What should I charge for drywall work?

Drywall is usually priced per square foot or per board to hang and finish, but the price has to cover board, mud, tools, the truck, and the hauling. Build each bid from your labor and materials plus a markup that covers that overhead, and the per-foot price is set.

Price a job the way contractors actually do it: add up what the job costs you, then add a markup for your overhead and profit. Fill in your numbers — your bid updates as you type.

What this job costs you

Materials & supplies ($) — your cost for everything you'll buy for this job

Other direct costs ($) — fuel, equipment rental, disposal fees, permits

Your labor

Not sure what to charge for your time? Employed drywall installers earn a median of about $28.33/hr (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A self-employed labor rate is typically higher — roughly $40–$55/hr (about 1.5–2×) — because it also has to cover self-employment tax, the benefits an employer would otherwise pay, and the hours that cannot be billed.

Hours this job will take

Your hourly labor rate ($) — what your time is worth per hour; e.g. $40–$55

Hired help ($) — paid to a helper or subcontractor; leave blank if solo

Your markup — overhead & profit

This is where your business actually makes money. Industry standard is roughly 20–30% overall for contractors; solo operators often need the higher end to cover insurance, tools, truck, admin time, and slow weeks. Adjust to fit your business.

Markup on your costs (%)

Materials & supplies	$0
Your labor (0 hrs × $0)	$0
Hired help	$0
Other direct costs	$0
Your costs (subtotal)	$0
Markup (30% — overhead & profit)	$0
Bid price	$0

Pricing method and standard percentages from contractor-industry sources (Angi, Buildern, NAHB): overall contractor markup 20–30%, materials markup 7.5–35%, labor markup 25–50%, recommended profit margin 15–25%. A markup is a percentage of your costs; the resulting margin (share of the bid that's profit) is lower — both are shown above. These are general benchmarks, not a guarantee for your market.

What your markup has to cover

The markup in your bid covers the costs no single job shows. For drywall work, your overhead typically includes the truck and fuel, lifts and stilts, taping and sanding tools, consumables (mud, tape, screws, sandpaper), liability insurance, and dust control and dump fees. None of that appears on one job, but all of it is paid out of the markup added to every job. Published contractor guidance (Angi, NAHB) puts a typical overall markup at 20–30%.

Be realistic about your hours

Finishing is a multi-day cycle — hang, tape, then coats with drying time between — and cleanup of drywall dust is a job in itself. Per-square-foot pricing works only if you have counted taping, sanding, and the back-and-forth trips, not just the hanging.

Drywall Installer pricing FAQs

How is drywall usually priced?

Most often per square foot of board (a 4×8 sheet is 32 sq ft) to hang and finish, or per board. Estimate the sheets and your hours, apply your hourly labor rate, and add materials and a level-of-finish premium for smooth (Level 5) walls.

Should hanging and finishing be priced separately?

Yes — many drywallers quote hang and finish as separate line items because finishing (taping, coating, sanding) is the slower, more skilled half. Separating them lets you bid hang-only or finish-only work accurately.

What raises a drywall price?

High or vaulted ceilings, a higher finish level, repairs that must blend into existing texture, and tight access all add hours. Price those conditions explicitly instead of absorbing them into a flat per-foot number.