Guide
How long does a mural take?
From a few days for a focused interior piece to a few weeks for a building-scale exterior wall. Here's what sits behind that range — and how to keep your project on schedule.
The two timelines: design and painting
Every mural has two clocks. The first is design — the conversation, sketches, and color direction rendered onto your wall for approval. The second is production — prep, painting, and sealing on site. Design usually runs a week or two depending on revisions; painting depends almost entirely on size and detail.
Rough painting timelines
- Small interior feature wall: often 1–3 days of painting.
- Mid-size commercial or restaurant wall: typically several days to a week.
- Large exterior / building-scale mural: one to several weeks, including prep, lifts, and sealing.
These are ranges, not promises — a photorealistic portrait takes far longer than a bold graphic of the same size. You always get a firm timeline in the proposal, before work starts.
What speeds it up
- A clear brief and quick approvals on the sketch stage.
- A prepped, accessible wall (clean surface, easy access, power on site).
- Booking ahead so the work lands in a good weather window — important for exteriors in Florida.
What slows it down
- Multiple rounds of design changes after approval.
- Surface surprises — repairs, heavy prep, or priming a rough wall.
- Permitting on civic and public walls, and rain delays on exteriors.
Planning around a date?
If you have an opening, event, or grand reveal, share the deadline up front. With enough lead time, the schedule is built backward from your date.
Free guide
Commissioning a mural? Get the free checklist.
The exact steps I use across 600+ murals to scope, price, and protect a commission — so your wall gets done right, on budget, and on time.
- — What actually drives a mural's price
- — The 6 stages of a professional commission
- — 5 red flags to walk away from
Get a timeline for your wall
Share the space, size, and any deadline — you'll get a firm schedule with your proposal within one business day.
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