Drywall Estimating Services: Board Counts, Finish Levels and What to Expect

Drywall bids are won on the count. Two subs looking at the same set will measure the same square footage; the one who priced the boards, the corners, the finish level and the ceiling height correctly is the one who makes money on it. A drywall estimating service is worth paying for when it gives you those, not when it gives you a square-foot total.

What a drywall estimating service measures

• Wall area per room and per assembly, less windows and doors, with the ceiling height stated.
• Ceiling area, flat and sloped.
• Board type by area: standard, moisture-resistant, fire-rated, abuse-resistant, shaft liner, and ceiling board.
• Board counts, by size, from the area and your waste factor.
• Corner bead, both inside and outside corners, by the foot.
• Finish level per area, because Level 5 and a garage are not the same price.

What the documents should contain

Marked-up sheets with the walls and ceilings traced and colour-keyed by board type; a workbook with one row per area per sheet, carrying square feet, board type, count and finish level; and, if you want it priced, your rates on your letterhead. A total with no sheet behind it cannot be checked, and a square-foot figure with no board type cannot be ordered.

What to put in the scope note

• Ceiling heights where the plan does not state them, especially vaulted and two-storey spaces.
• Where specialty board goes: wet areas, garages, fire separations, shafts.
• Finish levels by area, and whether texture is in your scope.
• Whether the takeoff should count boards at your waste factor or report net square feet.
• Anything the builder said that is not on the drawings.

What it costs

Drywall is one of the more commonly priced trades. Services that publish a figure start between about $150 and $199 for a single-trade drywall takeoff; the trade-specific providers quote two to five business days, and the general estimating firms 24 to 48 hours after a quote. The full comparison, with each provider's own published terms, is in our takeoff services cost guide.

Questions to ask first

1. 1
   Do you report board type by area?A total square footage with no board type is half a takeoff.
2. 2
   Do you deduct openings, and how?Gross and net measure differently, and your pricing assumes one of them.
3. 3
   Do I get marked-up sheets?Every sheet with scope on it, colour-keyed, with a legend.
4. 4
   What happens if the set is bigger than quoted?You should be asked to approve a new price before work continues.

Written by the team at Opulence Built, who also run an insulation and concrete contracting business. We mention our own software where it is relevant and say so when we do.