How Much Do Painters Charge in Edmonton? A 2025 Pricing Guide for Homeowners and Businesses
Painting looks simple on a quote and complex on site. The number on the invoice reflects much more than paint on walls. It tracks prep, surface condition, building access, products that stand up to Edmonton winters, and crews who show up on time and finish clean. If you want a straight answer on cost, this guide gives you realistic ranges you can use to plan, compare, and decide. It draws on current rates we see across the city and what our crews run into on real jobs — from bungalows in Capilano to industrial units in northwest Edmonton.
The short version: interior residential painting in Edmonton often lands between $2.00 and $4.50 per square foot of painted area in 2025. Exterior homes trend higher, commonly $3.50 to $7.00 per square foot, depending on surface and height. Commercial painting in Edmonton spans a wide range — small office repaints can price near residential rates, while heavy-duty coatings for warehouses, parkades, and retail build-outs can run higher per square foot due to prep, safety, and schedule demands.
The long version below explains what pushes cost up or down, how contractors build quotes, and how to choose the right scope for your budget. If you prefer a direct estimate specific to your space and timelines, call Depend Exteriors. We paint homes and businesses across Edmonton, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, and the surrounding area, and we quote clearly.
What drives painting prices in Edmonton
Pricing is a formula that balances labour hours, materials, access, and risk. Edmonton adds its own variables: cold snaps, stucco and parging common on exteriors, tall great rooms in newer builds, and older character homes with lead-safe considerations. Expect your quote to respond to these factors.
Surface size and layout sit at the core. Painters charge by square footage of painted surfaces or by room count. Trim-heavy interiors, two-storey foyers, and many cut lines add time even if wall area looks modest. Ceiling height and staircase railings add ladder work and masking.
Surface condition matters more than most clients think. Clean, solid walls with minor nail holes repaint fast. Chalky stucco, flaking fascia, water stains, oil-based trim from the 80s, or hairline cracks slow the job. Oil-to-latex conversions require scuff-sand and bonding primer. Water stains and smoke odours need stain-blocking primer. On exteriors, bare wood needs spot priming; rust on metal needs wire brushing and rust-inhibiting primer.
Product selection shifts both material cost and production speed. High-hide paints cover faster in fewer coats. Elastomeric coatings bridge hairline stucco cracks but cost more per gallon and need careful weather windows. Low-VOC products help in clinics and daycares. Epoxy and urethane systems in commercial spaces increase both material and labour due to prep and cure times.
Access and logistics change the game. High walls, limited parking, elevator bookings, and after-hours work increase labour cost. For plaza storefronts and warehouses, you may need lift rentals, spotters, or fall-arrest gear. In winter, exterior work compresses into mid-day warmer windows, and that affects schedule and crew size.
Schedule pressure shows up on the quote. Tight turnarounds, night shifts, and phased work around tenants need larger crews and supervisory time. For occupied homes, daily reset and protection add hours. For commercial painting Edmonton projects, off-hours work to keep operations running brings a premium, but it often pays back in minimal disruption.
Typical 2025 price ranges in Edmonton
Use these ranges to budget. Actual quotes vary with scope and site conditions, but these figures reflect current market realities we see across Edmonton and nearby communities.
Interior residential walls and ceilings commonly price at $2.00 to $4.50 per square foot of painted surface. Rooms with lots of trim, accent colours, and patching trend to the higher end. Smooth walls in good shape with one colour through the main floor often sit near the lower end. Ceilings, especially textured ones, can add $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot beyond wall pricing. Trim and doors normally price by the linear foot or by piece, often $2.00 to $3.50 per linear foot for trim and $80 to $150 per standard door, depending on condition and paint system.
Whole-home interior repaints for a typical 1,600 to 2,200 sq ft home often fall between $3,500 and $8,000 when walls are in fair condition, with one wall colour and white trim already in good shape. Add rooms with heavy patching, deep colour changes, or new drywall finishing, and you will see $8,000 to $12,000.
Exterior residential jobs vary more, since surfaces vary. Vinyl siding repaints (where applicable and colour-safe) tend to live near $2.50 to $4.00 per square foot of siding surface. Stucco sits near $3.50 to $6.00 per square foot, since it drinks paint and may need crack repairs. Wood siding with scraping and priming can move from $4.00 up to $7.00 per square foot. Add fascia, soffits, and railings and your lump sum grows. Typical Edmonton bungalows run $4,500 to $9,000 for full exterior work; two-storey homes range from $7,500 to $15,000+. Homes with complex gables, walkouts, or limited access can push higher due to ladder and lift time.
Commercial painting Edmonton rates span a broad spectrum. Light-duty office repaints in open areas often price at $2.00 to $3.50 per square foot of wall surface, with economies of scale on larger footprints. Tenant improvements with new drywall and quick schedules may fall near similar numbers if walls need minimal prep. Retail build-outs with brand colours, feature walls, and after-hours scheduling often land at $3.00 to $5.00 per square foot. Industrial facilities with block walls, steel, deck ceilings, or epoxy floors shift to system-based pricing. Expect $4.00 to $8.00 per square foot for deck ceilings with spray application and containment, and $5.00 to $12.00 per square foot for floor systems depending on prep (grind vs. shot-blast), product (epoxy vs. polyaspartic), and thickness.
Exterior commercial work adds equipment and safety line items. Small plaza facades may be $4.00 to $7.00 per square foot of surface. Large tilt-up or metal-clad warehouses add lifts, traffic control, and specialty coatings; bids scale with footage and height. Many of these jobs price as a lump sum after a site walk to capture access constraints.
Line items inside a quote
Good quotes show more than a total. You should see how the painter plans to do the work so you can compare apples to apples.
Surface preparation comes first. This covers cleaning, scuff-sanding, caulking, patching, and priming. On interiors, that might mean filling small holes and pin cracks, sanding, spot priming, and one final skim on high-visibility walls. On exteriors, it includes pressure washing, scraping loose paint, minor stucco patching, and priming raw areas.
Protection and masking should be clear. Floors, counters, furniture, fixtures, and landscaping need cover. For commercial spaces, masking sprinkler heads and life-safety devices requires care to avoid violations. Time spent here prevents costly cleanup and damage.
Coats and products should be named. Expect language like “two finish coats on walls in eggshell, one coat on ceilings in flat, one coat on trim in semi-gloss with bonding primer where needed.” For commercial painting Edmonton, you may see “DTM acrylic on steel,” “block filler on CMU,” or “100% solids epoxy for floors,” along with manufacturer and sheen.
Access and equipment appear as separate notes. Ladders, scaffolds, lifts, containment, and HEPA sanding capture the real scope. Winter exterior work may include heated enclosures for small sections or a deferred schedule plan.
Cleanup and waste handling matter. The quote should include debris removal, vacuuming, and proper disposal of used materials. For commercial, it may include daily reset to keep walkways clear for staff and customers.
How paint quality affects cost and longevity
Paint is not all the same. The same colour can cost half as much if you pick a budget line, but you pay in coverage and durability. In Edmonton’s dry winters, low-quality wall paint scuffs easier and touch-ups can flash. On exteriors, cheap acrylics chalk sooner in sun and crack in freeze-thaw cycles.
On interiors, premium wall paint that covers in two coats instead of three saves labour, which more than offsets material cost on larger jobs. Scrubbable finishes in kitchens, hallways, and mudrooms pay back over time. Ceiling paint with true flat hides roller marks. For trim, a durable waterborne enamel levels better and holds up to door swings and vacuum bumps.
On exteriors, high-solids acrylics bond well to stucco and wood. Elastomeric coatings, when used correctly on sound stucco, bridge micro-cracks and shed water. For metal, direct-to-metal acrylics or urethanes resist rust. For CMU block, block filler plus two coats of finish gives a smoother look. In commercial settings, epoxies and polyaspartics resist forklift traffic, chemicals, and salt tracked in from snowy lots.
The budget choice sometimes makes sense in low-traffic spaces, rental turnovers, or short-term plans. For long-term ownership, premium lines reduce both maintenance and repaint cycles.
Seasonality and Edmonton weather
Painting has a calendar. Interior work runs year-round, though humidity swings in winter affect drying time and patching. Turning up the heat helps dry, but too much speed can cause flashing or roller ridging. Good painters stage work with proper cure times even on a tight schedule.
Exterior work runs from mid-May to late September in most years. Spring brings cool nights and rain; fall brings frost risk. Stucco and masonry need surface temperatures above the product’s minimum, often 10°C, during and after application for proper cure. Wind affects spray work and overspray risks. Responsible contractors watch the forecast and may pause rather than push through bad windows. If your timeline pushes late fall, expect a conversation about product choice, staging, or deferral to the next season.
Commercial exteriors sometimes proceed in colder months with heated enclosures for small sections, but that adds cost. For budget control and quality, plan exterior work inside the warm window.
Real Edmonton examples from recent seasons
A 1,900 sq ft two-storey in Terwillegar with light patching, one wall colour throughout, white ceilings and existing white trim: walls and ceilings came in near $5,400. The home had smooth walls in good shape and normal ceiling heights, so production stayed efficient.
A stucco bungalow in Ottewell with hairline cracks and faded fascia: we cleaned, repaired cracks, spot-primed, and applied two coats of premium acrylic on stucco and two coats on trim. The total landed near $7,800, partly due to fascia repairs and careful masking of mature landscaping.
A small office in downtown Edmonton, 4,200 sq ft of workspace with demountable partitions: walls and doors repainted with low-odour products during off-hours across three nights, at about $3.10 per square foot of wall area. The after-hours schedule added cost, but the firm avoided downtime.
An industrial bay in northwest Edmonton that needed an epoxy floor, 3,000 sq ft of slab with oil staining: we degreased, mechanically ground the surface, patched spalls, and installed a two-coat epoxy with flake broadcast. The system priced near $7.50 per square foot due to heavy prep and material.
Your project will differ, but these snapshots show how scope, schedule, and condition shape the final number.
How bids for commercial painting Edmonton projects are built
Commercial quotes often start with drawings or a site walk. For tenant improvements and new builds, drawings give wall lengths and heights. Real conditions still need a visit to understand access, substrate, and schedule. For repaints, occupied spaces require phasing plans to keep staff and customers safe.
Expect the estimator to map zones and production rates. Open areas paint faster than full-height wall cubicle fields. Textured deck ceilings spray faster but require extensive masking and shutdowns of sensitive equipment. If your site has IT rooms, clinics, or food prep, product choices and masking standards change.
Safety and compliance add predictable costs. Lift certifications, fall arrest gear, hazard communication, and hoarding are part of responsible work. Night or weekend work often carries premiums to cover crew differentials and supervision. If your project has hard deadlines, your bid may include overtime or larger crews to reduce total days on site.
Many commercial clients need warranties, safety documentation, and product data sheets. A good contractor provides these without drama and keeps a clean site log. For property managers, this paperwork helps during audits and insurance renewals.
Ways to manage your budget without cutting corners
There are smart places to save and places where savings cost more down the road. You can often reduce cost by limiting colour changes and keeping one wall colour across main areas. Deep colours and reds need extra coats. Accent walls are fine, but each new colour adds setup time and leftover paint inventory.
You can bundle work. Painting walls before new floors go in saves masking and reduces risk of damage. If you plan to replace casing or baseboards, wait to paint trim until after install. For exteriors, align painting with window replacements, stucco repairs, or siding work. One mobilization beats three.
Do your own furniture moving if you can. Clear small items from surfaces and floors. Painters can move couches and desks, but fragile items slow the day and increase risk. In offices, assign someone to coordinate desk clearance and IT moves ahead of schedule.
Choose the right product tier. Use premium paint where wear is high — entryways, halls, kitchens — and standard lines in guest rooms or storage areas. In commercial spaces, reserve high-spec systems for high-traffic zones and use standard DTM where exposure is mild.
Finally, avoid scope creep. Additions during the job disrupt flow and push labour hours up. If you want extra rooms or features, decide before the crew starts. You will get a better unit price and a smoother schedule.
Why some quotes look cheap — and what to watch for
Low bids can mean lean overhead and tight crews. They can also hide thin prep, single-coat coverage over bold colours, watered-down paint, or unplanned change orders once work starts. Ask for details on prep, number of coats, and product names. Confirm that ceilings, closets, and behind appliances are included if you expect them done.
Insurance and WCB coverage should be current. Ask for a certificate. For commercial painting Edmonton work, ask about site safety plans, lift training, and after-hours supervision. Lack of these safeguards can become your problem if something goes wrong.
Clarify touch-ups and warranty terms. A common standard is a walk-through at the end and a short window for touch-ups. Paint settles and light changes through the day. Good contractors return to fix misses. Make sure that return visit is part of the service, not a paid extra.
How we quote at Depend Exteriors
We start with a site visit. Measurements and photos go into a clear scope. We check walls, trim, ceilings, and substrates. For exteriors, we assess stucco, wood, and metal, as well as slope, access, and landscaping. For commercial projects, we walk with your site rep to understand hours, staging, and tenant needs.
Your quote arrives with line items for prep, number of coats, and named products suited to your space. We state what is included and what is not, so you can compare with other bids. If you need options, we price them as add-alternates — for example, upgrade to a scrubbable finish in hallways, or add deck ceiling spray in Phase 2.
We schedule with your timeline in mind. For homes, we set daily start and stop times and keep a tidy site. For businesses, we plan after-hours or phased work to keep you operational. Our crews are trained for lift work, fall protection, and safe handling of coatings. We work across Edmonton and nearby areas and are used to local site rules and condo boards.
Quick benchmarks you can use
Use the following checkpoints when you review quotes or sketch a budget for 2025:
- Interior walls and ceilings in good condition often land between $2.00 and $4.50 per square foot of painted surface. Add $2.00 to $3.50 per linear foot for trim and $80 to $150 per door for repainting.
- Exterior stucco and wood exteriors usually fall between $3.50 and $7.00 per square foot of surface, with bungalows ranging $4,500 to $9,000 and two-storeys $7,500 to $15,000+.
- Commercial painting Edmonton office repaints sit near $2.00 to $3.50 per square foot of wall area, while specialty ceilings, floors, and industrial substrates move into $4.00 to $12.00+ per square foot depending on prep and system.
These ranges are reference points, not a substitute for an on-site look. Real numbers depend on prep, height, access, and schedule.
Neighbourhood notes that affect cost
Older homes in Highlands, Glenora, and Strathcona often bring plaster walls and original trim. Prep is slower, and lead-safe practices may apply if old coatings test positive. Expect a premium for careful surface repair and bonding primers.
Newer builds in Windermere, The Hamptons, and Summerside often have high foyers, lots of railings, and open-to-below spaces. Ladders and scaffold tower setups add time, and accent features may need extra coats to look right.
Condos downtown or in Oliver can require elevator bookings, parking permits, and security check-ins. That overhead shows up in the quote even if the wall area looks small. If your board has strict work hours, plan for a longer schedule with fewer hours per day, which can affect cost.
For commercial sites across south Edmonton Common, West Edmonton Mall outparcels, and industrial parks, seasonal parking and traffic control matter. Retail stores need night work or split shifts to avoid crowds. Industrial bays need coordination around forklift traffic and shipping. Each site’s logistics shape labour hours.
Timeline: how long painting takes in practice
A typical three-bedroom home interior, walls and ceilings, needs two to four days with a two-person crew, assuming normal patching and one wall colour. Add trim and doors, and you add one to two days. If rooms must stay in use during the project, plan for a room-by-room sequence that adds time but maintains access.
A standard bungalow exterior in summer often takes three to five days, with weather buffers. Two-storey exteriors can stretch to a week, especially with fascia and railing details.
Commercial office repaints of 5,000 to 10,000 sq ft often phase over a week or two with nights or weekends. Deck ceiling spray areas move fast once masked, but masking can take a day per zone. Floor coating projects hinge on cure times; Depend Exteriors many epoxy systems need one day for prep and one to two days for coats and cure before traffic resumes.
Warranty, maintenance, and repaint cycles
Interior walls in normal use last five to seven years before a full repaint, longer with scrubbable finishes and careful touch-ups. Trim and doors take more abuse and may need touch-ups sooner. Kitchens, baths, and mudrooms benefit from higher-sheen paint that resists moisture and marks.
Exteriors in Edmonton face sun, wind, and freeze-thaw. Stucco in good shape with a quality acrylic system can look fresh for eight to ten years. Wood siding needs more frequent checks; plan for five to eight years depending on exposure. South and west faces fade faster.
For commercial painting Edmonton sites, repaint cycles depend on use. Offices often go seven to ten years between full repaints, with touch-ups during tenant changes. Retail spaces refresh more often to match brand changes. Industrial coatings last long when prep was correct; floors can go five to ten years with the right system and maintenance.
A meaningful warranty backs workmanship and products. We stand behind two-year workmanship coverage on most repaints, longer on specific systems when the manufacturer supports it. Warranty specifics appear in our quotes.
What to do before your painter arrives
A bit of preparation on your end keeps the job smooth and cost steady.
- Clear counters, shelves, and small items. Move light furniture where possible, and unplug electronics. Painters handle heavy pieces, but empty rooms go faster and safer.
Everything else on the checklist falls into plain steps: confirm colour names and sheens before day one; reserve elevator time if you live in a condo; arrange pet care or closed rooms; and share alarm codes or entry plans if work starts before you get home. For commercial sites, notify staff of work zones and post signs so no one walks into fresh paint.
Ready for an exact number?
If you need real figures for your home, office, or facility, bring us in for a quick site walk. Depend Exteriors provides clear, itemized quotes for Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Beaumont, and nearby areas. We handle interior and exterior work for homeowners, property managers, and businesses — from small office repaints to warehouse coatings and retail build-outs. For commercial painting Edmonton projects, we respect your operations and plan around them.
Call or email to schedule a visit. Share photos if you want a ballpark first, then we firm it up on site. We will tell you what the job needs, what it costs, and when we can start. You get a clean finish, a tidy site, and a schedule that fits your day.
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.