Finishing
Levels of drywall finish, 0 to 5, explained
When a contractor quotes "taped and finished", ask which level. The answer decides how the walls look under paint, and a fair part of the price.
A shared language
The Gypsum Association’s GA-214, Recommended Levels of Gypsum Board Finish, defines six levels from 0 to 5. It was written so architects, contractors and owners could name a finish precisely, and it is now the common language of drywall quotes. Each level adds work to the one before:
| Level | What it includes | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Nothing: no tape, no compound | Temporary work |
| 1 | Tape embedded in compound at joints and inside corners | Above ceilings, attics, concealed areas; fire taping |
| 2 | Tape wiped with a thin coat; one coat on fasteners and beads | Garages, storage, under tile outside wet areas |
| 3 | One more coat on joints, angles, fasteners and beads | Under medium and heavy textures |
| 4 | Two coats on flat joints and one on angles over the tape; three on fasteners and beads | Flat and eggshell paint, light textures; most living spaces |
| 5 | Level 4 plus a thin skim coat over the whole surface | Gloss paint, raking light, flawless walls |
The same table, with the compound and cost for each level, is on the levels of finish reference.
Telling them apart on a wall
- Level 1: you can see the tape through a rough, unfeathered coat; ridges and tool marks are left.
- Level 2: the tape is covered by a thin film; the screws have one dab each. Under paint, every joint shows.
- Level 3: the joints are covered and fairly smooth, but under a raking light the joints and screws show as faint stripes and dots. Fine under a knockdown texture.
- Level 4: joints are feathered wide and sanded smooth. Under flat paint in normal light, the wall reads as one surface. Under gloss paint or a low raking light, the difference between paper and compound shows as a sheen and texture change.
- Level 5: the whole wall has a thin skim of compound, so paper and compound present one uniform surface to the paint.
That last difference is why Level 5 exists. Paper and compound absorb primer and paint differently and have slightly different textures; under gloss paint or light that skims along the wall, the joints “photograph” through. The skim coat removes the difference.
Compound, time and cost by level
1,000 sq ft of board at Levels 3, 4 and 5
- Level 3: 7 gallons of compound (2 pails), three passes, about 4 calendar days of finishing
- Level 4: 9.4 gallons (3 pails), four passes, about 5 days
- Level 5: 14 gallons (4 pails), five passes, about 6 days
Each pass needs a day of drying in normal conditions. The finish level planner lists the passes, compound and days for any level and area.
In labour, the site estimates finishing to Level 4 at $0.80 to $1.50 per square foot of board, from published cost guides; Level 3 at about three quarters of that, Level 2 at about half. The Level 5 skim adds $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot (ThePricer). For a 500 sq ft living room that is:
| Level | Finishing labour, 500 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Level 2 | $200 – $375 |
| Level 3 | $300 – $563 |
| Level 4 | $400 – $750 |
| Level 5 | $650 – $1,500 |
Choosing the level
- Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, flat or eggshell paint: Level 4.
- Semi-gloss or gloss on walls: Level 5.
- Walls with big windows along them, skylights, wall-washer lights: Level 5, or at least on those walls. Light that strikes a wall at a low angle is the most common reason for Level 5.
- Knockdown or heavy orange peel: Level 3. The texture hides what a fourth pass would smooth.
- Garages, storage, utility rooms: Level 2.
- Behind tile outside wet areas: Level 2.
- Above ceilings and in attics, fire taping only: Level 1.
The finish level selector asks about the room, the paint and the light, and recommends a level with the cost of each beside it.
Writing the level into a quote
“Taped and finished”, “ready for paint” and “smooth walls” are not levels. A quote that names the level can be compared with another; one that does not cannot. Ask for it in writing, and for the primer: every level needs a drywall primer before paint. The guide to reading a drywall quote covers what else to look for.
Level 5 without the skim on every wall
Some owners skim only the walls that need it: the wall facing the windows, a hallway lit from the end, the ceiling under a skylight. That saves money and gets the result where it shows. The skim coat calculator counts the compound for any area, and a skim coat can also be added later over an existing Level 4 wall.
Under texture
Textures hide imperfections, so the board beneath can be finished to a lower level: Level 3 under knockdown and heavy orange peel, Level 4 under a light orange peel. The guide to drywall textures covers the materials.
Compound by level
At Level 4, USG’s published coverage of 9.4 gallons of ready-mix per 1,000 sq ft gives about two pails per 1,000 sq ft. The joint compound calculator scales it to the level and area you choose, and the guide to joint compound types and coverage explains the products.