Homebuilding Step 9 – Drywall

Hire a drywall company to install and finish the drywall. Specify ½” drywall for the walls and 5/8” drywall for the ceilings. Specify moisture resistant drywall for the bathrooms and the wall areas behind the kitchen sink, laundry machines, and dishwasher. Ask the drywall company to install drywall up to the windows so that no trim is necessary around the windows. In 2015, the author paid $5,400 for this service on the house described in an area just outside of Austin, Texas.

If you want to do the drywall yourself and you don’t work on a drywall crew, it must be simply for the love of the game. It is hard to justify spending your own time on this trade, when a professional crew can do it so well while you rest your back for a week.