How to Price Drywall Jobs (2026 Guide)
How to price drywall jobs in 2026: per square foot, per sheet, or by the job, plus finish levels, texture matching, repair minimums, waste, and fast quoting.
A homeowner in Denver calls three drywall contractors to patch a two foot hole where a plumber opened up a wall. The first contractor quotes a flat $250 minimum, explains it covers the patch, the texture match, and the return trips as the mud dries, and books the job that afternoon. The second contractor looks at the hole, sees fifteen minutes of hands on work, and quotes $60.
He then drives out three separate times over four days to coat, dry, coat again, sand, and match the knockdown texture, and by the time he is done he has made less than nothing once you count the fuel and the two hours of actual windshield and setup time. Same hole, same patch, two completely different outcomes.
One priced the job. The other priced the square inches..