How to commission a mural in NYC — without getting burned

Commissioning a mural isn't like hiring a painter to roll a wall beige. You're buying an original artwork that lives on your architecture — and the process most people follow (Google, three quotes, cheapest wins) is built for the beige guy. Here's the process that actually works.

1. Decide what the wall is for

Before any artist talk: is this wall a brand statement, a photo backdrop, a memorial, a mood? A restaurant wall that needs to read from the sidewalk is a different commission than a bedroom ceiling. Write one sentence about what the wall should do. Every good decision downstream comes from it.

2. Ask to see concepts before you pay

This is the single biggest filter. Serious artists will show you the idea before asking for a deposit — at Art by Scotto, initial concept designs are free and watermarked, and we digitally mount your chosen design on a photo of your actual wall before a drop of paint goes up. If an artist won't show you anything without money down, keep walking.

3. Get pricing in writing, by the square foot

Per-square-foot pricing keeps everyone honest, because it scales transparently with the wall. Our tiers run $15 to $30+ per square foot by style, published. Hourly quotes for mural work are a red flag — you're being asked to absorb the artist's speed.

4. Settle ownership before brush touches wall

"The most expensive sentence in this business is 'we never discussed who owns it.'"

Can you put the finished wall in your ads? On merch? Many artists retain copyright and charge licensing separately. Our standard terms: you own the finished commissioned artwork, reproduction rights included — we keep only the right to show it in our portfolio.

5. Confirm the boring stuff

• Surface prep — who patches, primes, and seals?
• Timeline — days for most interior walls; exterior work moves with weather.
• Materials — spec'd after design approval, quoted before work starts.
• Travel — quoted by distance, in writing.

That's the whole playbook. If you've got a wall in NYC, the Bronx, or Long Island, tell us about it — the concepts are free, and the consultation is a conversation, not a pitch.