Compare Drywall Contractor Cost: Find Top Drywall Companies Near You
Drywall companies charge an average of $35 – $80 per hour. Some charge by the square foot ($1.35 – $1.80/sq ft) The rate is determined by skill level and type of drywall repairs needed.
Does your home need drywall? If so, here’s what you need to know about drywall contractor cost and how to find drywall companies near you.
Drywall is an amazing invention. It may seem basic, but this brilliant innovation will save you lots of money and time.
In fact, the invention of drywall dates back to the early 19th century. Ironically, the material was slow to take off at first. People thought it was not as sturdy as traditional construction methods.
However, by the time the second world war passed, the U.S public appreciated the speed and drywall contractor cost effectiveness. What would have taken weeks now takes days, and what would have cost thousands of dollars now costs hundreds of dollars. The appeal is clear.
So what is the cost of drywalling? The lower end costs start at around $400 and go up to $4500. That is a big variation.
Here, you will learn the fundamentals of how to cost a drywall job so that you can work out the basic costs and then select the best company for you.
Fill out the form to compare prices and estimates from local drywall companies.
Drywall Contractor Cost – Fair Game?
It is easy to get a quote for a construction job. Not so easy is being able to assess whether that quote represents good value or not.
There is a multitude of variables that may influence which contractor you choose. Price is just one aspect. Granted it may be a significant influencer in your choice. However, there are other important factors such as reputation and reliability.
Even if you think you have got the right company due to reputation or a referral, there is no guarantee they are giving you the best price.
There is only one way you can ensure you get the right price. That is by educating yourself about how to price up a job. Knowledge is power, so that means you should be able to influence your price to some degree.
Always Do Your Math
The fundamentals of drywall contractor cost are based on three important variables. These are:
- Number of drywall sheets
- Cost of Labor
- Time to complete the job
Gaining an understanding of these areas will give you what you need to calculate an approximate price for the job you are planning. The truth is there are no shortcuts or quick fix tools. You need to do the math and a well-estimated price will follow.
Calculate Your Surface Area to be Drywalled
The number of drywall sheets will obviously depend on the size of the surface area that will be drywalled. You need to get out your tape measure and measure up the size of your walls.
A simple way to do this is to measure your basic floor area and the height of the ceiling. It is wise to keep in mind that windows and doors will not make much difference in reducing the number of drywall sheets as this will just lead to cut-offs using whole sheets.
The only exception is if you have a room with a large window or door area, perhaps 50% or more of the total surface area.
The standard size of a drywall sheet is 4 x 8 feet. To calculate the number of required sheets you will need to divide your calculated square footage by 32.
You can use a local supplier to find out the cost of individual drywall sheets. Once you have this price, you then multiply by the number of sheets you need. You will be pleased to know that the cost of drywall sheets at big high street stores or depots are very competitive.
Overall, including additional materials like fasteners and glue, etc., you should find that your price is somewhere between 30 and 40 cents per square foot.
Cost of Drywall Labor
Each contractor will have their own way of calculating the labor cost. However, here are some principles to keep in mind so that you can discern whether the quote you are being given is reasonable or not.
A contractor will expect to make about $300 per day. Other support workers will make less but they too would expect around $15 per hour.
The smaller the job the more expensive it will be on a per square footage basis. The larger the job the cheaper it will be. Once the job exceeds about 75 sheets then you will get the standard footage rate within the quote.
Time is Money
This is well known. Your contractor will use his previous experience to estimate the man-hours required to complete the job. This will then be multiplied by their own labor cost.
The basic principle here is that the more complex the job, the longer it will take. That means, if you have high ceilings then it will likely take longer as access is more complicated.
Also, keep in mind any complex fixtures or features that may be present in the ceiling or wall. Working around these will add extra time.
Always Compare Drywall Contractor Quotes
If you want to assess a quote you will need to request multiple quotes so that you can make a comparison. If you are too effectively compare prices then you need the quote to be as detailed as possible. Then you can actually compare aspects of the quote other than the final price.
Drywall Pricing – Final Thought
In this article, you have read about the basic principles behind drywall contractor cost. Once you understand these you can make meaningful comparisons between the quotes that you will receive.
You can request references so that you can get a good idea of the work they have already done and how satisfied their customers were. In fact, this is one of the best things you can do.
Sometimes, experience is worth paying more for as it can save you money in the long run.
