How to bid a drywall job: the steps
- Read the drawings, the specification sections and the bid instructions for your scope.
- Measure board area by wall type from the floor plans, partition schedule and sections.
- Add ceilings and soffits, then waste, and convert to sheets.
- Take off joint compound, tape, screws and corner bead from the board area.
- Price material from current supplier quotes and labor from your own production rates and wages.
- Add equipment, overhead and profit, then write inclusions, exclusions and open questions.
- Fill in the bid form or proposal and acknowledge every addendum.
What to measure for a drywall bid
| Item | Unit |
|---|---|
| Board by wall type, sides and layers | SF |
| Sheets by size | EA |
| Joint compound | gal or lb |
| Tape | LF |
| Screws | lb or EA |
| Corner bead and trim | LF |
Short on time? Send the plans and specs and we do this for you. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteMaterials: USG coverage per 1,000 SF
USG publishes about 10 gallons of ready-mixed all purpose joint compound, 370 feet of joint tape and 2.7 lb of Type W screws per 1,000 SF of board, for joints and corners in a typical room. On 4,000 SF of board that is 40 gallons of mud, 1,480 LF of tape and 10.8 lb of screws. Higher finish levels add coats on top of that.
The drywall calculator does all of this, including sheets and pails.
Commercial and public drywall bids
- Partition schedules set board type, layers and framing by wall type; rated walls change the assembly.
- The specified finish level under GA-214 sets the finishing labor.
- On federally funded or assisted construction contracts over $2,000, the US Department of Labor says the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts require locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits; many states have their own prevailing wage laws for public work. Check the bid documents before you price labor.
Where drywall bids go wrong
- Board height to the ceiling instead of to the deck where the wall type runs to structure
- Second layers on rated walls missed
- Finish level assumed instead of read from the spec
- Framing, backing and blocking left to someone else without saying so
Tools and templates for the bid
Use the drywall calculator, the construction estimate template, the bid sheet template to lay out the numbers, and the contractor markup calculator for overhead and profit. For a measured takeoff from your plans, see drywall and framing estimating.
Frequently asked questions
How much do drywall contractors charge per square foot?
Their own cost per square foot plus overhead and profit. We do not publish a market rate: board, height, finish level and labor vary too much for one sourced figure.
How much mud do I need for a drywall job?
About 10 gallons of ready-mixed all purpose compound per 1,000 SF of board, by USG’s coverage figure, plus an allowance for higher finish levels.
Can Bidmere do my drywall takeoff?
Yes. Single-trade estimates are from $195 and takeoff-only work from $149, ready in 48 hours after you accept a fixed quote, which you get within 2 business hours.