How do I estimate a drywall job?

Author: Dr. Turner Lang DDS  |  Last update: Friday, February 14, 2025

The drywall estimating rule of thumb suggests that you estimate one drywall sheet (4 ft x 8 ft) for every 32-48 square feet of wall surface. When estimating paint, estimate around one gallon for every 350-400 square feet of wall area.

How do you quote drywall labor?

How to Calculate Drywall Costs
  1. Drywall material costs formula: Number of required materials X Sales Taxes = Total Material Costs.
  2. Drywall labor costs formula: Income (per week) / Number of Billable Hours = Hourly Labor Rate.
  3. Use the below formula:

How to give a drywall estimate?

Calculate how many drywall sheets you will need by dividing the total square footage of area by 32 (if you're using 4-by-8 sheets) or by 48 (if you're using 4-by-12 sheets). If you want to get the cost, just multiply the total number of sheets by the price per sheet.

How to bid a drywall job for beginners?

How to Bid on a Drywall Job
  1. Choose the right project. Before quoting a drywall project, you must know the best projects to bid for your company. ...
  2. Review bid documents or make a site visit. ...
  3. Perform a quantity takeoff. ...
  4. Price your materials and supplies. ...
  5. Estimate labor. ...
  6. Add overhead and profit. ...
  7. Write your proposal.

How much should I pay for drywall work?

People typically charge about $1,800, or between $955 and $2,550 to hang drywall. Low-end jobs can run about $450 while high-end jobs reach $5,000 or more. That means you should charge between $1 and $3 per square foot for materials and labor for an average project.

3 MUST HAVES TO BID DRYWALL, FAST EASY ESTIMATES

How long should a drywall job take?

If the framing isn't too complicated, an experienced drywall crew can finish a 2,000-square-foot house within a week. A single room or basement could take a few days, while larger homes may take three or four weeks.

What is the rule of thumb for drywall estimating?

Rule of Thumb: Estimate approximately 1 sheet of drywall (4 ft x 8 ft) for every 32 to 48 square feet of wall surface. For paint, estimate 1 gallon for every 350 to 400 square feet of wall area.

How much to charge to tape and mud drywall?

The average cost to finish drywall is $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot for labor and materials. The cost to tape and mud drywall is $0.35 to $1.10 per square foot and is typically included with finishing.

What does a good drywall job look like?

A wall should look smooth and unified. It shouldn't show seams, or places where one sheet of drywall meets another. If it does show seams, it's a sign that the job was rushed or incomplete, or an inadequate job was done with drywall tape and/or drywall compound — a bad drywall mud job, in other words.

How do I estimate a small drywall job?

The drywall estimating rule of thumb suggests that you estimate one drywall sheet (4 ft x 8 ft) for every 32-48 square feet of wall surface. When estimating paint, estimate around one gallon for every 350-400 square feet of wall area.

What is the rate for drywalling?

Drywall might be the best option for you. It's cost-effective, versatile, and quick to install. On average, drywall installation costs between R350 and R800 per square metre.

How much is labor to hang drywall per sheet?

Drywall installation costs $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot, depending on the ceiling height, drywall type, and finish level. Drywall costs $0.50 to $0.80 per square foot for materials. The labor cost to hang and finish drywall is $1.00 to $2.70 per square foot. The cost to drywall a 12' x 12' room is $580 to $1,800.

How to charge a drywall job?

Hourly pricing for drywall jobs includes the cost of time and materials. This means you pay for how long it takes to do the work plus what's used on the job. For example, if a contractor decides their hourly rate is $41 based on their weekly income and working hours, that's what they'll charge per hour.

How to write a drywall estimate?

A quicker but less accurate way to estimate the amount of drywall needed for a house is to multiply the square footage of the living-area floor space for each story by 3.5 (for a home with 8-ft. -high ceilings). I use this method to give a rough estimate over the phone, for example.

How much do drywallers make per sheet?

For example, your drywalling contractor will come by and take measurements. He'll figure that the job will take 30 sheets. At around $50 a sheet the job will be $1500. This includes him delivering, installing, taping and finishing.

How do you estimate drywall mud and tape?

A good rule of thumb is to use one gallon of joint compound for every 500 square feet of drywall. For tape, you will need approximately one roll of drywall tape for every 100 square feet of drywall.

How much does it cost to drywall a 12x12 room?

The average cost to install drywall is between $1.60 and $2.35 per square foot. For a typical 12′ x 12′ room with a wall height of 8′, the average price is around $815 for just the walls, or a total of $903 if including the ceiling drywall.

How do you bid a drywall job?

How to Bid a Drywall Job for Competitive and Profitable Pricing:
  1. Determining the Scope of The Project. Reviewing Bid Documents or Making Site Visit. ...
  2. Necessary Materials and Estimation Techniques. ...
  3. Overhead Expenses and Profit Calculation. ...
  4. Submitting and Confirming Your Bid.
  5. FAQs.
  6. Conclusion.

What is the rule of thumb in estimating?

A rule of thumb method in cost estimating is drawn from design or practical experience and it provides a rough guide to come up with quantities during the initial stages of design like the concept or schematic phases. The rule of thumb is a method for developing quick approximate estimates of costs.

How much gap between drywall is OK?

Keeping the joints between sheets of drywall too close is an invitation for troubles along the way. Professional drywall installers allow for ⅛-inch space between sheetrock placement, and this allows for expansion and contraction for the frame of the building, avoiding cracks and damage to the drywall.

How long to finish a house after drywall is installed?

On average, after drywall installation, it typically takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete the home, though this can vary based on several factors like weather, the availability of materials, and the complexity of customizations.

Can you finish drywall in one-day?

Fortunately, fast-drying setting-type compounds allow you to do just that. Setting-type joint compounds harden chemically in anywhere from 20 minutes or 30 minutes to 4 hours or 5 hours, depending on the type used. The compounds with the shortest setting times are ideal for one-day finishing.

How many coats of drywall mud?

You can use all-purpose compound for all three coats, but if you're doing a bigger job; using taping compound for the first 2 coats, and finishing compound for the last, will make everything go smoother.

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