How much does commercial painting cost in Canada?
Commercial painting is priced per square foot of wall (or floor) area, with prep, height, coatings, and access driving the spread. Interior repaints sit at the low end; exterior, high-ceiling, and specialty-coating work (epoxy floors, intumescent fireproofing) runs well above.
Typical price breakdown
General planning ranges for Canadian commercial work. Your actual price depends on scope, region, building condition, and access.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Interior walls (2 coats) | $1.50 – $3.50 / sq ft |
| Interior with heavy prep / patching | $3 – $5 / sq ft |
| Exterior (per sq ft of surface)Higher with lifts/scaffolding. | $2.50 – $6 / sq ft |
| Epoxy floor coating | $4 – $12 / sq ft |
| High ceilings / lift workPremium over standard-height rates. | +15 – 40% |
| Line striping (parking) | $4 – $9 / stall |
What moves the price
Surface prep
Patching, sanding, priming, and mould or stain remediation can exceed the painting itself on neglected surfaces.
Height & access
Lifts, scaffolding, and swing stages for high or exterior work add equipment and labour cost.
Coating type
Standard latex is cheapest; epoxy, anti-graffiti, intumescent, and industrial coatings cost more per square foot.
Occupancy & scheduling
Painting around an operating business, often after hours, raises labour cost.
Area & repeat work
Large continuous areas and recurring multi-property contracts earn better rates.
How to get an accurate price
The numbers above are for budgeting. To get a real, scope-specific price, post your project as an RFP on PMRFP — describe the building, the work, and your region, and qualified painting companies respond with their own pricing. Posting is free, and getting two or three competitive responses is the simplest way to know the true market rate.
Use the Exterior Painting template
We’ve already built the scope, requirements, and evaluation criteria for this kind of project. Customize in seconds and post — go from cost guide to live RFP without writing from scratch.
Questions
PMRFP is a vendor discovery and RFP visibility platform. We do not guarantee project availability, bid success, contract awards, property manager response, or revenue. Members are responsible for their own due diligence, qualifications, insurance, licensing, pricing, and agreements.
Budgeting commercial painting? Get real numbers.
Post your project on PMRFP and qualified Canadian trades respond with real, scope-specific pricing. Free to post.