Drywall cost per square foot
| Job | Installed price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Hang only (no taping or finishing) | $0.85–$2 | Boards up, seams not finished |
| Walls: hang, tape and finish (Level 4) | $1.50–$3.50 | Ready for flat paint; the standard finish |
| Smooth Level 5 finish | $2.50–$4.50 | For glossy paint and raking light |
| Ceiling: hang, tape and finish | $1.50–$4 | Harder to lift and brace |
The unit matters: these prices are per square foot of drywall on the wall and ceiling, not per square foot of floor. A 12×12 room with 8-foot walls has roughly 400 to 530 square feet of wall and ceiling surface, depending on whether you subtract door and window openings. Add up the surfaces you're actually covering before you compare quotes.
Finish levels, in plain terms
Level 4 is the standard for most painted walls: tape, two coats of joint compound on the seams and three on the screw holes, sanded smooth. Level 5 adds a skim coat over the whole surface and is recommended where walls will get satin or glossy paint. One guide puts Level 5 finishing labor 30% to 60% above Level 4.
Where the money goes
Labor is the larger part of the bill: guides put it at roughly half to three quarters of the installed price. Materials run about $0.50 to $0.80 per square foot of board. Hourly labor rates are higher in cities, with one guide putting metropolitan rates 20% to 30% above rural markets, which is why our calculator adjusts the labor portion for your state. Hanging the drywall yourself can save $1 to $2 per square foot in labor, but taping and sanding to a smooth finish is the part most do-it-yourselfers underestimate.
Extras
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Spray texture (orange peel or knockdown) | $0.30–$1 |
| Popcorn ceiling removal | $1–$3 |
Drywall repair costs
Small repairs are priced per job, not per square foot.
| Repair | Cost |
|---|---|
| Doorknob hole | $75–$200 |
| Patch up to about 1 sq ft | $150–$350 |
| Water-damaged ceiling section | $400–$1,550 |
Texture matching on a repair is usually billed as its own line item, on top of the patch itself.
Questions to ask before you hire
- What finish level is this quote for, and how will the walls be painted?
- Is the price per square foot of board or of floor area?
- Are removal of the old drywall, texture and priming included?
- How are ceilings and high walls priced?
- Is there a minimum charge for small jobs?
Methodology and sources
We price each job per square foot of drywall surface, adjust the labor share for your state's drywall installer wages, and price extras separately. Read how we estimate costs.
- HomeGuide: drywall installation cost — per-square-foot ranges, ceilings
- Remodel Calculators: drywall installation cost — labor share, repairs, Level 4
- Estimators.us and Nedes Estimating — national midpoint, hanging only, DIY
- Drywall Calculator and Drywall Calculators — textures, Level 5
- MyQuoteIQ: drywall cost calculator — Level 5, popcorn ceiling removal
- Construct Estimates: how much does drywall cost — ceilings, labor rates
- House Project Calc — 500 sq ft benchmark
- BLS OEWS May 2025, State (SOC 47-2081, Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers) — state labor index; DC and West Virginia use neighboring states
What each source reports
Our estimate does not rely on any single page. This table lists each page we used and the figures it reports, so you can see where the ranges come from.
| Source | What it reports |
|---|---|
| Estimators.us |
|
| MyQuoteIQ |
|
| HomeGuide |
|
| Nedes Estimating | $1.50-$3.50 per square foot, about $2.25 as a national midpoint |
| Remodel Calculators |
|
| Drywall Calculator |
|
| Drywall Calculators | Level 5 finishing adds 30%-60% over Level 4 finishing labor |
| Construct Estimates |
|
Common questions about drywall costs
How much does drywall cost?
A typical job (500 sq ft of walls, hung and finished) comes to about $1,200 nationally, within a range of $750 to $1,750. Use the calculator above to adjust for your state, the options you choose and any extras.
What is the drywall cost per square foot?
Installed, with labor and materials, hanging only runs about $0.85–$2 per square foot, hung and finished walls about $1.50–$3.50, a Level 5 smooth finish about $2.50–$4.50 and ceilings about $1.50–$4.
How much does drywall cost per sheet?
A standard 4×8 ft sheet covers 32 square feet. At the installed prices above, that is about $27–$64 per sheet to hang and about $48–$112 per sheet hung and finished, with labor and materials. A sheet of drywall bought on its own costs far less.
Where do these prices come from?
They come from 8 published cost pages from 8 publishers, last checked Oct 2, 2026. We report what those pages say and do not invent figures; the table above shows each source.
How does my state change the estimate?
The labor part of the price is scaled by the average wage for the relevant trade in your state, using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Materials and equipment are not adjusted.
Why might a contractor's quote differ from this estimate?
A quote reflects your specific scope, access, local demand and what the contractor includes. Ask for line items rather than a single total so you can compare bids on the same basis.
All 8 sources behind these prices
Every figure in the calculator comes from one or more of these pages, with the number each one supports in the link text.
- Estimators.us: hang only $0.85-$1.50 per square foot
- MyQuoteIQ: hanging only $1-$2 per square foot
- HomeGuide: drywall installation $1.50-$3.50 per square foot including hanging, taping and finishing
- Nedes Estimating: $1.50-$3.50 per square foot, about $2.25 as a national midpoint
- Remodel Calculators: Level 4 $1.70-$3.20 per square foot of board
- Drywall Calculator: premium Level 5 finish $2.00-$3.50 per square foot
- Drywall Calculators: Level 5 finishing adds 30%-60% over Level 4 finishing labor
- Construct Estimates: ceilings usually cost $2.00-$4.00 per square foot, because of lifting and bracing