How to read a drywall quote (and compare two)

What a good quote says

A quote that can be compared with another names, in writing:

• The scope: which rooms, walls and ceilings; new board, repairs or a tear-out first.
• The board: thickness and type for each area (1/2 in regular, 5/8 in type X, moisture-resistant), and roughly how many sheets or square feet.
• The finish level, by its GA-214 number. “Taped and finished” or “ready for paint” are not levels.
• Texture, if any, and which.
• Corner bead: metal, vinyl or paper-faced.
• Primer: whether they prime, and with what.
• Materials: included or not; who buys the board.
• Delivery and stocking: included, or a separate charge.
• Clean-up and disposal of offcuts and dust.
• Schedule: start, duration, and whether they wait on drying.
• Payment terms, insurance and licence where your state requires one.

Turn every quote into a price per square foot

Quotes come per room, per sheet, per job or per square foot of floor. Convert each to dollars per square foot of board and per sheet, using your own board area. If you have counted the sheets, multiply by the sheet area; the sheet count method gives you the number.

Gaps that make quotes incomparable

• Different finish levels. A Level 3 quote and a Level 4 quote differ by about a quarter of the finishing labour. Ask both to quote the same level; the finish level selector helps decide which.
• Materials in one, not the other. Add them, or ask for both on the same basis.
• Ceilings counted differently. Some price ceilings at a premium, some do not; the totals should still be compared per square foot of board.
• Primer. Priming 2,000 sq ft is a day’s work and a few buckets; it belongs in one quote or neither.
• Texture. A knockdown ceiling adds about $1.00 to $2.25 per sq ft; see the guide to drywall textures.
• Repairs and prep. Patching existing walls, removing old board or fixing framing are often extras.
• Delivery and stocking, especially to upper floors.

Red flags

• No finish level, or a vague one. You cannot hold anyone to “smooth”.
• A price far below the range with no explanation: the work may be skipped (fewer coats, no primer), or the board may be cheaper than specified.
• Large deposit before any material is on site.
• No mention of drying time. A finisher who promises Level 4 in two days is either using setting compound throughout or skipping drying.
• Cash only, no paperwork, or no proof of insurance.

Checking the work

At the end, look at the walls with a work light held close to the surface and shining along it: the raking light shows ridges, bubbles and poorly feathered joints the way low sun will after painting. Agree before the job what will be inspected and how. The guide to levels of drywall finish describes what each level looks like.

Is the total reasonable

Run the scope through the cost estimator with your board price, level and region; a quote within its range is normal, one above it should explain why, and one below it should explain how. The ranges, and where they come from, are set out in the guide to what drywall contractors charge. Labour alone is on the hang and finish labour calculator.

Questions to ask

1. Which finish level, and what primer?
2. Who supplies the board, and which board goes where?
3. How many coats, and do you wait for each to dry?
4. Is setting compound used for the tape coat?
5. What is included in clean-up?
6. What happens if a joint cracks or a screw pops in the first year?

Payment and the paperwork

A reasonable payment schedule ties money to progress: a modest deposit, a payment when the board is hung and inspected, and the balance when the finish is accepted. Keep the written quote, any change orders and the receipts for materials together. If the contractor buys the board, the delivery ticket shows what was actually supplied, which is worth checking against the quote’s thickness and type, especially for type X and moisture-resistant board.