How To Estimate Drywall Work?
Estimating the cost of drywalling a house involves many factors. We are going to focus on two different approaches that can be used. One for large and one for small projects. If a project is large enough to cross a certain threshold of material and labor requirements, general calculations based off material count can usually be used. But the same calculations just can’t be applied to smaller projects.
Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs)
Drywall costs $2.50 to $4 per square foot, including materials and installation.
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Hang the drywall vertically. On commercial jobs, fire codes often require seams to fall on the entire length of the framing, so the drywall must be hung vertically.
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A Wining Cost Estimate That Helps You To Win More Construction Projects
Drywall installation costs $1,945, with a typical range of $1093 and $3,330. This cost translates into a price of $2.50 to $4 per square foot for materials and labor. Most homeowners pay $3 per square foot, depending on the number of rooms and the level of finish. In this guide, learn how much drywall installation costs, plus additional information like the labor cost to hang and finish drywall.
Drywall Estimating Service
- Drywall or Gypsum board Estimate
- Drywall Material & Labor Takeoffs With Man Hours
- Acoustical Ceiling Estimates
- Metal Framing Estimates
- Drywall Project Management
- Regular Drywall Estimates
- Moisture / Mold Resistant Drywall Estimates
- Plasterboard, Also Called Blue Board Estimates
- Lightweight Drywall Estimates
- Foil-Backed Drywall Estimates
Drywall Installation Cost Factors
Several factors determine your drywall installation costs, including your home’s age, your project’s size, drywall texture and type, and more. Before you begin, be sure to discuss each factor with your pro so you have a clear understanding of your project’s price.
Drywall square footage refers to the how many square feet are covered with drywall on both walls and ceilings. For example, a sheet of drywall 4′ by 8′ will cover 48 feet2 of surface area. Therefore, for every 4′ x 8′ sheet of drywall, a contractor would add 48 square feet to his material estimates.
Square Footage
Drywall jobs are measured by the square foot. Note that this measurement is the square footage of the walls, not the square footage of the home. When performing your initial walkthrough tour, measure all the surfaces that will need drywall and record them carefully in your notes.
Standard drywall prices range from about $0.44 – $0.90 per sq. ft. This is just the price of the drywall itself—this does not include your labor markup.
The price contractors charge for drywall installation ranges from $2.50-$3.50 per square foot.
How much drywall you need for the project will vary greatly from job to job, but drywall usually comes in 4×8’ (32 sq. ft.) or 4×12’ (48 sq. ft.) pieces.
Types Of Drywall
Drywall comes in many different types, each with a different price point.
The cheapest drywall is standard 1/4” thick drywall, which is priced from $0.44-$0.52/sq. ft.
From there, the drywall goes up in thickness to 3/8, 1/2, and 5/8”, with an incremental increase in price ranging from $0.37-$0.61.
Moisture and fire-resistant drywall start in the $0.60+ range, but the most expensive type on the market is sound-proof drywall, which is $1.45-$2.65/sq. ft. before labor and markup.
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For material costs alone, you should expect to pay somewhere between 35 to 45 cents per square foot. Contractors may have negotiated discounts with local drywall supply stores or they may use The Home Depot® or Lowes® since these big box stores’ prices are very competitive, even compared to local material supply shops.
Material costs of somewhere between 35 to 38 cents per square foot should include not only the cost of the drywall itself but also the fasteners, glue, and other miscellaneous supplies. This may or may not include the cost of finishing materials.
Assessing Labor
Drywall jobs usually take crews of two, but if you have a large job, you may want to bring more workers to help.
Some reasons you might want extra hands are to help maneuver drywall through tight spaces,
to assist with hanging it to the wall, or to help with clean up and debris removal.
If you are paying your help by the hour, you’ll want to add your labor charges to your estimate. Within Route, there is a feature that allows you to choose between different pay scales so you can account for different positions on your team.
The average cost to drywall a basement
The average cost to drywall a basement stands at around $2 per square foot or between $2,500 – $8,000 depending on the size of the basement. Finishing the basement will cost you anywhere from $6 to $25 per square foot.
Expect to spend anywhere from $4,375 – $7,500 on drywall installation and around $8,000 – $31,250 for the basement finishes. The total will depend on the materials you choose.
Labor cost to hang and finish drywall
Most contractors charge between $50 to $90 per hour for the job. In terms of square feet, the labor costs to finish your basement drywall will mainly depend on the finish level.
There are generally six levels of drywall finish, all different depending on the work input required, I.e.,
Level 0 – Costs anywhere from $0.20 – $0.60 per square foot for labor. In this level, the drywall is unfinished and only screwed to the studs.
Level 1 – Cost ranges from $0.60 – $1.40 per square foot on labor based on your basement’s size. For this finish, the drywall has no joint compound, but the seams are done.
Level 2 – Labor costs start at around $0.70 – $1.40 per square foot. Drywall in this level is taped, mudded and hung, and skimmed with the joint compound.
Level 3 – The costs for this are around $0.80 – $1.75 per square foot for labor. The drywall is fully covered with two coats of joint compound and is lightly sanded.
Level 4 – labor costs range from $0.80 – $2 per square foot. Drywall under this finish is sanded till smooth, primed, and even painted with a coat of flat paint.
Level 5 – Costs range from $1 – $2.50 per square foot. It’s the highest level of finish, and it’s what’s popular in most homes. The finish is very glossy and barely has any imperfection.
A Wining Cost Estimate That Helps You To Win More Construction Projects
Drywall Installation Cost Factors
Drywall Installation Cost by Type
| Type | Cost per Sq.Ft. (Material Only) | Cost per Sq.Ft. (Installed) |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional / Standard | $0.52 – $0.60 | $1.80 – $2.90 |
| Plaster Blue Board | $0.86 – $0.98 | $1.85 – $2.95 |
| Fire-Rated (Type X) | $0.80 – $1.38 | $1.90 – $3.90 |
| Moisture-Resistant (Green) | $0.73 – $0.92 | $1.85 – $3.25 |
| Moisture-and-Mold-Resistant (Purple) | $0.74 – $0.85 | $1.85 – $2.95 |
| Eco-Friendly | $0.78 – $0.93 | $1.90 – $3.90 |
| Paperless | $0.83 – $1.52 | $1.97 – $4.70 |
| Soundproof | $2.58 – $3.65 | $3.85 – $7.90 |
Drywall Cost per Square Foot
Drywall 1 has a cost range of installation costs, depending mostly on the type and job size. Most installers charge less per square foot for entire house sheetrock 1 installations than for small installations. The cost of the material and installation averages $3.50 to $8.50 a sq.ft. for most jobs, but you can use more costly materials that increase the project cost. Some projects may have lower costs if it is not finished, such as in some garages or basements. Below is the average cost to install it in several wall and room sizes to estimate drywall project cost.
| Square Feet | Average Cost (Materials Only) | Average Cost (Installed) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 sq.ft. | $27 – $39.50 | $77 – $179 |
| 100 sq.ft. | $55 – $85 | $170 – $380 |
| 200 sq.ft. | $130 – $180 | $350 – $800 |
| 500 sq.ft. | $280 – $390 | $780 – $1,850 |
| 1,000 sq.ft. | $550 – $850 | $1,600 – $3,900 |
| 2,000 sq.ft. | $1,300 – $1,800 | $3,500 – $8,000 |
Average Cost to Install Drywall Ceiling by Size
The ceiling drywall cost depends on the size, with prices ranging between $13 and $35 per board. Installation costs $58 to $195 per board. The installation cost is higher than installing drywall on walls because bringing the heavy panels up towards the ceiling and installing them takes more time than placing them on walls. It may also require more than one person, increasing the labor cost. There are several standard sizes of drywall boards, each having a different price. The most common size is 4 feet by 8 feet, but sheets can also be found in 4‘ by 12’ and 4’ by 16’. The size of the board used depends on the design of the room and your preferences. The table below shows the price you can expect to pay for each drywall board.
| Size | Cost per Board (Materials Only) | Cost per Board (Installed) |
|---|---|---|
| 4’ x 8’ | $13 – $18 | $58 – $90 |
| 4’ x 12’ | $15 – $22 | $95 – $150 |
| 4’ x 16’ | $20 – $35 | $110 – $195 |
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Soundproof Drywall Cost
The cost of soundproof drywall installed is $3.85 to $7.90 a sq.ft. The cost of the material is $2.58 to $3.65 a sq.ft. If you want to make your walls soundproof, it is possible to install one that absorbs and deadens sound. This type is laminated, or made in layers with a mixture of wood pulp and polymers along with the gypsum. This makes it incredibly dense so that sound does not pass through it as easily. It is very difficult to cut and install and costs much more per sheet than other types. For this reason, it is usually used only in areas where sound control is very important.
Repair vs Replace Drywall
Superficial damage is easily repaired, such as nail holes and hairline cracks. Even moderate holes can generally be patched and repaired easily without needing to remove or replace the damaged section. However, very large sections of damage and sheetrock that are no longer structurally sound, such as drywall that has experienced water damage, should be replaced to address damage behind the wall and prevent further issues. Very old drywall may also not be repairable because the material can become more brittle. In this case, a damaged section may need to be removed and replaced.
| Project | Average Costs (Labor Included) |
|---|---|
| Repair | $300 – $600 |
| Replacement | $500 – $900 |
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Process To Get Drywall Estimate Report
Here I am going to share some steps to get your drywall estimate report.
