HOW TO PRICE VASARI PROJECTS. HOW MUCH TO CHARGE FOR PLASTERING AND LIME PAINTING.

Name: Vasari Lime Plaster & Paint
Address: 115 N Olive St, Ventura, CA, 93001, US
Telephone: +1-805-667-8454

Pricing Lime Plaster, Lime Paint (or Lime Wash) or Venetian Plaster Projects: Material, Labor & Per-Square-Foot Pricing

A Vasari Manufacturer Guide

How much should I charge my customers for installing Vasari products?

We do not want to tell any applicator how much they should charge their customers, or, if you're a customer, how much you should be paying. This article is simply a general guide of factors to consider. We understand that every region or country has a different construction culture and different approach to estimates and bids. This article is not country-specific and should be useful anywhere in the world. It focuses only on Vasari products: currently Lime Paint, Marmorino, Carrera, Corso, Veneziano, and Amano.

There are usually two ways to create an estimate for a project. The first is time and materials: the client pays for materials, and you charge for your time at whatever rate it's worth to you. This is straightforward, avoids any risk of loss for the applicator, and sometimes ends up more affordable for the project owner. The owner can purchase the product directly, or the applicator can purchase the materials and invoice the customer later, often with an added percentage.

Most projects, however, want a fixed estimated cost for the entire job. This lets them work within a proper budget and gives more assurance the project will be completed. In this case, the project is measured in square feet. For example, a wall measuring 10' x 12' totals 120 square feet. When calculating the estimate, include the area of doors and windows, since they take extra time to mask and detail.

For an estimate based on square footage of surface area, here are the fundamental variables to consider:

Material cost
Labor and time costs
Type of project, client, and location
What your desired look is

Material Cost

Material cost includes masking products, primer, additional prep materials, and of course the Vasari product the customer has chosen (or that the applicator recommended). It's important to understand the cost of all materials needed and how many layers each product requires. This also includes shipping and your time spent purchasing and delivering materials to the site. Always consult our website (vasariplaster.com) for current product pricing, delivery costs, and coverage rates for each material.

Coverage estimates on our website are based on a single coat only. Most of our products require two coats, and some applications — like our shower systems or other specialty finishes — require more. Either way, make sure you calculate coverage correctly so you know what to expect.

For example, if 5 gallons of a Vasari product covers 1,000 square feet in one coat, and the product costs $500, that works out to roughly $0.50 per square foot per coat. Since most applications need two coats, the material cost becomes $1.00 per square foot.

Add masking materials, primer, sealer, and the time to acquire them, and the cost increases by roughly another $0.40 per square foot — bringing total material cost to about $1.40 per square foot.

For our example wall of 120 square feet, total material cost is: 120 × $1.40 = $168.

Labor and Time Costs

Labor cost can vary widely depending on where you are in the world. Whether you're working alone or hiring others also affects your costs. But regardless of local wages or labor rules, there's one fundamental question to answer: how many square feet of wall area can an average person with a strong shoulder apply per day?

There's no single answer — it depends on the size of the room, wall height, ceiling work and other hard-to-reach areas, the look the customer wants, required prep work, masking time, and other factors that all affect total time on a job.

In our experience, for a soft, non-burnished texture applied in a basic four-walled room, an individual applicator can comfortably cover about 400 square feet of wall in one day for one coat — roughly 6 working hours. The same benchmark applies to lime paint. The second coat generally takes a similar amount of time, and sometimes longer due to extra attention to detail. Ceilings take more time and energy, and highly burnished plasters or additional coats add further time.

Pricing for wet areas reflects multiple layers of application — for example, Tadelakt finishes that include a Mastercoat basecoat, several thin layers of plaster, sealer, and wax. Tight detailing around niches and drains, plus extended curing time for quality control, can increase pricing further. Material cost is only a fraction of the total project cost in these cases; the craftsmanship and liability involved in waterproof applications justify premium rates.

A generous estimate is that an applicator can apply 200 square feet of finished product per day (accounting for the factors above), or about 1,000 square feet over a five-day work period, including masking and unmasking. This assumes an 11.5" to 14" trowel. A larger trowel generally speeds up application — just don't overdo it. Vasari products are creamy and can be spread in wide strokes when needed; some applicators use a 16" trowel throughout a project, though most are comfortable in the 11.5"–14" range.

Another important factor is the applicator's realistic daily working capacity. Authentic lime-based plaster is labor-intensive to apply, and the bulk of the per-square-foot cost is skilled labor, not material. Applicators rely on the same shoulder and muscle group repeatedly throughout the day.

Vasari plasters are typically applied with a trowel; lime paint is applied with a brush or sponge. There are efficient shortcuts available — for example, lime paint can be sprayed on for the first coat using an airless sprayer, and even for the second coat, then troweled, brushed, or buffed while drying for a more textured look. Plaster can also be sprayed using specialized equipment.

As a hypothetical: if labor costs $100 per person per day (including taxes, insurance, etc.), your labor cost per square foot would be $100 ÷ 200 sq ft = $0.50 per square foot. This is purely illustrative — make sure you calculate your actual total labor cost per applicator, including yourself.

To restate the benchmark: if an applicator covers 400 square feet of wall per day (200 sq ft of finished, two-coat product), and labor costs $100 per day, your labor cost is $0.50 per square foot.

Remember, there are efficient ways to apply lime paint or plaster on larger areas. For example, an airless paint sprayer can cover thousands of square feet per day with two applicators — one spraying, one managing the sprayer.

Returning to our example wall: $1.40 (material cost) + $0.50 (labor cost) = $1.90 per square foot.

Type of Project, Client, and Location

Not all projects are created equal. When estimating a job, factor in travel time, client demands, and project scope — and don't forget post-job expenses such as touch-ups and patches, or anything else the client may need.

Travel expenses can add up quickly: gas, and if the job is out of town (often the case with great projects), lodging and food. Also consider the cost of time away from home or family.

Clients differ in their demands and personalities, just as projects do. Some are modest, some are high-end; some are in humble homes, others in luxurious mansions. Sometimes you're working with an easy-to-please homeowner, and sometimes with multiple designers and architects while producing endless sample boards. Your time is valuable — charge accordingly, and remember that not everyone has the same budget.

Two coats of Vasari Lime Paint in the color Ardor.

What You Want to Charge

We now know the square-foot cost for our example: $1.40 (material) + $0.50 (labor) = $1.90. Anything charged above that is profit. So the real question becomes: how much do you want to make, and what can your customer realistically afford? Prices vary from city to city and house to house. Now that you understand the underlying numbers, ask yourself what you want to earn per day.

Using our 200-square-foot-per-day benchmark: if you charge $2.90 per square foot ($1.00 profit per square foot), that's $200 in profit per day for one applicator. At $6.90 per square foot ($5.00 profit per square foot), that's $1,000 per day. With three people working at that rate, that's $3,000 per day. These figures apply to a simple two-coat finish over a well-prepped, smooth surface.

If you still have questions, here's a rough starting point (and admittedly a controversial one): take a premium latex paint bid and multiply it by 2 to 4. That range can give you a sense of what's affordable and comparable. Higher-end materials generally cost 2 to 4 times more than the lesser option — think tile, marble, or wood floors versus linoleum. It costs more, but it makes sense to most customers.

Even though we supply materials to mansions and museums, lime plaster and lime paint aren't just for high-end projects — they're simply a superior alternative to conventional latex paint. We don't think of our materials as purely decorative finishes or accents, although they can be used that way. We see them as calming, beautiful, healthy, and natural backdrops for beautiful spaces.

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Hey! If you're still interested, here's a much older rambling article on how to price Vasari projects. It might be a little different and outdated, but still has a few helpful hints. Don't pay too much attention to pricing here... it changes through the years.

...

Plaster application is very profitable for applicators, contractors, architects and designers. For applicators especially, plaster might be one of the most lucrative and rewarding building trades around. There is tremendous potential in plaster.

There are billions and billions of square feet of walls and ceilings in the world. Most of it is covered in paint, wallpaper or paneling, and not enough plaster. Plaster should be almost everywhere. It looks great, it's natural, it's environmentally proactive, breathes, is hypoallergenic and easy to fix. It's been used for thousands of years in every part of the world for a good reason. It's beautiful stuff in every way. Why cover the inside of a house with paint (plastic)?

Most customers aren't aware of what natural plaster is. It's always surprising when designers or architects have never heard of it. Those who have heard of it might think it's an unaffordable luxury product. We want to change that. Whether you're buying our product or not, we want to elevate the plaster industry to become the standard of wall finishes, not more of an exception. It should be everywhere. Well, almost.

We sometimes try to steer away from the term 'Venetian' Plaster. There are so many synthetic looking 'Venetian' products and so many unique artistic jobs, that the term sometimes can give a mixed impression among customers.

A few numbers on plaster application and products

Competitor lime plaster brands (not ours) can cost up to $80 per gallon, and many are synthetic. Veneziano from imported brands ends up costing up to $2 per square foot in material cost, not to mention the special primers and sealers. Even synthetic plasters are often expensive for what they are. Marmorino can cost $3 or more per foot from other manufacturers.

Vasari products, made from crushed marble and lime, cost $28 to $32 per gallon for the wet mix of Marmorino and Veneziano, and only $18 per gallon for the dry mix. That's as low as $0.20 cents per square foot for 2 coats.

The following is a cost and time analysis for applying each of our products. We have wet and dry mixes. The dry mixes are about half of the cost of the wet. The only difference is you have to mix the dry mix.

The US average price for applying a basic 2 coat lime plaster in an interior is somewhere around $8 per square foot. Sometimes cheaper, sometimes a lot more. For example, a 3000 square foot house would end up costing $50,000. We want to make it more affordable. The bottom line is that even the most affluent people, in good economy or bad, find it expensive. It has to be more affordable, otherwise plaster will remain another exclusive luxury and the industry will never reach its true potential.

Charge what's fair to you and your customers. We don't want to tell you how much it should be, but we'll tell you what it could be...

Marmorino:

The wet mix is $0.40-$0.60 per square foot, per layer product cost, or $0.90 - $1.20 per square foot for 2 layers. The cost depends on the color of plaster (the darker tints are more expensive), on how thickly it's applied, and also on artistic embellishments and difficult to reach (or finish) areas.

Dry mix is about $0.60 cents for a 2 coat application. Colorants might be another $0.05 or $0.10 per square foot.

The first coat takes about 30-45 minutes to apply approximately 100 square feet. The second layer, because it must be finessed a little more, takes about one hour per 100 square feet. On average, for a basic 2 coat application, one can cover about 250-400+ square feet of product per day. That estimate includes masking to unmasking. Of course, this figure can change depending on size of wall, nooks, details, etc.

The cost for Marmorino is $0.60 per square foot for dry mix, and it's reasonable to apply about 300 square feet per day. Assume another $0.20 cents per square foot for masking, gas, etc. That puts material cost at $0.80 cents per square foot. Everything afterwards is profit. So if you charged $3.80 cents per square foot, the net profit is $3. Multiply that by your average daily coverage of 300 square feet per day, and you have $900 per day. If you charged $4.80, $1200 per day, $5.80 per square foot yields $1500 per day.

Of course you should charge extra for extra coats, sealers, waxes, etc, if they're needed. Artistic efforts and unusual walls (shape/ height) make a reasonable case to charge more. Charge what's fair for you and your client.

Veneziano:

For both coats included (or even three), the material cost about $0.40-0.60 per square foot. The dry mix costs $0.20-0.35 cents per square foot.

Like Marmorino, a basic two coat Veneziano application average is about 300 square feet of finished product per day. Sometimes less, sometimes much more. With Veneziano, your material cost is much less because it's a thinner material and your coverage is much greater than with Marmorino.

Even for $3.80 per foot, at 300 square feet per day, the daily net profit can average out to over $1,000 per day. Of course it's assuming everything goes very smoothly.

Carrera:

Our Carerra product, if used for interiors, is about the same cost and application speed as the Marmorino. It's used when a thicker, more robust finish is desired.

Lime Wash:

Lime Wash goes a very long way and application is very fast. 100 square feet should take about 30 minutes or less to apply. You can stretch a gallon to cover 600 square feet or more. Each layer costs around $0.05 per square foot. You can add many layers, and the cost will rise accordingly. You can charge $0.50 -2.00 per square foot for each layer of Lime Wash.

Dry mixes:

Dry mixes are about half of the price of wet mixes, as listed above. With dry mixes, you can charge very little and still do very well. Each bucket of dry mix takes about 5-10 minutes to mix and tint.

Rolling plaster:

Rolling is a quick way to apply large areas in little time, especially with Veneziano. You can roll on the plaster with a thick roller, and have someone else trowel it out with a large trowel or knife. Two people can average 1000 square feet per day of finished product.

Spraying plaster:

You can spray plaster with a hopper or mastic pump. This way you can apply thousands of square feet per day. Just thin down the plaster with a little water to the right consistency.

Sealers:

For our Mineral Sealer, the product cost per square foot is about $0.05 cent per square foot. You can apply soap sealer at a rate of 100 square feet per day or more. It's like gently washing the walls with water. It's very fast and easy.

Acrylic Sealer is about $0.10-0.20 cent per square foot in product cost. It goes on with a roller and brush. It is as fast as paint to apply.

Waxes:

Waxes are more labor intensive, especially for large scale areas. Wax can be charged at a minimum of $1.00 per square foot. Your material square foot cost is about $0.10-0.20 per foot.

More artistic application:

Obviously there are unlimited possibilities with plaster. You can burnish it perfectly, add different colors, extra layers, metallic finishes...you get the idea. A wall can turn into a laborious work of art instead of just a plastered wall. At some point, the sky's the limit on price. Charge what's fair for your time, artistry and sore shoulder.

Extra Costs:

Remember to include the price of masking materials, ladder rentals, scaffolding, etc. into your price to your customer.

Basic business guidelines:

You should be licensed in the state you work in. Have bonding and insurance for your business. Insurance is for damage you may incur on the property. Bonding is an assurance to your clients that the job will be completed, either by you or someone else. Different states have different requirements. Some states don't require licensing.

Have the proper contract forms when making bids or writing contracts. Always make a duplicate copy of everything for your records.

When bidding on a job, make sure you will profit. Measure everything out twice and write a day to day plan of what you need to make the money you want on the job.

Make attractive, professional business cards. Stand-out cards can make the difference. Keep them simple and elegant. Don't overdo it with colors and by-lines.

Always calculate extra material costs in your bid. Masking, primer, sealer, scaffolding, gas, and travel time all need to be considered when making bids. You can charge your clients extra for scaffolds and out of the ordinary things, but it is usually better to just include everything in the bid as a price per square foot cost.

Have a portfolio of pictures of projects and samples. If you haven't done any projects, no problem. We offer portfolio books that show a broad range of applications. Presentation is important considering the cost of the service. A portfolio book with about 10 great physical samples (small samples on primed MDF boards) makes a perfect presentation for clients. If you have a laptop, you can do a digital slideshow for your clients or just show them our Galleries and even the intro video on our homepage.

Make lots of samples. You should be able to make a great sample before doing the real thing. Samples are very important to show any client. For presentations, you should have at least 10 great samples (four Marmorino, three Veneziano, three Lime Paint). If you're just starting out, you should make dozens of samples just to practice. You don't have to order all of our colors to do so. You can purchase a few gallons of untinted products and purchase tints from your local paint store.

Making samples. Sample boards can be made any size, but most typically are 2' x 2', and 1' x 1'. Sometimes, with large scale subtle techniques, a 4' x 4' board may be necessary to show adequate variation. Use 1/4" or 1/8" MDF particle board or 1/4" drywall. 1/4" drywall and MDF are usually sold in stores that sell a range of drywall products. In general construction stores, drywall is sold as ½" to 5/8" sheets. These are very heavy to carry around. The ¼" sheets of drywall come in sheets measuring 8' x 4'. This is awkward to haul home, so, with a razor knife, measuring tape and a pencil, cut your pieces on the spot where you purchase your sheetrock or better yet have it cut by the store if possible. You can now cut them to smaller pieces of 1' x 1' or 2' x 2'. The 2' x 2' samples are much better for samples as they let the client see the variation of color and texture better. Use smaller samples for color matching samples. Prime your samples using a regular PVA primer. When priming, be sure to get the side edges so that the samples don't leave a trail of drywall dust. Then follow the instructions in the Applications section of this website. If you can do this successfully, be confident that you can do a whole house successfully.

Large hardware stores usually have a saw and will cut your MDF boards to your desired size. MDF is really the best because it's lighter and leaves no gypsum dust like drywall will.

It takes contacting a potential customer 6-7 times or more before you get the job. This is true in most marketing and it also applies to selling plaster projects.

Sell your clients. You need to be a convincing salesperson. Lime plaster is simply the best wall finish. It is the Rolls Royce or Prius (or whatever fits your client) of wall treatments. It is what faux finishes try to imitate (and it comes out at the same price). It's made of limestone and marble. Plaster is durable, healthy, keeps the home fresh, easily reparable and timeless in its beauty. It' naturally fights mold and regulates humidity. It keeps the home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Plaster only improves with time. It can be used in contemporary or old world settings. This is not only a Tuscan or old world look. Lime plaster is the same as the wall treatments used throughout Europe and the Middle East for thousands of years, Not only do you want to let your clients know they are getting the absolute best product, but it is important to make them feel educated and part of something intelligent. The Mona Lisa hangs on it in the Louvre, after all. Ultimately, plaster makes a more inviting, vibrant, natural space that your customers will enjoy much more.

Call the professionals and set up an appointment to show them your samples, including Interior Decorators, Custom Home Contractors, Architects, Designers, high-end furniture stores, and high-end art galleries. Don't let them tell you to send a card or a brochure. This doesn't work. If they really don't want to meet with you, ask for their e-mail address so you can send them pictures of samples, prices, and information about how fabulous the product is. Don't rely on paint stores to refer you to clients. Crunch the numbers for them; Interior Decorators do 20% to 30% markups, so give rates accordingly. In the interim, try to convince these potential 'partners' to allow you to set up your own little display at their place of business as a "value-added" service to their customers. Again, contact them at least 6 or 7 times. Wait at least 10 days before each contact or what you feel is comfortable. Bring some new piece of info or sample each time you see them or contact them.

Homeowners might be your best contacts because they're the ones who want things done ASAP. Designers and alike might have jobs, but they are months if not years away. Directly dealing with homeowners is often the most efficient way of growing your business. There are more small remodels going on every day than large high end construction projects. It's easier for many homeowners to justify a remodel, compared to building a new custom home. Getting paid is also sometimes a little easier with the homeowner directly.

Check out pricier neighborhoods and look for new construction. All builders and architects have their signs out in front of new buildings or major remodels. Take note and call them. You may even want to walk around inside and ask the workers who is doing what on the site. People often walk around job sites. Dress professionally. If someone asks what you're doing there, hand out a card and tell them what you do.

Talk to developers building speculation homes. The developers may ask why they should spend extra on a spec home. Tell them that their house value and curb appeal will both increase. Suggest that developers offer plaster as an extra option to their home buyers. For instance, a custom plastered powder room or bedroom. The client can then meet with you to pick a color. If this costs the developer $5,000, then he can increase the price of the house by $10,000. Building and selling a house is like selling a car; you can offer leather or vinyl. With your help, developers can give their buyers a greater choice.

Do presentations at local home and garden décor shows. If you get even one job, it will be worth your time.

After a successful large job, call your local newspaper (Lifestyles or Décor section) and design magazines. Find out the name and contact information of the assignment editor and appropriate journalists. Pitch them the story of plaster or your business, offering quotes from yourself and happy customers, and pictures. Customers love to have their homes featured. Media folks are always looking for good stories. Business sections may also be interested in covering plaster as a growing business; papers always want to get the 'scoop' on hot trends. Even if you are turned down initially, it's worth regularly checking in with your media contacts to offer new angles or interesting jobs just completed. PR is the the easy and free. It's definitely one of the best sources of promotions you can have.

Visit other miscellaneous high-end vendors, such as jewelry stores, hair salons, clothing boutiques, wine stores and cigar shops. Imagine where your likely clients shop. You can offer these businesses a deal on referrals, do a wall for them, or both. You want potential clients to see your work and want it for themselves.

Contact contractors who specialize in alternative building methods, such as rastra block, ICF or e-crete. Pitch them the idea of an alternative/traditional finish plaster.

Send brochures or emails to prosperous lawyers, medical offices, and big companies with nice conference rooms. You should include testimonials from happy customers.

Most importantly when contacting people; be persistent but polite. If the decorator does not get back to you, call again in two weeks until they have a meeting with you. Your enthusiasm for the product should be contagious.

Set up a booth at your local farmers market and or arts fair.

When displaying your stuff, make sure both your presentation and you look professional. Dress sharp, groom well. No one wants to buy $50,000 worth of luxurious wall finishes from someone who can't be bothered to iron their own clothes. Sorry, it has to be said.

Advertising is important but needs to be tailored to what works in your region. You can advertise on your car, advertise in local décor magazines, and make sure you are easy to find online. Experiment with newspaper ads; but a story done on your work will go farther than an ad. Word of mouth is great, but it takes time to build and won't get you jobs right away. Doing free walls for high-end businesses can get you great recognition (as long as your name is next to it). Otherwise, don't be overly generous since it will be your materials and time. In most cases, if you call this free job a month after it's done, and ask who did it, chances are they won't know. That doesn't help.

Creating a print ad - This can make a fortune. The only downside is that it's expensive. It's almost only worth doing if this goes in a nice local magazine if you have one in the area. Newspapers will work or whatever you have. You can even try billboards if you got the guts. Local magazines will ask for about $4,000 for a full page for 1-2 months. They'll ask for a 50% deposit. If you don't have it, ask them to wait at least a month after the ad comes out. They'll usually do this for you. Magazines have nothing to loose. It costs them nickels to put your ad in. Their return on you is a thousand fold, so don't be shy. They're lucky to have any business from you at all.

When doing a print ad, be direct and use bright contrasting colors. Nobody cares what you write. When flipping through a magazine, it's the colors of the ad which will get attention. Try going through a magazine and see for yourself. DO NOT use a dark background with light font. It's the worst mistake you can make in print. It's a small thing, but surprisingly important in reader psychology. This applies to everything you market. Don't have a black background with white or gold font. It's harder to read. You want an ad that grabs attention and is to the point. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need months of repetition, you just need 1 hard marketing hit that stays for at least a month. Here's an almost perfect successful ad that went in a glossy magazine. It took 2 hours to put it together:

Get a 50% deposit at the job start. If it's huge job, take 25%. Take another 25% in the middle of the job, or whatever works for you. Make sure you have all of your contract forms in order. Make sure you make yourself very clear about when you get paid. There's nothing worse than someone dragging their feet on paying you. You have bills to pay, too. Don't be shy about money. Some people will see your apprehension and take advantage of your generosity. Be firm.

Technology: have it. Use our website to promote yourself. You have a gallery to use there and an intro video. If you like our site, so will your customers. We made the site for you and them. You ought to have a computer to e-mail pictures and a good digital camera with a decent flash to take pictures. Have a good printer to print pictures for your great portfolio. It's important that your work, or our gallery pictures, look great on a laptop computer if you are showing clients a compelling slide show.

Blogs, Craiglist, Constant Contact, and much more - There can be volumes written on internet campaigns, and there are. Research all these tools. They can be your make your business stellar. Most online campaigns are free, if very cheap. There is too much to say on the subject so I leave it up to you to do your homework. Go to the bookstore. Check out books on online marketing. Most stuff might not pertain to your business, but there are some great ideas that can make your business very successful.

Make sure your contacts understand how your referral fee works. On a $20,000 job, this can be $4,000 in their pockets. It's real money. Surprisingly, most people will never react to this offer, so use it as a last resort.

Drop names. It's a nice marketing tool when beating the pavement. People will be less likely to close the door on you. Research your targets well. Try not to come in blind when selling someone on your services and product. Find out what projects they're doing. If you know something about them, use it in your opening line. Stroke their egos. Use charm and jokes. It's not unlike getting a date; except you are profiting financially from the relationship. That's most any business. Remember most people that come in to try to sell something are usually bland and the same as the last guy. Personality is a welcome change of pace to prospects.

This goes without saying - be confident. Come into a project site knowing that you are the best wall finisher ever and that you will make the walls look amazing. Your customers desperately need you, but they don't know it yet.

Again, be persistent. It takes at least 6-7 contacts with someone to make them comfortable with you. Make an excuse for each time you see them, or call them. Say you have new samples, or you want to send them a CD with all your/our sample pictures, or you were in the neighborhood, whatever fits your personality; just keep trying until they think of you as The Plaster Wall Finisher to go to. Keep going nice and steady. Successful people appreciate others who are persistent. They will eventually give you a shot.

As a plaster business, your job is to sell plaster, not apply it. Most 2 coats applications are very easy. Selling is the hard part. That's the real creative element of your business. It's should be so easy, that it shouldn't be a problem hiring part time people to apply it for you. Get drywallers or other plasterers. Easy to find off craigslist. All you have to do is supervise. If you think of plaster as an art, you'll start to think that only you or specially trained people can do it. This limits your business potential. If you have to, do the cool colorful stuff that your workers can't do. Show off on the accent areas so that your customer is impressed and leave the basic stuff to your crew. Pay them well , and they'll treat you well. If you're making $1000 per person per day, you have plenty of room to be generous. Consider also that if you're making only $300 per day per person (meaning you're applying at something like $2-$3 per foot, 5 guys constantly working for you is still a small fortune.

Obviously there are unlimited possibilities with plaster. You can burnish it perfectly, add different colors, extra layers, metallic finishes...you get the idea. A wall can turn into a laborious work of art intead of just a plaster wall. At the some point, the sky's the limit on price. Charge what's fair for your time, artistry and sore shoulder.

Again, there are billions of square feet of walls and ceilings out there. More than enough for everyone. And most of it should be covered in plaster. People spend fortunes on counter tops, wood floors, and tiles. Yet they end up surrounding themselves in a coat of plastic paint. Gypsum texture, primer, and 2 coats of paint can already cost up to $2 per foot. Plaster is just a little extra, and gives so much more. The beauty, longevity and health factors are incomparable to anything else. Make sure you know how to convey it. Show your passion and your customers will be more than just a paycheck. Make it rewarding and beneficial for everyone.