Process & Pricing

Wallspace Custom Murals by Chris Bordenca
Web site:  www.wallspacemurals.com   Email: Chris@Wallspacemurals.com

 

The Custom Mural Process - A Planning and Execution Perspective

As a budding muralist, my first revelation was that I could use a good contractor to plan for and administer my mural projects. My second revelation was that until I become rich and famous, I will have to fill this role myself! As I write this, I am wearing my contractor hat. It's a bit roomy but it is becoming more comfortable with each passing day. ;-)

As a budding contractor, I know a business relationship is best served when both parties have a good working relationship, a clear understanding of the requirements and a clear understanding of the proposed solution. I know a contract has to be a "win" for both parties. And I know we have to quickly get to the cost. To help with this, I have developed a process based on my experiences with past projects. 

Customer Consultation Request

Where do we start? Contact me via email or through my web site to set up a first consultation. The more information I receive beforehand the more productive our first meeting will be.

No Charge First Consultation

In the first meeting, I gain preliminary knowledge of the requirements and ideas for your mural project. You gain insight into the mural creation process. The first consultation includes:

• Reviewing your requirements and ideas for the mural
• Reviewing design concepts and themes
• Reviewing the size and complexity of the mural
• Reviewing a very rough cost and schedule estimate

The cost / schedule estimates are very rough at this point and are based on mural size, mural complexity and past experience. The estimate will give you a general idea of what this type of project will cost.

No Charge Follow-Up Session

If all goes well with the first consultation, I will prepare a preliminary statement of work and schedule a follow-up session. At the conclusion of the follow-up session, you should have a basic understanding of:

• The process I plan to use to create the mural
• A preliminary estimate of the project cost and timeframe
• A basic understanding of potential design themes and
• A clear understanding of the steps going forward

You, of course are under no obligation to proceed. If, after reviewing the preliminary statement of work and reviewing other alternatives, you choose to move the project forward, I require a non-refundable deposit to complete the mural design and contract (as defined below). The deposit will be applied to the total cost of the project should you decide to go forward with the mural.

Mural Design and Contract Proposal

Some mural designs are very simple and others are quite extensive. Regardless of the complexity, you should have a good understanding of how your mural will look when we complete the design.

The contract proposal is developed concurrently with the mural design. After we review the contract, you should have a clear understanding of all costs and payment terms. I like to schedule 2-4 equal payments as the mural is being painted. Small project payments are usually 50% upon contract signing and 50% upon completion. Large projects are segmented into 3-4 payments. A typical payment plan for a large project plan is:

• 25% upon contract award (less the nonrefundable deposit)
• 25% upon 1st completion milestone
• 25% upon 2nd completion milestone
• 25% upon completion of the mural

Mural Creation

The project begins when both parties sign the contract. It is important to maintain good communication throughout the project. Any questions or issues must be dealt with quickly and directly. I generally do this "as needed" at the mural location or over the phone. For projects lasting longer than several weeks, I find it helpful to document and review progress, plans and potential issues on a regular basis (weekly or bi-weekly).

Project Changes

There are times when you may want to request changes to the project plan. After all, change is natural and we have to expect it. You have my commitment to be flexible and to honor change requests that do not substantially increase work hours or material costs. However, adding more detail or changing work that is already in process almost always increases the time I spend on the mural. This cannot be emphasized enough. The best protection against change is to have a fairly complete understanding of and agreement to the project before signing the contract.

In the event that changes are requested that substantially alter work hours or material prices, we will have to agree to a contract amendment with price changes. I will base price changes solely on time and material changes to the contract at roughly the same rates quoted in the original contract.

And in Conclusion...

Does all of this seem undaunting? Maybe but fortunately it's a lot simpler than it sounds. For small projects (less than a week in duration), you will know what the project costs and how your mural will look before committing to the actual work. For large projects, we start with a solid planning framework, add details as we work through the design then execute the plan as we complete the mural.

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All info written and used with permission by Diana O'Gorman of DIANART Decorative Services
Web site:  www.mnsi.net/~dianart   Email:  dianart@mnsi.net