Drywall Estimate Per Square Foot: Materials, Labor, and a Contractor Pricing Method

If you’re trying to price a drywall job quickly, “per square foot” is a useful shortcut—but only if you understand what’s actually included (hanging, finishing level, ceilings, height, corners, texture, cleanup, and more). This guide shows a contractor-friendly way to build a drywall estimate per square foot you can trust.

Quick drywall estimate per square foot ranges (2026)

These are ballpark estimates for typical residential work. Your local labor market, job size, and finish level will move these significantly.

Installed drywall (hang + tape/mud + sand), walls only

• Low: $1.50–$2.25 / sq ft
• Typical: $2.25–$3.75 / sq ft
• High: $3.75–$6.00+ / sq ft

Installed drywall (hang + finish), walls + ceilings

• Low: $1.75–$2.75 / sq ft
• Typical: $2.75–$4.50 / sq ft
• High: $4.50–$7.00+ / sq ft

Drywall finishing only (tape/mud/sand) on existing hang

• Low: $0.75–$1.25 / sq ft
• Typical: $1.25–$2.25 / sq ft
• High: $2.25–$3.50+ / sq ft

What these ranges assume: standard 1/2” board in average rooms, minimal patch complexity, straightforward access, normal height, and a predictable finish level.

What “per square foot” should include (so you don’t underbid)

Before you pick a price per square foot, decide what’s included. A “cheap” $/sf number can be fine—if it’s only board + hang in wide-open new construction. The same number can be a money-loser in a remodel.

At minimum, confirm whether your $/sf includes:

• Material: drywall sheets, screws, joint tape, joint compound, corner bead, adhesive (if used)
• Labor: hanging, cutting, fastening, cleanup
• Finishing labor: tape, 2–3 coats, sanding, dust control
• Protection: floors/cabinets, zipper door, plastic, masking
• Height/ceilings: overhead work, lifts/scaffolding, extra setup
• Details: inside/outside corners, returns, niches, soffits, arches
• Haul-off: scrap board, bagged dust, dump fees

If you’re estimating from measurements, a calculator can help you sanity-check quantities. Use the Drywall Calculator to convert room dimensions into sheet count and coverage.

The 6 biggest drivers of drywall price per square foot

If you’ve ever wondered why one drywall quote is $2.25/sf and another is $5.50/sf, it’s usually these factors:

1) Finish level (Level 3 vs Level 4 vs Level 5)

• Level 3: common for heavy texture
• Level 4: typical “paint-ready” walls with normal lighting
• Level 5: skim coat for critical lighting, higher-end homes, smooth walls

Moving from Level 4 to Level 5 can add meaningful labor and sanding/dust control time.

2) Ceiling work and height

Ceilings slow production: overhead fastening, lifts, fatigue, and more sanding/cleaning. Anything above ~9’ walls often increases setup time (stilts, scaffolding), which shows up in labor $/sf.

3) Remodel complexity (not new construction)

Remodels typically have:

• tight access and protection time
• irregular framing and out-of-square corners
• tie-ins to existing drywall (feathering)
• homeowner scheduling constraints

4) Moisture/abuse resistant board requirements

Bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages, and commercial spaces can require specialty board and sometimes additional detailing.

5) Small job size

Small jobs rarely hit “production rates.” Mobilization, setup, and cleanup dominate. That’s why many pros set minimums or price by day instead of $/sf for repairs.

6) Texture, knockdown, or high-gloss paint prep

Textures add steps; smooth walls in strong natural light demand better finishing. The paint/lighting standard can raise your finishing allowance.

A contractor method: build the drywall estimate bottom-up, then convert to $/sf

If you want a $/sf number you can reuse, build it from:

1. Measure total drywall area (walls + ceilings) you will actually cover
2. Calculate materials (sheets + mud/tape/bead/screws + waste)
3. Estimate labor hours (hang + finish) using production rates
4. Add burden (labor taxes, insurance, overhead recovery)
5. Add profit (markup or margin)
6. Convert to $/sf for your quote and for future benchmarks

This keeps your pricing consistent and protects you when the job isn’t “average.”

Step 1: measure drywall square footage (simple method)

For a room:

• Wall area ≈ perimeter × wall height
• Ceiling area ≈ room length × room width
• Subtract big openings if you want (some contractors don’t subtract small windows/doors because waste and detailing often offset it).

If you’d rather avoid manual math, use the Drywall Calculator to estimate coverage and sheet needs.

Step 2: estimate drywall material cost per square foot

Material cost varies by region and board type, but a practical approach is:

• Drywall sheets: convert sheets to coverage (32 sq ft per 4×8 sheet)
• Add waste: 10% typical; 15%+ for many angles/soffits/small pieces
• Add finishing materials: joint compound, tape, corner bead, screws

Rule of thumb (ballpark):

• Standard residential materials often land around $0.45–$1.10 / sq ft depending on board type, thickness, waste, and local pricing.

Step 3: estimate labor hours using production rates

Instead of guessing, use production rates as a starting point and adjust for conditions.

Typical drywall production (very rough):

• Hanging walls: 35–60 sq ft/hour per installer (higher in open areas)
• Hanging ceilings: 25–45 sq ft/hour per installer
• Taping/finishing Level 4: 20–45 sq ft/hour (varies with coats, sanding, and dust control)

Convert hours to dollars using your fully-burdened labor rate. If you need help backing into that number, the Labor Cost Calculator is a good starting point.

Step 4: include overhead and profit correctly

Many drywall quotes fail because overhead and profit get treated as “whatever feels right.” Pick a consistent method:

• If you use markup, you can sanity-check with the Contractor Markup Calculator.
• If you prefer margin, set your target margin and price accordingly.

Either way: don’t hide overhead inside labor with a vague “extra.” Track it.

Worked example: pricing a drywall job (and turning it into $/sf)

Scenario: Finish a 12’ × 15’ room, 8’ walls, hang + Level 4 finish, walls + ceiling. One door (ignore subtraction for simplicity). Standard 1/2” board.

1) Measure area

• Perimeter = 2 × (12 + 15) = 54 ft
• Wall area = 54 × 8 = 432 sq ft
• Ceiling area = 12 × 15 = 180 sq ft
• Total drywall area = 612 sq ft

2) Materials (ballpark)

• Sheets needed (4×8 covers 32 sq ft): 612 ÷ 32 ≈ 19.1 sheets
• Waste (10%): 19.1 × 1.10 ≈ 21 sheets
• Materials cost estimate:
  • Drywall sheets: 21 × $16 = $336 (example pricing)
  • Mud/tape/screws/bead/misc: $180
  • Protection/plastic/sanding supplies: $60
  • Total materials: $576

Materials per sq ft = 576 ÷ 612 ≈ $0.94 / sq ft

3) Labor (ballpark)

Assume small-ish room slows production.

• Hanging (walls + ceiling): 612 sq ft ÷ 45 sq ft/hr ≈ 13.6 hours
• Finishing Level 4 (multiple visits): 612 ÷ 30 sq ft/hr ≈ 20.4 hours
• Total labor hours ≈ 34 hours

Assume fully burdened labor rate (wages + payroll burden) = $45/hr

• Labor cost = 34 × 45 = $1,530

Labor per sq ft = 1,530 ÷ 612 ≈ $2.50 / sq ft

4) Subtotal direct cost

• Direct cost = materials ($576) + labor ($1,530) = $2,106
• Direct cost per sq ft = 2,106 ÷ 612 ≈ $3.44 / sq ft

5) Add overhead + profit

If you target (example) 20% markup on direct cost:

• Price = 2,106 × 1.20 = $2,527
• Price per sq ft = 2,527 ÷ 612 ≈ $4.13 / sq ft

Final estimate: about $4.10/sq ft for this scenario.

That sits in the “typical-to-high” range because it’s a small space, includes ceiling work, and includes finishing.

A drywall estimating checklist (so your quote matches the scope)

Use this to avoid the classic “I thought that was included” problem.

Scope questions

• Hang only, finish only, or both?
• Finish level (3/4/5)?
• Smooth vs texture? Who primes/paints?
• Any demo, re-framing, or insulation work?
• New openings, patches, or tie-ins to existing?

Job condition questions

• Ceiling height and access (stairs, tight halls, occupied home)?
• Dust control requirements?
• Material staging distance and parking?
• Working hours restrictions?

Pricing structure choices

• Minimum charge for small jobs?
• Separate line items for protection and haul-off?
• Separate adders for ceilings, Level 5, specialty board, or texture?

A simple way to quote faster: use a base $/sf + adders

Once you’ve done a few bottom-up estimates, you can create a repeatable system:

1. Choose a base $/sf for “standard conditions” (your real numbers)
2. Add fixed adders when conditions change

Example adders (illustrative):

• +$0.35–$0.75/sf for ceilings
• +$0.50–$1.50/sf for Level 5 / skim coat
• +$0.25–$0.75/sf for heavy protection / occupied home
• +$0.20–$0.60/sf for specialty board

This keeps the speed of $/sf quotes without gambling your profit.

Where EstimationPro fits in

Drywall is a great example of why “one number” fails—photos, notes, and a quick conversation about finish level and access change everything.

If you want to turn jobsite inputs into a clean estimate faster (without rebuilding the math every time), Try EstimationPro free.

FAQ: drywall estimate per square foot

Do I price drywall by wall square footage or floor square footage?

Use drywall square footage (walls + ceilings) when you’re pricing hang/finish. Floor square footage can work as a shortcut for whole-house production work, but it hides ceiling height and room layout.

Should I subtract windows and doors?

Many contractors subtract only large openings (big windows, wide doors) and ignore small ones because waste, corners, and detailing often offset the subtraction. Be consistent.

Why is ceiling drywall more expensive?

Overhead work is slower and typically requires lifts/scaffolding, more setup, and more fatigue. Finishing ceilings can also require more sanding and better lighting control.

What’s a fair labor-only price per square foot?

For finishing-only or hang-only, labor-only pricing can vary widely. A practical method is to estimate hours from production rates and multiply by your fully-burdened labor rate, then convert to $/sf.

How do I avoid underbidding small drywall jobs?

Use a minimum charge or a day-rate structure. Small jobs rarely hit production speed once you include setup, protection, and cleanup.

For a side-by-side look at per-sheet pricing that includes hanging, taping, and finishing broken down by task, see our guide on drywall labor cost per sheet. For 2026 material and installation prices by board type, our drywall cost per square foot reference covers the full range. And if small drywall jobs are eating your margin, our guide on contractor overhead percentage for small jobs explains why the math works differently at lower volumes and how to set a minimum charge.