business tips for applicators

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Vasari Plaster & Stucco intallation as a business.

From a business perspective, 'Venetian' Plaster application is very profitable for applicators, contractors, architects and designers.

First off, our company steers away from the term 'Venetian' Plaster. There so many synthetic looking 'Venetian' products and so many awkward jobs, that the term sometimes can get a mixed reputation amongst more discerning customers. We recommend refering to it as natural lime and marble plasters and stuccos, or whatever  you're comfortable with.

Authentic lime plaster brands can cost up to $125 per gallon, and many are synthetic. One of the least expensive brands (not ours) of lime plaster sold in the United States is Marmorino or Veneziano at about $55 per gallon.

Our product, made from crushed marble, aged lime and natural pigments, is only $28 to $32 per gallon. While we strongly believe we carry the best product on the market,yet still having by far the least expensive plasters in North America (maybe the world).  The following is a cost (wet mix) and time analysis for applying each product:

Marmorino: $.60-$.75 per square foot, per layer product cost, or $1.00 - $1.40 per square foot for 2 layers. The cost depends on the color of plaster (the darker tints are more expsive) and on how thickly it is applied.

The first layer takes about 30-45 minutes to apply to 100 square feet. The second layer, because it must be burnished, takes about one hour per 100-200 square feet. One person can cover 700 to 1,000 square feet per day, per single layer. If you charge $7.00 per square foot, for example, the profit is over $4,000 for two days of work. This is working relatively fast for two full days. Typically, if all is going well on the job, it's hard not to make at least $1,000 per day, net. Include an extra day of work for polishing, de-masking, sealing, etc. You can bid a job at as low as $4.00 per square foot and it will still be very profitable, especially if you do large jobs. To make a mere $50 per hour, you can bid quite low.

The national average cost for Marmorino application is $6-15 per square foot, sometimes with sealers and extra layers. The cost and time go up with all the extras like lime washes, waxes and such. As much as $50 per foot can be charged for these more elaborate applications, especially in larger urban markets.

Veneziano: $.30 - $.40 per square foot, per layer product cost, or $.60 to $.80 per square foot for two layers. This can change significantly if extra layers or very thick application are used, but neither are necessary. As with Marmorino, it takes about 45 minutes to apply 100-200 square feet of the first layer and about one hour for 100 square feet of a second layer, taking one hour and 45 minutes for two layers. This can take much longer if you are doing different colors, special application techniques, or more than 2 layers. As with Marmorino, one person can cover about 700-1000 square feet per day, in one layer. Allow 2 days for 300-500 square feet, both layers.

The average national cost for Veneziano application is $6 to $15.00 per square foot. If you charge only $4.00 per square foot, this is still very profitable. Again, in larger cities Veneziano application can be as high as $25 plus per square foot or more with sealers, special techniques, etc.

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 $.5  per square foot. Of course you can add many layers, and the cost will rise accordingly. You can charge $.50 - $2.00 per square foot for each layer of Lime Wash. This gets very profitable after 4 or more layers. You can charge as much as $15.00 per square foot to apply two coats of Marmorino and three coats of Lime Wash. Again, with sealers, waxes, etc., the price goes up.

Dry mixes: are about half the price of wet mixes, as listed above. With dry mixes, you can charge $3.50 or less. Each bucket of dry mix takes about 5-10 minutes to mix and tint. If you need a bucket or two, it's worth just getting wet mix.

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 water if necessary.

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