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Commissions and Custom Designed Mosaic Art

Long Term Beautifying Project at Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Catholic Church in Waltham, MA

A mosaic is beautiful art and a custom-made piece is a unique and exquisite addition to any home or business.  A mosaic piece or installation will last for generations upon generations (we are still admiring today mosaics that were made during the time of the ancient Romans), and will become a focal point.  In a hand-made mosaic each piece is cut and placed by hand which makes mosaic art a very time consuming endeavor, but the final result is stunning.

When thinking about the cost of a custom designed piece the labor cost is typically much more expensive than the materials. The labor charge for making a mosaic varies depending upon the intricacy of the design and  time constraints. As a rough guide use $200 to $250 per square foot to calculate a rough estimate of the cost of creating your own personal mosaic. The labor charge does not include the design cost or the cost of materials, grouting, or installation.
We charge $75 per hour when working on mosaics in situ (mosaics not fabricated at Mosaic Oasis Studio).


A completed mosaic piece must be thought about in stages; design, fabrication, installation, and grouting. The final bill will include a charge for each one of those stages.  First is the design stage – that includes colors, design or motif, materials, and substrate.  It is really important to think about where the mosaic will be placed and the material it is made on (wood, mesh, Wedi-board).  If the mosaic is an installation (back splash, fireplace surround, bath room area) it is critical that the whole design and the plan for the surrounding area are communicated at the beginning of the project. Other features such as other tile work, and use of the area is really important to plan around during the early design stage. 

We charge an initial non-refundable $100 design fee that includes an initial consultation and to start work on a mosaic design. Depending upon the extent of the project additional design work may be needed, we charge $70 per hour for design work.  Once you approve the design, materials, and colors the project moves forward and we write up an estimate/contract for the total cost.  The $100 initial design fee is applies to your total bill.  Any changes to the design are billed by the hour.

We ask for 33% of the total cost and a signed contract before we order materials and start work on your project.  The second 33% is due half-way through the project, and the final payment is due at completion.  The contract will include steps and pictures along the way for your approval.  We also include in the contract a chance to make changes if necessary, we can accommodate one change but additional changes will result in additional charges.

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