First of all i'm not looking for quotes on who paid what and who charged who and crap like that so don't get your panties in a knot on asking for prices

((people get so @%$#@#$# when asking about money, i mean who really gives a hoot about what you paid for your new AV receiver or speakers. Pssst they're out of date anyway haha -- any ways that's another hill to climb.))

I'm looking for a guideline on what it would cost to drywall a basement and ceiling and have it ready for paint. My basement is about 400 square feet, 8 foot ceiling with 4 closets and the stair well. To hire someone to do this is it a $1000 job or a $5000 job? I know it varies from city to city and basement to basement so if you can't answer don't. Leave it to the guys that have an idea on costs for projects such as this

thanks for your help!
K.

drywall costs vary GREATLY from place to place.

measure the LINEAR feet of the room to be drywalled, multiply by ceiling height.

that give you your sq feet of drywall (32 sq feet per 8 foot board, 48 per 12 foot board ----so you can figure out how many sheets you need).

then call your local home builders association and ask what going rate for drywall is your area, they will tell you (or they may have a website with averages)

well it really depends on the contractor and what he charges. it could be $1000 - $2500. I was quoted $1200 to dry wall my garage and finish it on just the side walls at about 18' long. I ended up doing it myself plus insulated it for almost $400 . You may be able to get some one that knows how to do it for much less then a contractor. Don't forget to prime your walls for paint once they are finished. The primer will save you time and money in paint. Good luck

Thanks longtimelurker, that's exactly the response i did not want. NO kidding it can vary so if you do NOT have any personal experience with drywalling your basement, house, garage or tree fort then as i said lets leave it to others with some valued input.

Hey, i'm just looking for some external input on what they've seen and done.

If you have to ask about the cost of drywalling 400 measly square feet, maybe you can't afford it!

If you have to ask about the cost of drywalling 400 measly square feet, maybe you can't afford it!


That seem a bit rude, Fuzzy. And nonsensical. If you don't have anything constructive to post, stop typing.

On topic: frmo the research I did (and the price I ended up paying), allowing about $1.00 per square foot for a finished drywall job well get you into the ballpark. You local prices might vary 15-20%, but it will let you know $1K vs. $5K.

parsonk, I'm thinking that you need to relax a bit. Longtimelurker's suggestion about measuring the square footage yourself and finding the average rate from your local home builders association is an extremely good one.

This type of thing has been discussed numerous times in the 2 or 3 years that I've been here, so maybe you should do a search.

Also, as people have mentioned, location plays a big role in pricing. Your signature does not indicate where you're located.

Good luck.

Dan

parsonk, I'm thinking that you need to relax a bit. Longtimelurker's suggestion about measuring the square footage yourself and finding the average rate from your local home builders association is an extremely good one.

This type of thing has been discussed numerous times in the 2 or 3 years that I've been here, so maybe you should do a search.

Also, as people have mentioned, location plays a big role in pricing. Your signature does not indicate where you're located.

Good luck.

Dan

well said

Thanks Wadsworth, that's what i was looking for. :)

For our partial basement finishing and HT project at our previous home in Lagrange, GA (Sep through Nov 2007), I found a drywall contractor through our homebuilder that was in a down-time situation.

We already bought the drywall ourselves (4' x 9' sheets), so we negotiated on labor (hang, mud, sand AND cleanup). They provided their own tape and mud. They charged approximately $21/sheet. The work included walls and one ceiling. They charged $10 per opening for a drywall opening.

The drywall contractor was also willing to do other work, including framing, wood trim, baseboard, suspended ceiling, door hanging, etc. Prices for these we negotiated separately. We DIY-ed the electric and AV work and insulation. Other contractors were hired to do the paint, AC and carpet.

All in all, we were lucky we got a very good rate from the drywall contractor. However, it was difficult to get them to complete the work right away. What would have taken 1 month was spread over 3 months, as they were timing their visits to coincide with other work in our neighborhood.

At the end of the project, they had used about 67 sheets of drywall. For our entire project, it cost us approximately $7200 labor and materials for 488 sq ft (includes a rec rm and an HT room). Note that we did not spend for flooring (only carpet on stairs), plumbing in stubbed bath, nor cabinetry in what would have been our kitchenette. We decided to relocate while we were in the middle of the project!

Here's a link to our photos, if anyone is interested.
http://www.kuapao.com/basementfinishingproject

Another factor in the price is whether you are going to texture or go smoothwall. Around here smoothwall is more expensive - texture is often used in cheaper apartment complexes because it makes the taping/plastering/sanding of the seems easier. There are actual different levels of smoothwall finish set by some organizations - the gypsumboard council or something like that. A " level 4 finish" is what our drywall guy specs on estimates for the nice homes we work in. The quality of a drywall finish job can be somewhat subjective, especially when critiqued by someone taking a good hard look at the details of a drywall job for the first time. A handyman might be completely unaware of this - a pro who hangs thousands of sheets a year likely will.

Also, if this is your theater area.... if you haven't considered it, maybe some sound insulation in those joist bays while you have the bays open?

National “average” prices for estimating purposes. Basic 400 SF (assume 20'x20'x8'), taped with level 4 finish, including OH&P.

Ceilings, 5/8" gyp. - $1.59 /SF x 400 SF = $636
Walls, ½" gyp. - $1.30 /SF x 640 SF = $832
Inside corners - $1.10 /LF x 112 FL = $123

Subtotal = $1591

I’d figure about $2000 total (to cover the labor intensive closets and the stairs and the fact that you are not a high volume customer). You’d obviously need to factor that up if you live in a high cost part of the country.

Just for reference, material only costs

Ceilings, 5/8" gyp. - $0.32 /SF
Walls, ½" gyp. - $0.29 /SF

National “average” prices for estimating purposes. Basic 400 SF (assume 20'x20'x8'), taped with level 4 finish, including OH&P.

Ceilings, 5/8" gyp. - $1.59 /SF x 400 SF = $636
Walls, ½" gyp. - $1.30 /SF x 640 SF = $832
Inside corners - $1.10 /LF x 112 FL = $123

Subtotal = $1591

I’d figure about $2000 total (to cover the labor intensive closets and the stairs and the fact that you are not a high volume customer). You’d obviously need to factor that up if you live in a high cost part of the country.

Just for reference, material only costs

Ceilings, 5/8" gyp. - $0.29 /SF
Walls, ½" gyp. - $0.32 /SF

how come 5/8" is cheaper than 1/2"?

Thanks longtimelurker, that's exactly the response i did not want. NO kidding it can vary so if you do NOT have any personal experience with drywalling your basement, house, garage or tree fort then as i said lets leave it to others with some valued input.

Hey, i'm just looking for some external input on what they've seen and done.

Holly smoke you really know how to turn people off. It really does vary. I just did a basement and I can tell you the cost will vary tremendously based on the various decisions to be made. I would suggest you call a couple of contractors and get estimates. That will give you some real live data to work with and will also point out the construction issues which you may (probably) have not thought of. Ok, no need to reply, just ignore if you find this message not helpful.

how come 5/8" is cheaper than 1/2"?

Sorry, post edited. :o

Holly smoke you really know how to turn people off. It really does vary. I just did a basement and I can tell you the cost will vary tremendously based on the various decisions to be made. I would suggest you call a couple of contractors and get estimates. That will give you some real live data to work with and will also point out the construction issues which you may (probably) have not thought of. Ok, no need to reply, just ignore if you find this message not helpful.

Better fix the attitude before you call the contractors, too.

When thinking about quotes also be sure to consider how much corner beading you will have. Most of the costs of my drywall install came from all the corner beading and edging the arches that I have. It can add up quickly :(.

I am in eastern central Mass and I just had my HT (double 5/8+GG)@400 sq ft.+ playroom (single 5/8)@700sq ft + bath (36 sq ft) done in blueboard+veneer plaster. Only part of the job included ceiling work. Total was 120 sheets including waste.

Guessing total sq ft of drywall was about 4000. Total cost was $5500.

Thats $1.38/sq. foot - inline with kpd's citation to natl averages. In my area blueboard+veneer plaster is competitive with drywall and mud.

It took two men about 10 working days to delivery, hang and plaster the job - (although they seems to only work about 8-3 minus lunch).

db

That seem a bit rude, Fuzzy. And nonsensical. If you don't have anything constructive to post, stop typing.

On topic: frmo the research I did (and the price I ended up paying), allowing about $1.00 per square foot for a finished drywall job well get you into the ballpark. You local prices might vary 15-20%, but it will let you know $1K vs. $5K.

Don't be a pompus *****.....I didn't start out this thread with attitude.

Thanks longtimelurker, that's exactly the response i did not want. NO kidding it can vary so if you do NOT have any personal experience with drywalling your basement, house, garage or tree fort then as i said lets leave it to others with some valued input.

Hey, i'm just looking for some external input on what they've seen and done.

I don't know why people are skirting around your questions.... it's pretty easy really to give you an exact price without pictures or details... with your attitude and a small job of 400 sqft your exact cost should be $6,500.

Nick

.....I didn't start out this thread with attitude.

Please take this as constructive criticism then that I too misread the tone of your comment as sounding mean spirited. Lord knows that stuff gets lost in translation the moment we no longer communicate face-to-face and try to do so online.

Anyway, hopefully the OP got the information he was looking for and hopefully we can all get back to the hard work of building theaters. :)

I apologize to the OP and anyone else who felt I was being too insensitive......

Fuzzy

I felt that you were being too insensitive and I accept your apology. :)

Thanks longtimelurker, that's exactly the response i did not want. NO kidding it can vary so if you do NOT have any personal experience with drywalling your basement, house, garage or tree fort then as i said lets leave it to others with some valued input.


Yeah whatever........Insensitive!

I paid $8.13 per 4x8 sheet of 5/8 delivered.

I'm waiting for a couple quotes on drywalling my garage, I'm busy working on the theater and don't feel like hanging the garage too.
The formal quotes should be in tonight or tomorrow but from what I'm told, in the Western NY area the going rate is supposedly from $1 to $10 per square foot of board depending on the job size, hung and finished. One contractor told me he's guessing I'm around $3.50 per foot for my 2 car garage, walls and ceiling. They'll need to come down some or I'll be doing the garage myself too. :(

Yeah whatever........Insensitive!

Not quite how I read it, but close. ;):)

Cathan: That's funny about the number of runs to Home Depot. Seems like I've been there a million times over the last 5 months. I haven't kept track at all, but I'm guessing I'm pretty close to your total.

Thanks longtimelurker, that's exactly the response i did not want. NO kidding it can vary so if you do NOT have any personal experience with drywalling your basement, house, garage or tree fort then as i said lets leave it to others with some valued input.

Hey, i'm just looking for some external input on what they've seen and done.

His opinion should be valued. You can't exactly get even closely to the same price based on regional prices. I have finished 4 basements before, two of which were equivalent sizes, however, the costs between the two was nearly 3k because of the regional markets.

You need to do what he said to get the best and most accurate number. Many factors are going to come into play, a 400sqft basement with 4 flat walls and a flat ceiling is going to be dirt cheap in comparison to a 400sqft basement with closets, staircases, soffits, boxes, corners, openings, etc. Labor will be your biggest cost and obviously the longer it takes to do something, the more it's going to cost, regardless of how big your room is.


I'm estimating probably around $2,500, but like I said, depending on your region and the market, you can add or subtract 500-1,500.

Cathan: That's funny about the number of runs to Home Depot. Seems like I've been there a million times over the last 5 months. I haven't kept track at all, but I'm guessing I'm pretty close to your total.

Yeah. Thought it would be fun to track it. My average visits per week has gone down a ton from the time I was doing plumbing. Now its once every couple of weeks to pick up the odds and ends needed for a particular weekend's project.

Whatever. Killfile.


Thanks longtimelurker, that's exactly the response i did not want. NO kidding it can vary so if you do NOT have any personal experience with drywalling your basement, house, garage or tree fort then as i said lets leave it to others with some valued input.

Hey, i'm just looking for some external input on what they've seen and done.

Thanks longtimelurker, that's exactly the response i did not want. NO kidding it can vary so if you do NOT have any personal experience with drywalling your basement, house, garage or tree fort then as i said lets leave it to others with some valued input.

Hey, i'm just looking for some external input on what they've seen and done.

I thought the original post came off nasty until i read this one. This is defintely not the way to get help around here.

I thought the original post came off nasty until i read this one. This is defintely not the way to get help around here.

I agree, I don't even know why people even offered to help this guy... didn't even want to do any research himself to call for quote or even the home builders association? I guess some are nicer than me :)


longtimelurker: I thought your advice was spot on :cool: