Repair and patch
$500–$2.5k
- Damaged board cut out cleanly
- New backing and board patch
- Tape and three coats of compound
- Texture matched to the wall
- Primer ready for paint
- Dust sheeting and daily cleanup
Drywall installation · Licensed & insured
Drywall installation for walls and ceilings ready for the right finish.
We hang, tape and finish drywall in new rooms, basements and ceilings, replace failing plaster and patch holes so the repair disappears after paint. Every estimate names the board type and the finish level, from Level 3 under texture to Level 5 under strong light. You have three written prices a day after we look at it.
Text a photo of the wall or ceiling, holes and cracks included. A licensed supervisor answers within 5 minutes during business hours with a first read.
- $3k–$9kOne room, finished
- 3–5 daysTypical room
- 4.9410 reviews
- 24hWritten estimate
What happens after you text us
A drywall supervisor answers. The first question is what is behind the wall.
A typical first exchange. You describe the damage or the new room, the supervisor asks about plaster, water and the light in the room, and you end with a visit time and an estimate date.
- Plaster or drywall changes the whole plan
- A leak must be fixed before any patch goes on
- Visit and estimate date set before the chat ends
Hi, our living room ceiling has long cracks and a brown stain from an old roof leak. The house is old, I think it is plaster.
Hi Denise, this is Ray, I run drywall and plaster jobs for ProBuild Remodeling. Has the roof leak been fixed, and does any part of the ceiling sag or feel soft if you press it with a broom handle?
Roof was fixed last spring. There is a spot near the window that dips a little.
A dip usually means the plaster has let go of the wood lath. That part may need to come down, the rest can often be screwed back and skimmed. Can you send a photo from below with the lights on?
Sent two. You can see the cracks run along the room.
Thanks. I will bring a moisture meter to confirm it is dry. I can come Tuesday at 4 and you would have three written prices, repair versus new drywall, on Wednesday. Does that suit you?
What drywall work costs
Drywall work costs $500 to $28,000. Area, finish level and tear-out set the price.
New drywall runs about $2.50 to $4.50 a square foot of board, hung, taped and finished to Level 4. Replacing plaster adds tear-out and hauling. Most homeowners need the One room tier: a room gutted to studs, a new ceiling or old plaster replaced.
One room
$3k–$9k
- Old plaster or board torn out
- Half-inch walls, 5/8-inch ceiling
- Moisture-resistant board where needed
- Level 4 finish, sanded smooth
- Metal corner bead on outside corners
- Debris hauled and room vacuumed
Basement or addition
$9k–$28k
- Board delivered and stocked by room
- Fire-rated board where code asks
- Mold-resistant board below grade
- Level 5 skim in bright rooms
- Soffits and beams wrapped
- Inspection-ready fastening
See a drywall range for your project
Choose the tier, how big the area is and the kind of house. The range uses the same per-project figures our drywall supervisors quote, tear-out and finishing included.
A range, not a quote. Your written estimate comes after the visit and does not change once you approve it.
Typical range for your answers
Turn this range into a written drywall estimateWhere the money goes
Finishing costs more than hanging. The board itself is the smallest big line.
Typical split for one room replaced from plaster to drywall. Taping and sanding take more hours than hanging, which is why the finish level you choose moves the price more than the board does.
Get my itemized drywall estimate
Repair the plaster or replace it
Repair plaster that is still holding on. Replace it when it has let go.
Plaster is harder and quieter than drywall and worth keeping when it is sound. Once it sags, crumbles or has lost its grip on the lath, replacing it with drywall costs less than chasing cracks. We test six things at the visit and write down the answer.
| If this is true | We recommend |
|---|---|
| Hairline cracks only, and the plaster feels solid | Repair the plaster |
| The ceiling sags or moves when you press it | Replace with drywall |
| Original plaster in a historic room with molding | Repair the plaster |
| The walls will be opened for new wiring or plumbing | Replace with drywall |
| Damage covers less than a third of the surface | Repair the plaster |
| Large areas crumble or have been patched many times | Replace with drywall |
How long it takes
One room takes three to five days, because each coat of compound needs time to dry.
A repair takes one to three days, mostly drying time between coats. A basement or addition takes one to three weeks. Setting-type compound and fans shorten drying, but three coats and a sanding are the minimum for a finish that hides under paint.
Before day one
Visit and plan
We check framing, moisture and what is behind the wall, then agree the board type and finish level.
Day one
Protect and tear out
Floors covered, doorways sealed with zip walls, old plaster or damaged board removed and hauled.
Days two to three
Hang and tape
Board screwed to framing, seams and corners taped, first coat of compound applied.
Final days
Coat, sand and prime
Second and third coats, dust-controlled sanding, inspection under a work light, then primer.
Remodeling concepts
Drywall installation: conditions and possibilities.
AI-generated examples of existing conditions and remodeling possibilities. Each image is a separate concept, not a documented transformation of the same home.
What your walls are made of
Every board and compound is named in your estimate, with the finish level.
Two drywall quotes can use different board and stop at different finish levels. Ours lists the brand, the thickness and the level for each room, so a lower number cannot hide fewer coats.
Standard and lightweight board
USG Sheetrock UltraLight and Georgia-Pacific ToughRock in half-inch for walls, and 5/8-inch sag-resistant board for ceilings.
Moisture and mold resistant
USG Mold Tough and Georgia-Pacific DensArmor Plus for basements, laundry rooms and bathroom walls outside the shower.
Fire-rated Type X board
Five-eighths inch Type X board slows the spread of fire. Code requires it on garage walls and ceilings shared with the house.
Sound-reducing board
QuietRock panels, or two layers of 5/8-inch board with a damping compound between, for bedrooms, offices and media rooms.
Joint compound and tape
Setting-type compound like Sheetrock Easy Sand for the first coat, then all-purpose or lightweight topping, over paper tape.
Corner bead and trim
Paper-faced metal bead on outside corners resists dents and cracks, and trim bead where drywall meets tile, windows or stone.
Written into every contract
Six promises you can hold us to.
The approved price is the final price. Change orders only with your written approval.
A credit for every working day of delay we cause. Weather and inspections excepted, in writing.
Dust barriers, floor protection and a clean-up before we leave. Your home stays livable.
A text or email every working day with photos and tomorrow's plan, or the day is free.
Workmanship warranty in writing, transferable to the next owner, backed by a fixed address.
A small deposit, then you pay only for work that is already completed, inspected and photographed.
Who is in your house
The same drywall crew, from the first sheet to the last sanding pass.
Each person is background-checked and introduced before day one. Drywall dust is the part everyone dreads, so the crew seals the room, sands with vacuum sanders and cleans every evening.
Drywall supervisor
Checks framing and moisture, sets finish level, texts you daily.
Drywall hanger
Screws every sheet to the framing with tight seams and few joints.
Taper and finisher
Tapes, coats and sands until the wall disappears under paint.
Illustrative project scopes
Drywall installation: scope and budget examples.
Planning examples with illustrative budgets and durations. These are not completed customer jobs, invoices or promises about your project.
Ceiling leak repair
- Example budget
- $1,400
- Example duration
- 2 days
- Record type
- Illustrative scope
Plaster room to drywall
- Example budget
- $6,700
- Example duration
- 5 days
- Record type
- Illustrative scope
Basement finished to paint
- Example budget
- $17,900
- Example duration
- 12 days
- Record type
- Illustrative scope
Your walls are not average
Your walls have their own story. Here is how it changes the estimate.
The tiers are the starting point. These are the cases that change the board, the finish or the price most often in drywall work.
Original plaster worth keeping
Some rooms deserve their plaster: curved walls, crown molding, arched doorways. We reattach loose sections, fill cracks with fiberglass mesh and skim coat, so the room keeps its character without the cracks.
Price a plaster repairAfter a leak or flood
Wet drywall wicks water up and grows mold. We cut out to a clean line above the water mark, dry the framing, and rebuild with mold-resistant board. We document it with photos if an insurance claim is open.
Price drywall after water damageA ceiling with popcorn texture
Scraping popcorn looks simple but it exposes every flaw in the ceiling beneath. We test for asbestos first, scrape and skim to a smooth Level 5, or hang new drywall over it when the old ceiling is too rough.
Price popcorn ceiling removalA basement being finished
Basements need mold-resistant board below grade, fire-rated board around the furnace room when required, and soffits wrapped around ducts and beams. We coordinate with the inspections that come before we close the walls.
Price my basement drywallA quieter bedroom or office
Standard drywall passes sound. Two layers of 5/8-inch board with damping compound, resilient channel or QuietRock, plus sealed outlets, can cut the noise between rooms noticeably, adding about 40 to 70 percent.
Price a soundproof wallA new wall or opening
A wall to split a room, or a new doorway, needs framing, drywall on both sides and a finish that matches the walls around it. We check with your town about permits and blend new work into existing texture.
Price a new wall or doorwayAn older house
Older houses mix plaster, old drywall and patches from every decade. Walls may be out of plumb and painted with lead. Your estimate names what we expect behind the surface and how EPA lead-safe work changes the job.
Price drywall for my older houseOnly a few holes to patch
Doorknob holes, anchor holes and nail pops scattered across the house. We group them into one visit, patch, coat and prime, and match the texture, so the whole list is done in a day or two before you paint.
Price my drywall patchesWhat this service is
Drywall installation, defined the way we quote it.
Drywall installation is the hanging of gypsum board panels on wall and ceiling framing, followed by taping, coating and sanding the joints to a specified finish level so the surface is ready for paint or texture. ProBuild Remodeling performs it as a licensed contractor, including tear-out of old plaster or damaged board and repairs that blend into existing walls.
The service covers patches and repairs, a room or ceiling hung and finished, plaster replacement, and basements, additions or several rooms at once. It includes the board type suited to each room and a finish from Level 3 under texture to Level 5 under bright light. Painting is priced separately on the interior painting page, and framing changes are quoted when needed.
It is for homeowners with cracked plaster, water-damaged ceilings, unfinished basements or rooms being opened for new wiring. It is not for a single small nail hole, which paint-store spackle fixes, or for commercial metal-stud buildings, which need a commercial drywall contractor.
The words you will see on your drywall estimate
- Level 4 finish
- Seams and screws covered with three coats of compound and sanded smooth. The standard for walls under flat or eggshell paint.
- Level 5 finish
- A Level 4 wall plus a thin skim coat over the whole surface. For ceilings and walls hit by strong side light.
- Skim coat
- A thin layer of compound spread over an entire wall or ceiling to hide texture, patches and plaster cracks.
- Type X board
- Five-eighths inch fire-rated drywall with glass fibers in the core. Required on garage walls and ceilings shared with the house.
- Setting compound
- Powdered compound that hardens by chemical reaction in a set time. Stronger than premixed, used for first coats and repairs.
- Corner bead
- Metal or plastic trim on outside corners that keeps them straight and protects them from dents.
- Plaster and lath
- Older walls built from wood strips covered with coats of plaster. Harder than drywall and heavier to remove.
- Nail pop
- A small bump where a drywall fastener pushed through the compound, usually as framing dries. Fixed with a screw and patch.
Drywall questions
Eight questions we get on almost every drywall call.
How much does drywall installation cost?
Most new drywall costs $2.50 to $4.50 per square foot of board, hung, taped and finished to Level 4. A room with walls and ceiling runs $3,000 to $9,000 including tear-out. Repairs run $500 to $2,500, and a basement or addition $9,000 to $28,000.
Should I repair plaster or replace it with drywall?
Repair plaster that is solid with hairline cracks, especially in rooms with original molding. Replace it when it sags, crumbles or covers walls you are opening for wiring or plumbing anyway. We press-test every wall and ceiling before we recommend either.
What is the difference between Level 4 and Level 5 drywall finish?
Level 4 has three coats of compound over seams and screws, sanded smooth, and suits most painted walls. Level 5 adds a thin skim coat over the entire surface, which hides flaws under glossy paint and strong side light from windows. It costs about 20 to 30 percent more.
How long does drywall take to install and finish?
One room usually takes three to five days: a day to hang, then taping and three coats of compound with drying time between, sanding and primer. Humidity slows drying. A basement or addition takes one to three weeks.
How messy is drywall work?
Sanding creates fine dust, so containment matters. We seal doorways with zip walls, cover floors, close off air returns, use vacuum-connected sanders and clean up every evening. Most dust stays inside the work area.
Can you match my existing wall or ceiling texture?
Yes. Orange peel, knockdown and skip-trowel textures can be matched by adjusting the spray and compound thickness. We test on a scrap board first. Old hand textures are harder, so sometimes we skim the whole wall for a clean match.
What drywall should be used in a basement?
Mold-resistant board such as USG Mold Tough or DensArmor Plus, kept a half-inch off the concrete floor. Fire-rated Type X board is used where code requires it, such as around a furnace room or under stairs, depending on your town.
Do I need a permit for drywall?
Patching and replacing drywall on existing walls usually needs no permit. Finishing a basement, building new walls or opening walls for wiring and plumbing usually does, and the inspector may check framing and insulation before we close up.
Drywall installation near you
Your remodeling address, within our service area.
A local drywall crew hangs and finishes your walls under the contractor license for your state. The license for each state is listed below.
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Maryland
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Florida
- Check your remodeling address
Free drywall estimate
Send a photo and your answers. Get three drywall prices after the visit.
A drywall supervisor reads your answers, texts back within 5 minutes during business hours and books a visit to press-test the walls and check for moisture.