How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Painter In Edmonton?
Budgeting for a paint job in Edmonton can feel vague until you see real numbers tied to real conditions. Labour rates shift by season. Material quality matters more in our dry winters and sunny summers. Industrial sites carry different prep and safety requirements than a bungalow in Capilano. This guide breaks down what you can expect to pay across residential, commercial, and industrial painting in Edmonton, plus what moves the price up or down. If you need firm numbers for your project, Depend Exteriors can quote the work after a short site visit.
The short answer: typical ranges in Edmonton
For interior residential painting in Edmonton, most homeowners pay between $2.00 and $4.50 per square foot of painted area, materials and labour included. On a per-room basis, small bedrooms often land between $350 and $700, while a main-floor repaint in an average 1,200–1,600 sq. ft. home commonly falls between $3,000 and $6,500 depending on color changes, drywall repair, and trim.
Exterior residential projects usually range from $2.50 to $6.00 per square foot of paintable surface. Stucco, Hardie, and older cedar siding need different prep and products. A typical two-storey exterior repaint often sits between $4,500 and $11,000, with larger homes going higher if there is fascia/soffit, deck railings, or extensive scraping.
Commercial interiors in Edmonton frequently price between $2.25 and $5.50 per square foot of paintable area, trending higher when night shifts are required to keep the space open during the day. Retail fit-outs, tenant improvements, and offices with glass partitions need careful masking and staging, which affects labour.
For industrial painting in Edmonton, pricing follows a different logic. You are paying for coating system selection, surface preparation method, safety controls, and access. A light industrial shop interior might run $3.00 to $6.50 per square foot when it is basic drywall and steel columns. Protective coating work on structural steel, tanks, mezzanines, or machinery can run anywhere from $8 to $20 per square foot and beyond, especially if abrasive blasting, epoxy/urethane systems, or moisture-cured urethanes are needed. Confined-space work, food-grade prep, and shutdown schedules add more.
These are real-world ranges we see across the city. The lower end assumes simple prep, easy access, and solid existing paint. The higher end includes surface repairs, multiple colors, specialty coatings, or tight timelines.
Why prices vary in Edmonton
Weather and building stock drive cost here. We paint in a climate that swings from -30°C to +30°C across the year. Exterior scheduling is short, and the right primer matters in spring when surfaces still breathe out moisture. Older neighbourhoods such as Westmount, Highlands, and Strathcona include century homes with mixed substrates, lead paint risk, and trim that demands handwork. Newer areas like Windermere and The Hamptons have more drywall, less repair, but taller walls and open-to-above spaces that need staging.
On the industrial side, Edmonton’s energy and fabrication sectors bring their own standards. Shop floors near Nisku or the Anthony Henday may require CSA-approved fall protection, hot work permits, and equipment-specific lockout plans. Choosing coating systems that stand up to solvents, forklift traffic, and washdowns is part of the price.
Labour availability fluctuates with construction cycles. Summer exterior demand drives rates up slightly. Winter interior work often comes with better scheduling flexibility. Material costs change too. Premium low-VOC acrylics and 100 percent acrylic elastomerics cost more but solve adhesion and fading problems that cheaper paints cannot in our UV-heavy summers.
Interior residential painting: what affects your quote
Room size and wall height are the first inputs. Nine-foot ceilings cost less than twelve-foot. Open plans with fewer doors and cut-ins go faster. Wall condition matters. If we see nail pops, settlement cracks, or previous paint drips, we include patching and sanding time. One color across the main floor runs faster than three feature walls and a contrasting trim.
Trim and doors are separate line items. Sprayed trim needs careful masking; brushed trim takes more time and results in a different texture. Repainting stained wood to white requires stain blocking primer and more coats.
Color changes affect coverage. Moving from dark blue to white often takes a primer plus two finish coats. A light beige to another light neutral can cover in two coats. Paint quality changes how many coats you need and how forgiving the finish looks in low winter sun when every roller mark shows.
Accessibility counts. Stairwells need ladders or small towers. A downtown condo near Oliver with no loading dock can add time for parking and material movement. We factor it in so your schedule stays realistic.
Expect the average Edmonton interior to include a site protection phase. Floors get rosin paper or drop cloths. Furniture is pulled to center. Vents, switches, and fixtures get masked. These steps keep your space clean and are included in a professional quote.
Exterior residential painting: Edmonton-specific factors
Our freeze-thaw cycle is tough on caulk joints and horizontal surfaces. We often need to cut out and replace failed caulk, not just smear more over the top. Stucco needs hairline crack repair with elastomeric patch. Cedar siding needs spot-priming on knots and sometimes a bonding primer if it is weathered silver. If a previous owner used a low-grade product, you will see chalking. That reduces adhesion unless we wash and bind the surface first.
We watch temperature windows. Many premium acrylics want at least 10°C during application and a few hours after. Spring jobs may need mid-day start times to avoid cold mornings and near-freezing evenings. That timing affects production speed and staging.
Two-storey homes in Glenora or Ritchie often need scaffolding or pump jacks for safe access. A simple bungalow in Ottewell usually needs only ladders. Roof pitch, grade change, and landscaping also influence access. A dense hedge can slow set-up, and that time shows up in the price.
Metal and vinyl surfaces follow different rules. Many metal garage doors need a bonding primer to avoid early peeling. Vinyl siding has limits on how dark you can go without heat distortion. We use color-safe formulations if you want a darker look.
Commercial spaces: retail, offices, schools
Tenant improvement timelines are tight. If you need work done after hours at a retail location near Whyte Ave or in South Edmonton Common, we extend shifts to night and weekends. That adds a small premium to cover overtime and noise controls. Paint selection matters in high-traffic areas; scuff-resistant eggshells and scrubbable mattes keep walls looking clean longer and reduce maintenance costs.
Open offices with acoustic ceilings require a different approach than a boutique shop with feature millwork. We disconnect and mask light fixtures, cover workstations, and coordinate with building management for elevator and loading bay access. A clear schedule reduces your downtime and saves you money, which is why an on-site walkthrough is the best way to pin the price.
Schools and daycares often require low-odor, low-VOC products. Those paints cost more but let spaces reopen faster. If you have a shutdown window in July or during winter break, we plan the crews to complete the work inside that window.
Industrial painting Edmonton: what to expect and what it costs
Industrial painting is less about color and more about surface protection. If you are in fabrication, warehousing, food processing, or energy service, your coating system should match your exposure. In Edmonton, that usually means epoxies and urethanes for steel, fast-drying alkyds for low-temp applications, and high-build elastomerics or acrylics for masonry in wet or freeze-prone areas.
Surface preparation drives performance and cost. Hand-tool cleaning and power washing are the lower-cost options for lightly rusted steel or dusty block walls. For structural steel, platforms, or tanks, you may need abrasive blasting to SSPC standards. That adds containment, media, and cleanup, but it is the reason a coating lasts 10 years instead of 3. If blasting is not possible due to occupied spaces, we specify surface-tolerant primers and schedule mechanical prep that balances reality with longevity.
Coating selection changes the budget. A two-coat epoxy with a urethane topcoat costs more upfront than an acrylic, but it resists solvents, UV, and abrasion. On shop floors, we might recommend a high-solids epoxy with an aggregate broadcast for slip resistance, then a urethane for UV stability by loading docks with sunlight exposure. For food or pharma, we look at low-odor, low-VOC products with compliance documentation. All of these choices add or reduce cost based on your risk tolerance and maintenance plan.
Access and safety are serious line items. Fall protection, scissor and boom lifts, confined-space permits, and hot work controls add time and equipment costs. If your facility runs 24/7 and only has a short shutdown window, we schedule more painters and fast-cure products to meet that constraint. Those decisions raise the per-square-foot rate but protect your operations.
As a working range, light industrial repainting in Edmonton shop spaces often runs $3 to $6.50 per square foot when surfaces are sound and prep is limited to wash and scuff. Structural steel, tanks, and catwalks with a full protective system often fall in the $8 to $20 range, with specialized tasks or tight shutdowns pushing higher. If you are comparing quotes, check that the surface prep standard, coating system, film thickness, and safety measures match. Apples to apples matters in industrial work.
If you are searching for industrial painting Edmonton, reach out. Depend Exteriors handles site assessment, specification, and execution across the metro area, including Nisku, Acheson, and Sherwood Park.
How painters in Edmonton price work
Most professional painters combine methods. For residential and commercial interiors, per-square-foot pricing gives a quick snapshot, then we confirm with a time-and-material check. For exteriors, we account for elevation and access. For industrial projects, we build from surface prep, system selection, access, and production rates based on the substrate.
Paint is usually included. Quotes list the brand and product line. You will see lines for walls, ceilings, trim, doors, and repairs. If there is wallpaper removal, lead testing, or popcorn ceiling removal, those sit as separate items because they are messy, time-consuming, and can expose risks that change the scope.
Warranty terms should match the product and environment. A two-year labour warranty is common for residential. Industrial coatings may have system warranties tied to mil thickness and prep level. If you want longer coverage, expect stricter prep and inspection steps that add cost upfront and remove guesswork later.
Real Edmonton examples and what they cost
A couple in Glenora called us for a main-floor repaint. Nine-foot ceilings, lots of natural light, and a color change from beige to a warmer white. Walls were in good shape. We patched ten minor dings, did two coats of premium low-sheen acrylic, and one coat on ceilings. The work took three days with a two-person crew. Total: $3,800 including paint and materials.
A shop in Acheson needed columns and a mezzanine repainted with a solvent-resistant system near a parts washer. The steel had moderate rust, old alkyd peeling, and difficult access above active lines. We scheduled a weekend shutdown, used power tool cleaning with vacuum shrouds, applied a surface-tolerant epoxy primer and a urethane topcoat. Lifts, safety watch, and containment were part of the plan. Total area: 3,200 sq. ft. Price landed near $12 per square foot due to access, product, and schedule.
A two-storey stucco home in Terwillegar had faded paint and hairline cracks. We pressure washed, did elastomeric crack repair, spot-primed, and applied two coats of a high-grade exterior acrylic at proper spread rates. Soffits and metal railings were included. Scaffolding was required on one elevation with a steep drop. Total: $8,900.
These examples show how scope, surface, and access set the price more than a simple square-foot number.
What you can do to lower cost without hurting quality
You do not need to buy the paint yourself to save money. In fact, pro pricing on paint is often better than retail, and we stand behind it. What helps most is access and clear scope. If we can work in empty rooms, we move faster. If you confirm colors before the start date, we avoid change orders. If touch-ups from other trades are likely, plan them before the final coat so we are not repainting finished walls.
Ask about sheen and product tiers. In many Edmonton homes, a scrubbable matte or low-sheen eggshell works best. In a kid’s room or mudroom, a more durable finish helps. You do not have to paint every surface; focusing on walls now and deferring ceilings that look fine is a reasonable choice when you are managing a budget. For exteriors, we can phase the work by elevation if needed.
On industrial projects, cost control means clear performance targets. If you only need a two-year refresh before an equipment upgrade, a lighter system is fine. If you want a 10-year interval, accept that we need heavier prep and coatings. Aligning expectation and system saves more than shaving a few cents per square foot.
What a professional estimate should include
A clear Edmonton painting estimate should spell out surfaces, colors or to-be-confirmed notes, number of coats, prep steps, product lines, and exclusions. It should identify site protection, daily cleanup, and waste disposal. For exteriors and industrial work, it should describe access equipment and safety controls. Timelines should include start window and estimated duration, plus temperature or facility constraints if relevant.
Insurance and WCB coverage should be current. Ask for it. On industrial sites, request safety documentation, hazard assessments, and SDS for coatings. For residential and commercial jobs, ask about odour control and ventilation. Winter projects may need extra fans to dry coatings in cooler interiors.
Edmonton neighborhoods and typical conditions
If you live in Riverbend, Windermere, or Summerside, expect tall walls and open foyers to add to the staging time. In Highlands and Glenora, heritage detailing means more brush work on trim and windows. In Mill Woods and Castle Downs, many homes have textured ceilings and older trim profiles that benefit from careful cut lines. Downtown condos often restrict hours for noisy work and elevator use, which changes how we stage material and crews.
Industrial zones around Yellowhead Trail, Nisku, and Acheson bring forklift traffic, welding in nearby bays, and tight shutdown windows. These sites often need low-temperature cure products in winter and careful dust control around sensitive equipment.
Knowing your area helps us anticipate the right plan and price it without surprises.
How long painting takes in our climate
Interior repaints run two to five days for most homes, depending on size and scope. Dry time between coats depends on product and humidity. Winter indoor air can be dry, which helps cure times, but we still allow proper intervals to avoid flashing or adhesion issues.
Exterior seasons are short. In a normal year, exterior painting in Edmonton runs from late May through September. We watch dew points and overnight lows. Rain delays are part of reality. Good communication protects your timeline.
Industrial schedules are driven by operations. We often paint during shutdowns, evenings, or weekends. Fast-cure systems can turn around a floor or catwalk overnight, but they carry odour and safety considerations that we plan around with ventilation and PPE.
What you pay for besides paint on the wall
A professional crew brings insurance, WCB, safety training, dust control, and a plan to protect your property. We include surface prep that extends the life of the job. We document products so touch-ups match later. We manage waste and cleanup so you are not finding overspray weeks later. These line items do not always show on a one-line quote, which is why a detailed breakdown matters.
If you compare a very low price to a mid-range quote, ask to see the prep steps in writing and the product list. The biggest hidden cost in Edmonton is skipping prep and priming. Paint might look fine for a season, then peel when winter hits. Rework costs more than doing it right.
Common questions from Edmonton clients
Do you charge for color consultations? We help with basic color selection at no cost when you book a project. Larger consultations with samples and multiple schemes are available at a small flat fee that we credit back if you proceed.
Can you work around pets and kids? Yes. We schedule rooms so you have usable space. We use low-odour products where possible. We secure doors and gates while we are on site.
Do you repair drywall or stucco? Yes. Small to medium repairs are part of most jobs. Larger damage or water issues may need a drywall or stucco specialist. We can coordinate that.
Is winter a good time to paint interiors? Absolutely. Dry indoor air helps curing, and you may get faster scheduling. Exterior work waits for warmer weather unless we are painting heated indoor areas or industrial spaces.
How far do you travel? We cover Edmonton, Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Beaumont, Nisku, and Acheson. For industrial painting Edmonton and area, we go where the commercial painting contractors Edmonton project requires if access and safety are manageable.
What your next step should be
If you are planning a repaint at home, walk your space and note walls, ceilings, trim, and repairs. Snap a few photos with good light. If you manage a commercial or industrial site, list the surfaces, current issues, and your downtime windows. Send us that information, and we will give you a working range before a site visit. After we see the space, you will get a fixed quote with products, prep, schedule, and warranty.
Depend Exteriors works across residential, commercial, and industrial painting in Edmonton. We match products to our climate, plan access safely, and price jobs with clear scope. Whether you need a fresh main floor, a retail refresh, or a coating system for steel and concrete in an active facility, we can help.
Ready for numbers you can plan around? Request a site visit today. We will confirm the scope, give you a clear price, and schedule the work to suit your home or operation.
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.