How much to charge to install drywall
Enter the room measurements and whether it has a ceiling. We work out the sheets and build the quote with your labor, by the hour or by the square foot.
QUOTE
Drywall
- Labor8 h × $25.00/h$200.00
- Drywall sheets17 sheets$255.00
- Subtotal$455.00
- Overhead (10%)$45.50
- Profit (15%)$75.08
TOTAL$575.58
Example numbers: replace them with yours.
Is your rate right?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes what employers pay per hour in this trade. A wage is not a rate: your rate also has to cover your overhead and your profit.
National average (May 2025): $30.58 an hour; median: $28.33 an hour.
See this trade’s wage in every state
If you have helpers, work out their overtime at Cuenta Horas: overtime calculator
How it is worked out
The sheets come from the Maestro Calc drywall calculator: the area of the walls (and the ceiling if you include it) less doors and windows, the waste you enter and whole sheets. Joint compound and tape are not in this quote: add them as another line if you charge for them.
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge by the hour or by the square foot?
Both work. By the hour is simpler when you do not know how long it will take; by the square foot is easier to explain to the client. The calculator takes either, and you type your own price, because only you know your costs and your market.
How much waste should I enter?
Waste is the material lost in the cuts. The 10 percent we start with is a rule of thumb that you can change, not a standard.
What overhead and profit percentages should I use?
The ones your business needs. Add to the labor and the material what you spend on vehicle, insurance, tools and office time, and what you want to earn. There is no percentage that is right for everyone, so the calculator does not make one up: the starting numbers are only an example.