How Much Does Drywall Cost? Full Pricing Breakdown
Drywall costs $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot installed, $10 to $20 per sheet for materials, and around $600 to $1,800 for a full room.
That range covers most homes, but your exact drywall cost depends on a few simple things. How big the room is. What kind of board you need. How smooth you want the walls. We hang and patch drywall all over Palmdale, Lancaster, and the rest of the Antelope Valley, and this pricing guide uses the same numbers we use on real quotes. Read it before you call anyone, even us, so you can set a budget that holds up.
Key Takeaways
Drywall costs $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot installed and $10 to $20 per sheet.
The average drywall project costs about $2,100, with most totals between $987 and $3,217.
Labor takes 50% to 70% of every drywall bill, at $1.00 to $2.70 per square foot.
Drywall repair averages $611, and a small hole patch runs $100 to $250.
Installed drywall in Palmdale and Lancaster runs $2.00 to $3.50 per square foot.
What Is the Average Drywall Cost in 2026?
Most homeowners pay between $987 and $3,217 for a drywall project, and the national average sits right around $2,100.
That total project cost covers the board, the labor, and the finish work, whether the job is new construction or a renovation. The average cost to install drywall, including materials and labor, comes out near $2.10 per square foot. A patch job costs way less. A whole house costs a lot more. Here is how the drywall cost breaks down at a glance.
How Much Does Drywall Cost Per Sheet?
A standard 4x8 sheet of drywall costs $10 to $20, while specialty drywall sheets like moisture-resistant and fire-rated boards run $20 to $50.
One 4x8 sheet covers 32 square feet, so think of the sheet price as your unit cost. Figure $10 to $20 per 4x8 panel for standard drywall at Home Depot or any home improvement store. The cost of drywall climbs with the type of drywall you need. Bathrooms call for moisture-resistant drywall and garages need Type X, so plan a little extra for those rooms. The drywall material itself is the cheap part of the job.
How Much Does Drywall Installation Cost Per Square Foot?
Drywall installation costs $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot with materials and labor, while the materials alone cost $0.30 to $0.50 per square foot.
The cost of drywall installation covers hanging, taping, mudding, and sanding. Ceiling drywall runs $2.00 to $4.00 per square foot since overhead work takes longer. When you compare bids, check the cost per square foot and ask if the ceiling sits in that number, because some bids leave it out. That one detail can swing your total drywall cost quite a bit.
How Much Does Drywall Labor Cost?
Drywall labor costs $1.00 to $2.70 per square foot for installation and finishing, or about $50 to $80 per hour for a handyman.
Labor makes up 50% to 70% of the total drywall installation bill, so labor rather than materials drives pricing on most jobs. Installing the drywall goes quick. The taping and mud coats eat the time, since each coat has to dry first, and most of your labor expenses sit right there. Ask your contractor to split the installation work, taping, and finishing on the quote so you can see where the money goes.
How Much Does It Cost to Drywall a Room?
A single room costs $580 to $1,800 to drywall, depending on its total square footage of wall and ceiling space.
Take a 10x10 bedroom. It holds around 400 square feet of wall and ceiling space, so expect to pay $600 to $1,400 with labor and materials. Tall ceilings and bigger rooms push the drywall cost higher. Here are common rooms we work on:
What Do Drywall Finish Levels Cost?
Finish levels range from $0.70 per square foot for Level 0 up to $4.50 or more for Level 5.
The finish level just means how smooth the wall ends up before painting. A garage can stay rough at Level 2. A living room with bright lighting needs Level 4 or a Level 5 finish, or every seam will show. Some homeowners even go past drywall mud and pick polished plaster, a smooth high-end coat that costs extra.
Level 0–1: board hung and rough-taped, $0.70 to $1.50 per sq ft
Level 2–3: taped and coated, ready for texture, $0.90 to $2.50 per sq ft
Level 4–5: smooth and ready for paint, $3.00 to $4.50+ per sq ft
How Much Does Drywall Repair Cost?
Drywall repair costs $611 on average, with most jobs falling between $150 and $2,000.
The price follows the size of the damage. Most pros also charge a minimum trip fee around $150, even for one small patch. Water damage costs the most, because the wet section needs new drywall and sometimes new building insulation behind it. Here is what common repairs cost:
Small holes under 4 inches: $100 to $250
Doorknob and fist-size holes: $200 to $500
Holes over 12 inches: $400 to $1,000+
Cracks: $350 to $1,000
Water-damaged ceilings: $500 to $2,500
Textured walls add 30% to 40% to the repair price because the new patch has to match the old pattern. Ceiling repairs take extra time and labor too.
What Changes Your Drywall Price?
Ceiling height, texture, demolition, room access, and local labor rates change drywall pricing the most.
Drywall pricing depends on more than room size. These add-ons raise the total cost fast:
Ceilings over 9 feet add 15% to 25% in labor
Vaulted ceilings add complexity and labor time
New texture adds $1.00 to $1.95 per square foot
Old drywall removal adds tear-out and dump fees
Stairwells and tight hallways slow the work down
Big California metros add 20% to 50% over national rates
One more thing. Homes built before the 1980s can hold asbestos in old texture and joint compound. Test it before any tear-out, because that risk is not worth saving a few bucks.
How Much Does Drywall Cost in Palmdale and the Antelope Valley?
Installed drywall in Palmdale and Lancaster usually runs $2.00 to $3.50 per square foot.
That sits a bit above the national average, but well under what people pay in LA proper. The desert plays a part in our repair work too. The big swing between hot days and cold nights makes studs move, so we fix a lot of nail pops and corner cracks around here. Most tract homes in Palmdale, Lancaster, and Quartz Hill have orange peel or knockdown texture, and that drywall work only looks right when the texture matches. Garage walls that touch the house also need fire-rated drywall under code. Handyman Randy has done this work in the Antelope Valley for more than 20 years, so the quote you get from us comes from real local jobs, not national cost data.
How Can You Save Money on Drywall?
You save the most by bundling repairs, lowering finish levels in hidden spaces, and getting the full scope in writing.
These tips come straight from the Handyman Randy crew and cut your drywall cost without hurting the finish:
Group your repairs into one visit so you pay one trip fee
Use a Level 2 finish in the garage, closets, and sheds
Move furniture out before the crew arrives
Stick with standard 1/2-inch board unless code calls for more
Get the quote in writing with every step listed
FAQs
How much does it cost to drywall a 12x12 room?
A 12x12 room has about 460 to 500 square feet of surface. Plan on $700 to $1,750 installed, depending on the ceiling and finish level.
How much does it cost to drywall a garage?
A two-car garage holds about 700 square feet of surface, so the cost to drywall a garage runs $1,050 to $2,450 with fire-rated board on house walls.
Do ceilings cost more than walls?
Yes. Ceiling drywall costs $2.00 to $4.00 per square foot, about 20% to 40% more than walls, because overhead work goes slower.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace drywall?
Repair the wall if the damage stays small and local. Replace full sections when water, mold, or cracking spreads across a wide area.
How many sheets do I need for one room?
A 10x10 bedroom usually takes 12 to 14 sheets of 4x8 board once you count the walls, ceiling, and cutting waste.
Ready for an Honest Drywall Quote in Palmdale?
Handyman Randy handles drywall installation, finishing, and repair across Palmdale, Lancaster, and the whole Antelope Valley.
Call (661) 231-3999 for a free quote with honest local pricing. We work Monday through Saturday, 6 AM to 8 PM.
