that is being reconfigured rather than refreshed. Setting out cones and managing traffic. Waiting for the surface to be dry enough and the temperature to be in range. Coming back to open sections in stages because the customer cannot close the whole lot at once.
That last one is the schedule killer on commercial work. A lot that has to be done in three overnight phases costs considerably more than the same lot done in one pass, and the difference is crew days rather than paint. This is a good example of work that is often better priced by the day: see painting crew day rate.
Timing and conditions
Traffic paint has temperature and moisture limits, and a lot that is not dry will not hold a line. Most striping is done in a weather window, and often at night or at the weekend so the lot can be closed. Both of those push the labour cost above the daytime figure, which is a legitimate part of the price rather than a surcharge to apologise for.
If you are quoting this commercially
Striping is close to pure labour and mobilisation, with a small material line. That means your hourly cost and your minimum job charge do most of the work in the price, and a lot that is too small to justify the mobilisation should be priced accordingly or bundled with nearby work. Start with painting labor burden and painting minimum job charge.
If you are building this into a business rather than taking the occasional lot, parking lot striping business covers the equipment and the market, and commercial painting estimate covers how commercial clients expect to be quoted.
Coverage and production for striping work
Striping runs on different materials and vastly different rates from the rest of the trade. These are the figures behind the calculators on this page.
| Surface | Coverage (sq ft per gallon) | Measured in | Brush or roller rate | Spray rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parking lot striping | 320 | linear feet | 800 lf/hr | 2400 lf/hr |
| Parking stalls | 320 | per item | 0.06 hr per item per coat | not sprayed |
| Curb painting | 300 | linear feet | 300 lf/hr | 700 lf/hr |
The production rates are the striking part. Parking lot striping runs at 800 linear feet an hour walked, and 2400 with a machine. Nothing else in painting moves at that speed, and it is why striping is priced by the stall or the foot rather than by the day.
What that speed does to the price
If the paint goes down that fast, the paint is not what you are charging for. On a striping job the cost is sweeping and preparing the surface, laying out the geometry, managing traffic, and getting the crew and machine to site at a time the lot can be closed.
That is why a small lot can cost nearly as much as a medium one, and why a job that has to be done in three overnight phases costs far more than the same lot done in one pass. The line itself is minutes of work.
Curb work is its own rate
Curb painting runs at 300 linear feet an hour against 800 for lot lines, because it is a hand operation on an awkward profile with two faces, usually in a safety colour that needs to be clean and consistent.
What each will catch you out on
| Surface | What to watch for |
|---|---|
| Parking lot striping | Measured in linear feet of line, typically a 4 inch stripe. Layout time on a fresh lot is separate from painting time. |
| Parking stalls | Priced per stall, which is the unit commercial clients actually ask for a number on. |
| Curb painting | Measured by the foot. Face and top of the curb are both coated, which is why the area per foot is high for a linear item. |
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate a parking lot striping job?
Either count the stalls and price per stall, which is how most lots are quoted, or measure the actual painted length in linear feet for anything that is not a regular grid. Add the crosshatch, fire lanes, arrows and kerbs separately, then add sweeping, layout and traffic management, which are often a larger share of the job than the paint.
Should I price per stall or per linear foot?
Per stall for regular parking grids, because it is a repeatable unit the customer understands and it already includes a share of the shared lines. Per linear foot for aisles, loading zones, fire lanes, kerbs and any layout that is not a simple grid.
Do adjacent stalls share lines?
Yes, and this matters. Counting each stall as two full lines will overstate both paint and time significantly across a large lot. The stall calculator accounts for shared lines between neighbouring spaces.
How much does the surface affect coverage?
A lot. Fresh asphalt, aged porous asphalt and concrete all take traffic paint differently, and a rough or open surface will use noticeably more material than a smooth one over the same length. Line width matters just as much, since a wider specification uses proportionally more paint.
Why is night work more expensive?
Because the lot has to be usable during business hours, so the work happens when it is closed. Night and weekend labour costs more, phased work means returning to site several times, and each return carries its own set up and mobilisation. The paint does not change; the crew days do.
Are these calculators free?
Yes, with no signup and no email. They run in your browser like every other calculator on the site.
How fast is parking lot striping?
Around 800 linear feet an hour walked, or 2400 with a machine. It is by far the fastest application rate in the trade, which is why the cost sits in sweeping, layout, traffic management and mobilisation rather than in laying the line.
Why is curb painting slower than lot lines?
About 300 linear feet an hour against 800 for lot lines. A kerb is a hand operation on an awkward two-faced profile, usually in a safety colour that has to be clean and consistent, so none of the machine speed applies.