[wengang1]

Hi all.
In my coronavirus vacation, I've managed to tear out and hang drywall in a significant portion of my house (about 700 sq ft of floor space, 8.5 foot ceilings, including multiple closets). It was all 12' sheets with very few butt joints. I've gotten pretty good at finishing drywall in recent years, but as I look at the work ahead, I'm wondering what it would cost to have somebody else come in and just do the tape and finish work. Also, I'm wondering about doing the tape and first round of mud myself, and then having somebody come in and finish. I can't find any kind of estimates online except for the full job. Those estimates range from $1 to $1.50 per sq foot.

Does anybody have an idea of what these two options would likely cost, either by room or by sqft?

Thanks.

 

[de-nagorg]

Only someone in your market area, would know what prices are going there.

There are specialized teams that only do the joints, check with a supply house , they might have leads on who in your area are the pros.


ED

 

[stick\shift]

Best practice is to have three or more local contractors bid the job so you can compare and ask questions.

 

[Bud9051]

I know you tried to do a really good job at hanging the drywall, but finish work only is low pay and high responsibility. Their end product will often be affected by how you installed it and if they have enough work, they won't be interested in a DIY follow up job, or they will crank up the price.

Good opportunity to hone your drywall skills. I took on a major project to avoid what I was getting for high prices and the side benefit was, I learned and did so long before sites like this became available. We have some great pro advice here and there are lots of videos to help. You have the heavy work out of the way so go for it.

Just my opinion.

Bud

 

[123pugsy]

DO NOT do the tape first coat. No one will touch the job after that.
Odds are you will leave it high and lumpy if you're not a pro.

 

[123pugsy]

My neighbor just paid about 3200.00 for about 200 sheets for full tape, mud, sand.
This is Canada. May be cheaper where you live.

 

[mark sr]

DO NOT do the tape first coat. No one will touch the job after that.
Odds are you will leave it high and lumpy if you're not a pro.

Worth repeating!
I had a carpenter friend who was building his own house. He told me he was having trouble with the drywall and asked if I'd come over to help. He had started the mud process but had mud built up too high and uneven. I spent an hour fixing a small section ..... and quit! I told him what needed to be done to make it right. He didn't like my suggestions and spent days sanding to get it acceptable [it never did look great]

 

[wengang1]

Thanks for the replies.

At the risk of sounding boastful, I have completed about 40% of the drywall work in my house start to finish over the past 10 years (not counting the latest project), and it's as good as any pro. I'm not concerned about being able to do the work, I'm just concerned about the time and energy vs the cost of paying to have it done. I'll be selling the house at some point in the next year, and there are a ton of areas I could be focusing on if this work is cheaper per man-hour than other work.

 

[123pugsy]

Thanks for the replies.

At the risk of sounding boastful, I have completed about 40% of the drywall work in my house start to finish over the past 10 years (not counting the latest project), and it's as good as any pro. I'm not concerned about being able to do the work, I'm just concerned about the time and energy vs the cost of paying to have it done. I'll be selling the house at some point in the next year, and there are a ton of areas I could be focusing on if this work is cheaper per man-hour than other work.

Cheaper? I would hope not as it's brutal work.


I had the same sentiment about doing my house. It got hired out without thinking twice.

 

[Boogityman]

Just to add a data point, I just got a quote for a ceiling drywall patch about 10x15': installed, compound blended into existing ceiling, sanded ready to prime, and its $3.65 (Canadian dollars) per square foot. I am in Montreal. But obviously a much smaller job than yours and was fairly stringent in my requirements for finish level.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[MudderSteve]

Hi all.
In my coronavirus vacation, I've managed to tear out and hang drywall in a significant portion of my house (about 700 sq ft of floor space, 8.5 foot ceilings, including multiple closets). It was all 12' sheets with very few butt joints. I've gotten pretty good at finishing drywall in recent years, but as I look at the work ahead, I'm wondering what it would cost to have somebody else come in and just do the tape and finish work. Also, I'm wondering about doing the tape and first round of mud myself, and then having somebody come in and finish. I can't find any kind of estimates online except for the full job. Those estimates range from $1 to $1.50 per sq foot.

Does anybody have an idea of what these two options would likely cost, either by room or by sqft?

Thanks.

It depends alot on details for the price. 4 well hung sheets of drywall, can be finished pretty easily, now throw in angles, beads , blown out plugs, damaged board, multiple butt joints, poorly screwed (to deep, not deep enough) and it becomes 4x the work.
Box rooms should be $1 to $2 tapping price, try to get a look at the finisher previous work. You're going to look at your walls and ceiling alot. Make sure you're going to get a good product.
I described that cause people think hanging sheetrock is easy and the mudding they can outsource.
Pro for the whole thing, hang and finish.
If you do decide to take it on the most common higher skilled part are the 3way corners. I found this premade one piece that makes them pretty easy and the finished result is pro level. Drywall corner finishing, as a pro is where 30% of the total jobs time goes.

 

[finisher65]

It depends alot on details for the price. 4 well hung sheets of drywall, can be finished pretty easily, now throw in angles, beads , blown out plugs, damaged board, multiple butt joints, poorly screwed (to deep, not deep enough) and it becomes 4x the work.
Box rooms should be $1 to $2 tapping price, try to get a look at the finisher previous work. You're going to look at your walls and ceiling alot. Make sure you're going to get a good product.
I described that cause people think hanging sheetrock is easy and the mudding they can outsource.
Pro for the whole thing, hang and finish.
If you do decide to take it on the most common higher skilled part are the 3way corners. I found this premade one piece that makes them pretty easy and the finished result is pro level. Drywall corner finishing, as a pro is where 30% of the total jobs time goes.

That corner piece seems like a gimmick.
I don't see how it's any help at all, and it's an extra step.

 

[MudderSteve]

That corner piece seems like a gimmick.
I don't see how it's any help at all, and it's an extra step.

Saves the shaping out and sanding. Like nocoat in a bad or off angle, by hand with paper tape is difficult to get crisp lines. If you don't tape and mud everyday sure is helpful.