What to Expect When You Hire Pandr Design Co
If you're searching for a San Diego muralist, chances are you've already got a wall in mind!
Maybe it's a blank lobby, a pool deck that feels a little flat, or a parking garage that reads more "concrete maze" than "welcome home." And you probably have a lot of questions about how commissioning a mural works. Fair!
I'm Phoebe, founder of Pandr Design Co., a San Diego mural studio that has been hand-painting murals since 2016. We've painted for brands like Red Bull, Westfield, and our hometown San Diego Padres, plus apartment communities, schools, and small businesses all over the country. Below is exactly what happens when you hire us, from the very first email to the final walkthrough.
SUMMARY:
Hiring a muralist in San Diego typically follows seven steps: inquiry, wall assessment, proposal and contract, design, prep and scheduling, installation, and final walkthrough. Cost and timeline depend on wall size, surface, design complexity, and how many people need to approve the artwork. Pandr Design Co. is a San Diego–based mural studio that handles the full process, from custom design to contract to hand-painted install, for commercial, multifamily, and residential clients across Southern California.
Who Hires a San Diego Muralist? (Spoiler: It's Not Just Coffee Shops!)
When people picture a mural, they usually picture an alley wall or a trendy café. We love those! But some of our favorite work happens in places you might not expect:
Multifamily developers who want their amenity spaces (the gym, pool, lobby, and clubhouse) to stand out in a crowded rental market.
Architects and interior design firms planning art into a building from the start.
Property managers who opened a building, walked through the parking garage, and realized it needed some serious help.
Businesses and brands that want a landmark people photograph, share, and use to find them.
We approach murals from a marketing standpoint, not just a fine-art one. My background is in graphic design, so I think about how a mural is going to work for your business. Will people stop and take a photo? Will it make your building easier to find, both on the street and online? Will it become the spot people say "meet me at"? A great mural is beautiful, but it's also an investment that should pay you back.
Why Hire a Local San Diego Muralist?
We paint all over the country, but there's something special about painting in our own backyard. Hiring a local San Diego muralist means:
Easier site visits. We can see your wall in person, check the surface, and talk through access before anything is designed.
Less travel built into your budget. No flights or multi-night hotel stays for the crew.
Local know-how. We know San Diego's neighborhoods, its light, and its outdoor-everything lifestyle, and we design with that in mind.
Pandr regularly paints throughout San Diego County, Orange County, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs. If you're anywhere in Southern California, let's talk about getting you a mural!
The Mural Process, Step by Step
Step 1: Reach Out
Every project starts with an inquiry. The more you share up front, the faster I can give you answers. Helpful details include:
Photos of the wall (or walls!)
Approximate dimensions
Location, and whether it's interior or exterior
Your ideal timeline or opening date
A budget range, even a rough one
Who else is involved: developer, architect, designer, property manager, HOA
Not sure how big your wall is? Snap a photo with a person standing next to it. It gives us a sense of scale and helps us ballpark faster. Interested in cost? Check out Mural Pricing 101
Step 2: Wall and Site Assessment
Not all walls are created equal. We'll look at the surface (drywall, stucco, concrete, brick, and cinderblock all behave differently), what prep it needs, and how we'll reach it. Bigger walls may call for a scissor lift or boom lift, so access and parking matter.
We’ll also talk timing within your mural project. Most of our multifamily mural work is planned ahead, but we usually come in at the very end of construction, once the other trades and heavy machinery have cleared out, so the finished mural doesn’t get scuffed or damaged. Sometimes we’re brought in after a building opens, when someone realizes an elevator bank or garage level feels a little sad. Either way works!
Step 3: Proposal and Contract
Before any paint is opened, you'll get a clear proposal and contract that spells out the scope, design rounds, timeline, payment schedule, and what happens if plans change. I'm regimented about this, and I stick to the timeline we build into the contract. My goal is a client experience that feels straightforward, clean, and painless, so you always know what's happening next.
Step 4: The Design Phase
This is the fun part! You can be as involved in the design process as you like. Some clients show up with a really specific vision, and others have no idea what they want yet. Both are totally fine with me, and I'm always happy to be art directed.
At this stage, I'll want to know:
Which elements must be included (brand colors, logos, building name, neighborhood references, wayfinding info)
What caught your eye (or didn’t) in the initial moodboard I share. I’ll ask you to circle anything you’re drawn to and cross out anything that doesn’t feel right
How many cooks are in the kitchen
Who has final sign-off
From there, I’ll create a custom mural design concept and refine it with you. Two rounds of design are included in my standard process (unless we’re working on a crazy fast timeline!). I give myself about a week for the first round, then a few days to make your revisions for the second.
Step 5: Mural Prep, Approvals, and Scheduling
Depending on where your wall is, an exterior mural may need approval from the city, a property owner, or an HOA. For some developers, a city or state public art program may even help fund artwork on the building exterior. Permitting and funding applications are handled on your end, so it’s worth checking what applies to your project early on. Once you have the green light, I’m ready to paint!
Then we lock in install dates around your construction schedule, business hours, or resident move-ins, so the crew isn't stepping on anyone's toes.
Step 6: Installation Day(s)
Now the wall comes to life! I design and paint our San Diego murals myself, alongside a vetted team of assistants I trust to install quickly and cleanly. Most of them are women, because empowering women is a big part of why Pandr exists.
We protect the surrounding area, work efficiently, and keep you updated throughout. As a general rule, installation takes about 1–2 days per 100 square feet, depending on the weather and the complexity of the design. Fair warning: people love watching a mural go up, so expect some curious onlookers!
Step 7: Final Walkthrough and Aftercare
Once the last brushstroke is done, we’ll do a final walkthrough together, handle any touch-ups, and walk you through how to care for your new mural. I don’t usually recommend a sealant, since most murals simply don’t need one. The exception is a south-facing wall that sits in full sun all day, every day, where a protective coat can help.
Then comes the payoff. Photograph it, share it, add it to your Google Business Profile, and encourage visitors to tag you. A mural that gets photographed is a mural that keeps marketing your space long after we've packed up the ladders.
What Affects the Cost of a Mural in San Diego?
"How much does a mural cost?" is the question I get asked most, and the honest answer is: it depends. These are the biggest factors:
Size. Larger walls take more paint, more time, and often more crew.
Design complexity. Detailed illustration and lettering take longer than bold, simple shapes.
Surface and prep. Rough stucco or a wall that needs repair adds time.
Interior vs. exterior. Outdoor murals need exterior-grade materials and are subject to the weather.
Access. Lifts, scaffolding, and site restrictions affect the budget.
Timeline. Rush jobs require more hands on deck.
Usage. If you'd like to use the artwork beyond the wall, such as on merch or marketing materials, we'll cover that in the contract.
Projects start at a $5,000 minimum, with final pricing based on wall size, surface, design complexity, and access needs.
Types of Murals We Paint in San Diego
Every wall has a different job to do. Some welcome guests, some help people find their way, and some exist purely to stop traffic. These are the most common types of murals we paint for San Diego clients:
Interior Murals
Interior murals transform lobbies, offices, hallways, gyms, and restaurants into spaces people remember. Because they're protected from sun and weather, interior walls give us a lot of freedom with detail and color. They're also a great way to bring your brand to life inside your space. We paint on drywall, concrete, and more, and we plan around your business hours so the work doesn't disrupt your day.
Exterior Murals
An exterior mural is one of the most visible investments a building can make. It turns a blank wall into a landmark people photograph, share, and use to give directions ("turn left at the big mural"). San Diego's sunshine is great for painting outdoors, but it also means exterior murals need the right surface prep and exterior-grade materials to stay vibrant. We handle building facades, garage walls, courtyards, and everything in between, with lifts and scaffolding when the wall calls for it.
Commercial Murals
Commercial murals are designed to work for a business, whether that's a brand, a retail space, a restaurant, or a sports team. This is where my graphic design background really shows up. Every design decision ties back to visibility, brand recognition, and giving customers a reason to stop, snap, and share. We've painted commercial murals for brands like Red Bull, Westfield, and the San Diego Padres, plus local businesses right here in town.
Apartment and Multifamily Murals
Multifamily developers are some of our favorite clients, because they see murals for what they are: a competitive edge. In a crowded rental market, a bold mural in the lobby, gym, pool area, or clubhouse helps a building stand apart on tours and in listing photos. Most of these projects are planned during construction, so we coordinate closely with developers, architects, and interior designers to get the timing right.
Wayfinding Murals
Parking garages and elevator banks can feel like a concrete jungle. Wayfinding murals use color, graphics, and lettering to help residents and visitors figure out where they are and where they're going, and they make those spaces feel a lot less depressing. Floor numbers, directional graphics, and level-by-level color themes are all fair game.
Hand-Painted Signage
Signage doesn't have to be boring! Hand-painted signs bring character to storefronts, building names, menus, and interior branding in a way vinyl can't match. Every sign we create is painted by hand, so it feels custom because it is.
Live Painting and Event Murals
Want to turn a mural into an experience? Live painting lets guests watch the artwork come together in real time, which makes it a natural fit for brand activations, grand openings, and events. We kicked off this past summer with a live painting event for Toyota Racing right here in San Diego.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring a San Diego Muralist
How much does a mural cost in San Diego?
Mural pricing depends on size, design complexity, surface, access, and timeline. Projects start at $5,000 and go up from there based on square footage. Working with a really large wall but a smaller budget? We can get creative with partial coverage and design the mural so it still looks intentional. The fastest way to get an accurate quote is to send photos and dimensions of your wall through our inquiry form.
How long does it take to paint a mural?
Installation time depends on the wall's size and the level of detail. Typically 1-2 days for every 100 sqft. The design phase happens before install and is built into your contract timeline.
How long does an outdoor mural last?
Exterior murals typically last around 10 years, and interior murals last even longer. Longevity depends on sun exposure, surface prep, and paint quality. We’ll share care instructions at the end of every project.
What kind of paint do you use?
I use exterior acrylic paint, usually from Behr, Valspar, or Dunn-Edwards. Need the mural to match existing paint colors on your building? We can color match to whatever you’re working with.
Can you paint on my surface?
We paint on drywall, stucco, concrete, brick, block, corrugated metal, glass, tile, wood, and more. Every surface needs different prep, which we’ll assess before your project begins. Retaining walls can be trickier because they hold a lot of moisture, so we’ll take a closer look at those before committing to a plan.
Do you only paint murals?
Murals are our specialty, but we also hand-paint signage and wayfinding, and offer graphic design services like branding and merchandise design. Everything we install on-site is hand-painted.
Do you work outside San Diego?
Yes! We're based in San Diego and paint throughout Southern California, including Orange County, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs, as well as nationwide.
Ready to Bring A Mural to Your Space?
Whether you're a developer planning a new amenity space, a designer specifying art for an upcoming project, or a business owner with a wall that's begging for some color, I'd love to hear about it. As a San Diego muralist, I'm always especially excited about projects close to home.
Send us a few details through our inquiry form, and let's make an amazing mural together!
Want to see more first? Browse our mural portfolio.
