How to Write a Professional Commercial Painting Estimate?
A clear, accurate estimate builds trust before a single drop of paint hits the wall. On commercial sites in Edmonton, a good estimate does more than tally gallons and labour hours. It explains scope, sequence, safety, and scheduling in a way that helps a property manager say yes without worrying about hidden costs or missed deadlines. If you hire or compare commercial painting contractors in Edmonton, this guide shows what to expect in a complete proposal. If you’re a facility manager or building owner, it helps you read proposals with a sharp eye and ask the right questions.
This is written from the daily workbench of estimating — what actually wins projects and keeps them on track across Edmonton’s winters, shoulder seasons, and busy summers. It’s tuned for local conditions and building types you see across the city: steel-clad warehouses in the southeast, office towers downtown, retail plazas along 137 Avenue, schools and rec centres in Mill Woods, and multifamily blocks near Windermere and Ellerslie.
What makes a commercial painting estimate “professional”
A professional estimate is specific, transparent, and designed to answer questions before they come up. It identifies surfaces, prep levels, products, coats, access needs, safety measures, and the schedule. It ties these elements to a firm price with clear assumptions and exclusions. It should be easy to scan, but thorough enough that you can hand it to your operations or finance team without translating it.
In Edmonton, the best estimates also account for local realities: temperature ranges that limit exterior seasonality, humidity and cure times inside mechanical rooms, and coordination with trades during tenant improvements. Good commercial painting contractors in Edmonton document these constraints in the estimate so the schedule is realistic.
Start with a site visit that captures the right details
An accurate estimate comes from a proper walk-through. Photos and old drawings help, but they do not show surface damage, old coatings, or access barriers. Plan a site visit and get permission to open mechanical rooms, access rooftops, and inspect stairwells and loading docks.
On site, we look for three things: quantity, condition, and access. Quantity means actual square footage and lineal footage of trim, handrails, or block walls. Condition means chalking paint, efflorescence on masonry, hairline cracks, peeling around window frames, oil stains on warehouse floors, or mold in wet areas. Access means ceiling heights, lifts or scaffolding requirements, restricted working hours, and security rules. These inputs drive 80 percent of the cost.
A note on measurements: laser devices speed things up, but always spot check a few large spans with a tape where surfaces are broken up by windows or alcoves. It prevents overestimating by 10 to 20 percent on irregular facades, which can make your price look inflated.
Put scope first and make it visual
Open your estimate with a short scope summary in plain language. State which buildings, floors, and areas are included, and which surfaces within those spaces are covered. Name the end finish for each substrate. For example, “Suite 302 office walls: eggshell latex, doors and frames: semi-gloss alkyd-modified waterborne enamel, exposed deck and joists: flat DTM acrylic.”
Photographs help. Include a few labelled images: “North elevation metal cladding — heavy chalking,” “Stairwell handrail — impact damage,” “Mechanical room piping — light rust, requires spot prime.” A manager in Edmonton’s downtown core might review five bids in one afternoon. Visual notes reduce back-and-forth and make your estimate easier to approve.
Break out prep work — Edmonton buildings need it
Prep is where paint jobs succeed or fail. In a commercial estimate, prep needs its own section with explicit methods. State whether you plan to wash, etch, sand, scrape, spot prime, or patch, and to what standard. If you write “standard prep,” clarify what that professional commercial painters in Edmonton means: for example, “clean, de-gloss, scrape loose paint, sand smooth, fill small holes and cracks, and spot prime bare areas.”
For exterior work in Edmonton, call out power washing and dry times. On metal cladding, note chalk removal and adhesion testing. On block or brick, note alkalinity checks and whether you will use a block filler. For parking garage ceilings with exposed concrete, specify how you will address efflorescence and existing sealers.
Inside, document patch levels. An office refresh with tenants in place might accept Level 3 patching with visible touch-up texture under strong light. A lobby or clinic usually needs a tighter finish. Explain it so the building owner understands the finish quality they are buying.
Identify substrates and pair them with the right coatings
Commercial buildings mix materials: drywall, concrete block, tilt-up panels, structural steel, galvanized doors, aluminum frames, wood doors, and more. Each needs a compatible product. Set up your estimate with clear substrate-by-substrate recommendations and include data in a simple line: product brand, sheen, and number of coats. For high-traffic areas, share your reasoning briefly: “Semi-gloss enamel on doors and frames resists disinfectants and scuffing.”
Factor Edmonton’s climate. For exterior season work, specify products that cure in cooler temperatures if you are painting in spring or fall. There are acrylics that can be applied down to the low single digits when temps are rising; specify the minimum temperature and window you will follow. For interior floors, note cure times before forklift traffic resumes, and tie that to the schedule.
If the building has prior oil-based coatings, confirm your plan: adhesion test, bonding primer, or complete scuff sand. Mention this explicitly; it avoids surprise failures and explains cost.
Access and safety plan: the hidden cost drivers
Access planning needs its own section because it affects cost and schedule. Note the lift type and working heights. If you expect to bring in a 45-foot boom to reach a parapet over a walkway, explain your plan for pedestrian control and permits. If you need interior scissor lifts for a gym or warehouse, clarify floor protection. Security rules in downtown towers often restrict lift deliveries to off-hours. Build that into both schedule and price.
Cover safety basics briefly but clearly. State that your crew is trained in fall protection, aerial lift operation, and WHMIS. Confirm that you will set up containment for dust and odor control in occupied spaces. For healthcare or food facilities, note low-odor or zero-VOC products and HEPA filtration if needed.
Scheduling in Edmonton: seasonality and tenant coordination
Exterior painting in Edmonton typically runs May through September, with shoulder work when temperatures cooperate. Put your targeted date range in the estimate and add a temperature clause that explains how cold snaps or rain will shift production. For busy retail sites, avoid peak customer hours; for offices, coordinate after-hours or weekends for common areas and stairwells.
Inside, the biggest schedule risk is tenant disruption. Offer a phasing plan: for example, “paint staff offices in two waves over two weekends; corridors overnight; boardrooms on Friday evenings.” Show how you will keep egress routes open and minimize odors. It reads practical and reassures property managers who field complaints.
Quantities, production rates, and how they translate to price
A good estimate shows the math. You do not need to print every calculation, but provide enough detail to justify your price. State measured square footage for walls and ceilings, lineal footage for base and rails, and counts for doors. Then connect those quantities to production rates.
In Edmonton, typical production rates for commercial interiors fall into these ranges:
- Walls on light to moderate prep: about 250 to 350 square feet per painter-hour per coat.
- Doors and frames: around 1 to 2 openings per painter-hour depending on condition and masking.
- Exposed structure: anywhere from 80 to 150 square feet per painter-hour per coat due to angles and masking.
Exterior rates vary more with access. Metal cladding on a straight run with lift access might average 150 to 250 square feet per painter-hour per coat, while stucco with patching runs lower. Share your assumed rates at least in summary. A practical paragraph earns trust and reduces haggling.
Materials: brand, coverage, and waste factors
Include product lines by name or allow an “or equivalent” clause if procurement requires competitive brands. Note the expected coverage per gallon for each substrate and coat. For example, drywall with eggshell latex at 350 to 400 square feet per gallon per coat, and block filler at 75 to 100 square feet per gallon. Include a small waste factor, usually 5 to 10 percent, to cover cut-ins, touch-ups, and spillage. Clarify that specialty coatings like epoxies or DTM systems carry higher material costs and specific recoat windows.
If colour changes are dramatic — say, dark charcoal to bright white — state when a primer or a third coat is included. That avoids underbids that turn into change orders later.
Labour, supervision, and overhead explained
Lay out labour hours by task group: prep, masking, cutting and rolling, spraying, and cleanup. Then show your crew makeup: number of painters, lead hand or foreperson, and expected daily hours on site. Edmonton sites often need site orientation time on day one; include it. If union or prevailing wage contexts apply, state that rate structure. Clarify that supervision and daily site coordination are part of your overhead, and articulate it as a percentage or a line item so clients know value sits behind the number.
Small touch that matters: name your project lead in the estimate if you can. People hire people. A property manager who sees a dedicated contact is more comfortable committing to a six-week project.
Allowances, exclusions, and assumptions — write them down
Clear boundaries prevent scope creep and disputes. Your estimate should include a clean section that lists what you include and exclude. Inclusions might cover minor drywall patching up to a certain square area per room, basic caulking, and moving light furniture. Exclusions could list major drywall repairs, replacement of rotten trim, electrical disconnections, hazardous material abatement, or repairs to surfaces hidden at the time of estimate. If parking fees, lift permits, or after-hours premiums apply in downtown Edmonton, make them explicit.
Assumptions are helpful on active construction sites. For example: “Assumes site is climate-controlled to manufacturer’s specifications for cure times,” or “Assumes clear access to walls, with furniture moved 3 feet off.” These notes protect both sides and speed issue resolution if conditions change.
Price format: lump sum with options
Most commercial clients prefer a lump sum per scope area, with alternates for add-ons. Provide a base price, then list options like extra stairwell, additional floor, epoxy on mechanical floors, or anti-graffiti coating at grade. This structure mirrors procurement practices in Edmonton’s property and facility management teams and lets them tweak scope without restarting the bid.
On larger projects, break down price by floor or area. Procurement can approve in phases if budgets require, and you still lock in the relationship.
Warranty and maintenance plan
Include a workmanship warranty term and what it covers. One to two years is common in commercial painting. Call out that product failures due to substrate moisture, leaks, or mechanical damage fall outside the warranty, but that you will assist with diagnosis. Add a practical maintenance note: “High-traffic doors and corners benefit from annual touch-ups; we can schedule this after tenant turnover or spring cleaning.”
Clients in Edmonton appreciate annual maintenance planning, especially in properties with winter wear on vestibules and parking structures.
Sample structure: how a strong estimate reads
Here is a structure that works well for commercial painting contractors in Edmonton and makes procurement teams happy:
- Project overview: site, building areas, and schedule window.
- Scope by area and substrate: walls, ceilings, doors and frames, exposed structure, floors.
- Prep plan: surface cleaning, repair levels, priming.
- Products and coatings: brand, sheen, coats, and application method.
- Access and safety: lifts, containment, pedestrian control, training.
- Quantities and rates: measured areas, production assumptions.
- Labour plan: crew size, hours, supervision.
- Materials plan: coverage and waste factors.
- Schedule and phasing: hours, tenant coordination, weather clauses for exterior.
- Pricing: lump sum plus alternates.
- Inclusions, exclusions, assumptions.
- Warranty and maintenance.
- Project lead and contact details.
This is readable in ten minutes and answers 90 percent of a manager’s questions.
Real Edmonton examples that inform pricing
A logistics warehouse near Edmonton International Airport needed interior office repainting plus an exposed deck in the loading area. The office space ran 5,800 square feet of walls and 1,200 square feet of ceilings; doors and frames totaled 26 openings. Prep was light. We priced two coats on walls at a production rate of 300 square feet per painter-hour per coat, ceilings at 400, and doors at 1.5 openings per hour. Exposed deck received DTM acrylic at 120 square feet per hour per coat due to masking around fluorescents and conduit. A two-person crew handled offices during weekdays; a three-person crew handled the loading area over a weekend for safety. The estimate showed labour at roughly 180 hours plus materials and lift rental, and it closed fast because the math lined up with the site realities.
A retail plaza on 137 Avenue needed exterior stucco refresh and metal parapet caps. We scheduled June for stable temperatures, specified an elastomeric for hairline cracks, and wrote a weather clause for rain delays. Lift access was straightforward, but parking control required weekend mornings and signage. We baked in two weekends and three weekdays, plus a wash and dry window. The estimate flagged elastomeric coverage at 80 to 120 square feet per gallon and justified the higher material line. The client appreciated that detail and approved before the season backlog grew.
Compliance and documentation you should see
Make sure the estimate mentions insurance certificates, WCB clearance, and city permits if needed for lane closures or lift use on public sidewalks. Add a note on SDS availability for all coatings. For healthcare or education sites, include a short statement on background checks if required. These items are simple to include and prevent delays after award.
How to compare bids from commercial painting contractors in Edmonton
If you are reviewing bids, align them on five points: prep levels, product lines and coat counts, access provisions, schedule and hours, and inclusions or exclusions. The lowest number often assumes lighter prep or fewer coats. Ask for clarification. A professional contractor can explain the difference in five minutes and will revise the scope so you compare apples to apples.
Look at communication quality. If the estimate is clear, the project is likely to be managed the same way. A contractor who can describe phasing, temperature limits, and cure times will handle Edmonton’s weather and tenant constraints without drama.
Make the estimate easy to approve: clarity wins
Short sentences beat jargon. Use headings and white space. Put the price where decision makers expect it and back it up with logic. Avoid vague terms like “as needed.” Replace them with quantifiable thresholds: “includes patching to 2 square feet per wall, larger repairs at unit pricing.” Add a simple schedule graphic if the project spans weeks.
In our experience, a well-built estimate reduces change orders and RFIs by half. It also shortens the time from bid to start, which matters in a city where the exterior season is short and interior work must squeeze around tenant calendars.
Local notes: Edmonton neighborhoods and building types
Downtown and Oliver: Expect after-hours for lobbies and stairwells, security sign-ins, and elevator bookings. Budget for parking.
South Edmonton Common, 99 Street, Gateway Boulevard: Retail work favors early mornings or late evenings. Plan odor control and traffic flow signage.
Industrial southeast and west end: High-bay spaces need scissor lifts, fall protection, and floor protection from tire marks. Schedule around forklift traffic.
University area and Whyte Avenue: Historic trims and plaster may need extra prep. Call out lead-safe practices if applicable to older structures.
North side plazas and schools: Coordinate with maintenance teams for summer windows. Elastomeric on aging stucco is common; plan for spot repairs.
These local patterns inform access plans, hours, and product choices. A strong estimate shows that you have worked in these contexts.
A practical, step-by-step flow you can follow
- Walk the site and document quantity, condition, and access with photos.
- Draft the scope by area and substrate, pairing each with prep level and product.
- Calculate quantities, set production rates, and translate to labour hours.
- Price materials with realistic coverage and a reasonable waste factor.
- Plan access, safety, and schedule with weather and tenant needs in mind.
- Write inclusions, exclusions, and assumptions in simple language.
- Present lump-sum pricing with alternates and a clear phasing plan.
This sequence keeps you from missing hidden cost drivers and makes your proposal clear.
Why many Edmonton projects choose Depend Exteriors for commercial painting
Clients who manage buildings across Edmonton tell us they value three things in their painting partner: clear estimates, steady scheduling, and clean sites. Our project leads build estimates that read like a plan, not a guess. We know how to phase work around tenants in Windermere, coordinate lift drops downtown, and finish exteriors inside Alberta’s short warm season without cutting corners on cure times.
If you need commercial painting contractors in Edmonton for an exterior refresh, an interior tenant improvement, or specialized coatings on steel, we can help you scope it correctly and price it with no surprises. We can meet on site, confirm measurements, and deliver a proposal that stands up to procurement review.
Ready to get a precise estimate?
Book a site visit with Depend Exteriors. We walk through your building, measure what matters, and deliver a professional, easy-to-approve estimate — one that covers prep, products, access, schedule, and a realistic price. Whether your property is in downtown Edmonton, Mill Woods, Terwillegar, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, or the west end, we’ll build a plan that fits your hours and your tenants.
Call us or request an estimate online. If timing is tight, tell us your deadline and we will prioritize your visit. A clear estimate makes the whole project smoother — and it starts with a conversation on site.
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.