Drywall Estimating and Takeoff Services

We quantify gypsum board assemblies from your architectural set — board count by type and thickness, framing by linear foot, and finishing by GA-214 level — and deliver an editable Excel workbook with a marked-up plan set. Flat-quoted from your plan set before we start.

Get a Free Quote

What We Take Off

Drywall looks like an area measurement and is not. The same square foot of wall costs different amounts depending on which side of a rated assembly it is on, how high it is, what level of finish it takes, and whether the board behind it is Type X, abuse-resistant or glass-mat. The wall type schedule, not the floor plan, is where this scope actually lives.

Gypsum boardcount by sheet size, thickness and product type, separating regular, Type X and Type C fire-rated, moisture- and mold-resistant, abuse- and impact-resistant, glass-mat sheathing, and flexible board for radius work

Board layers by assemblysingle, double and triple layer counted per face, because a two-hour partition is two boards on each side and area alone will report half of it

Wall typesevery partition quantified against the wall type schedule, with rated, acoustic, shaft, chase and plenum-rated assemblies kept as distinct line items

Metal framing interfacestud LF by gauge, depth and spacing, track, deflection and slip track, headers, jamb studs, kickers and bracing where the drywall subcontract carries the framing

Ceilingsgypsum board ceilings, soffits, bulkheads, coffers, light coves and clouds by SF, with framing and hanger interface, kept separate from acoustical grid

Shaft wallsliner panel SF, C-H and C-T studs, and J-runner, quantified separately from standard partitions because both the material and the installation sequence differ

FinishingSF by GA-214 level from Level 0 to Level 5, with skim coat and Level 5 areas identified against the finish schedule rather than applied blanket to the building

Joint treatmenttape, compound in setting and ready-mix types, and coat counts derived from the specified finish level rather than assumed

Corner bead and trimLF by profile, separating standard corner bead, bullnose, L-bead, J-bead, reveal, expansion and control joint trim

Acoustic treatmentinsulation in the cavity by SF and R-value or STC target, acoustic sealant LF at perimeters, resilient channel, and sound isolation clips and hat channel

Firestopping and rated penetrationshead-of-wall details, joint systems and through-penetration counts, referenced to the UL assembly numbers in the drawings

Access panels and openingspanel counts by size and rating, plus board deductions and returns at door, window, borrowed-lite and louvre openings

High and difficult workSF above standard reach requiring scaffold, lift or baker access, quantified separately because the labor rate is not the same as work off the floor

Texture and specialty finishesSF by texture type, plus veneer plaster and prefinished panel systems where specified

Patching and interface scopecutting and patching at MEP rough-in, and closure after other trades where the drawings assign it to this package

How Drywall Quantities Are Measured

Every quantity below is reported in the unit the scope is actually bought and bid in — not converted into a single convenient unit that hides where the cost sits.

Gypsum boardSF and countBoth. Square feet drive the finishing labor; sheet count by size drives the buy and the delivery, and a 54-inch-wide board is not interchangeable with a 48-inch one.

Board layersSF per faceCounted per face per layer. A double-layer rated partition is four board quantities across two faces, not one wall area.

Metal framingLFBy stud gauge, depth and spacing, with track measured separately at head and base. Spacing changes the stud count for identical wall length.

FinishingSF by levelSegregated by GA-214 level. Level 5 across a whole building and Level 5 only in raking-light areas are materially different numbers.

Corner bead and trimLFBy profile. Reveal and expansion trim cost several times what standard corner bead does per foot.

Cavity insulationSFBy thickness and R-value or STC target, against the wall types that actually call for it rather than all partitions.

Acoustic sealantLFPerimeter runs top and bottom on both faces of an acoustic partition — four times the wall length, not once.

Shaft wall linerSFQuantified apart from partition board because the panel, the studs and the erection sequence are all different.

FirestoppingLF and EAHead-of-wall and joint systems by linear foot; through-penetrations by count and size, per the referenced UL assembly.

Access panelsEABy size and fire rating. A rated panel in a rated shaft is a different item from a plain ceiling access door.

High workSF by access typeSplit by scaffold, lift or standard reach. Wall height changes the installed cost of an unchanged square foot.

Who This Is For

General contractors carrying this trade directly, or checking a subcontractor's number before it goes into the bid.

Subcontractors pricing their own scope in this division.

Developers and owners validating a number they've already been given.

Material suppliers and distributors verifying a customer's order.

What You Receive

An itemized Excel takeoff, organized by division
A marked-up plan set — every quantity traces back to a location on the drawings
Labor, material and equipment split out separately
Waste and overage factors shown as visible line items
An assumptions and exclusions schedule

Marked-up drywall plan crop

What Moves the Number on Drywall

Finish level, applied where it is actually specified. GA-214 defines six levels. The gap between Level 3 in back-of-house and Level 5 in a lobby is several coats of compound and a full skim, plus the sanding and lighting-inspection labor that goes with it. Estimates that carry one level across the whole building are wrong in one direction or the other, and the finish schedule is what settles it.

Rated and acoustic assemblies. A one-hour partition, a two-hour shaft wall and a plain office partition share a floor plan and nothing else. Layer count, board type, framing gauge, insulation, sealant and firestopping all change together. This is why the wall type schedule is the governing document for a drywall takeoff.

Wall height and access. Board hung at 9 feet, at 14 feet, and in an atrium off a lift are three different labor rates for the same square foot. Deck height also decides whether partitions stop at the ceiling or run to structure — which changes both the quantity and the head-of-wall detail.

Board type substitutions. Abuse-resistant, impact-resistant, mold-resistant and glass-mat products carry real premiums over regular board. Where they are specified is a room-by-room decision in the finish and wall type schedules, not a building-wide assumption.

Framing scope boundary. Whether the drywall package carries the metal framing, or the framing is a separate subcontract, changes the number substantially. Shaft walls, soffit framing and deflection detail at the head of wall are the usual points of dispute, so we state the boundary we quantified to.

Openings, returns and reveals. Deducting an opening at its rough size while ignoring the jamb returns, head returns and reveal trim around it understates trim linear footage and overstates the board saved. On a heavily fenestrated elevation the two errors do not cancel.

What We Need From You

A complete set is ideal, but rarely what exists. Send what you have — we will tell you at quote stage what can be quantified firm and what has to be an allowance.

Architectural floor plans and reflected ceiling plans
Wall type schedule with rated assembly references — the single most important document for this trade
Room finish schedule, so finish levels are applied where they are specified
Building sections and interior elevations, for wall heights and soffit geometry
Life-safety plans showing rated partitions, shafts and smoke barriers
Specification sections for Division 09 gypsum board and Division 05 metal framing
Door, window and louvre schedules, for opening deductions and trim returns

How It Works

1 Send your plans — PDF, DWG, DOC, images or ZIP, up to 100MB per file.
2 Get your quote — a flat price for the scope with a delivery date, confirmed in writing.
3 Approve — nothing starts until you confirm.
4 We take it off — quantities from the drawings and schedules.
5 Delivery — workbook, marked-up set, assumptions schedule.

How Pricing and Turnaround Work

Every project is priced individually from your drawings. Send the plan set and you get a flat quote for the scope before any work starts — no hourly billing, no open-ended engagement.

Turnaround depends on the size of the package and how many trades are in scope — which is why you get a firm delivery date with your quote rather than a generic promise.

Tools and Standards

Takeoffs are produced in Bluebeam, PlanSwift, Trimble, STACK, organized against CSI MasterFormat divisions — this scope is specified under Division 09 — Finishes (with framing under Division 05).

Quantities and assemblies are read against the published standards that govern this trade, because the standard is what decides whether two apparently identical items are actually the same line item:

GA-214 — Levels of Finish for Gypsum Panel Products (Levels 0 through 5)
ASTM C840 — Application and Finishing of Gypsum Board
ASTM C1396 — Standard Specification for Gypsum Board
ASTM C645 / C754 — non-load-bearing steel framing members and their installation
UL Fire Resistance Directory — rated assembly numbers as referenced on the drawings
ASTM E90 / E413 — sound transmission measurement and STC rating
GA-600 — Fire Resistance and Sound Control Design Manual

Pricing is built on RSMeans cost data localized to your project's market, then reconciled against current supplier quotes and our own completed project costs. Every estimate states its pricing basis and the date it was priced.

Why Drywall Is Estimated Wrong

Wall area measured once on a double-layer assembly. Rated partitions are frequently two or three layers per face. Measuring the wall once and multiplying by two for two sides reports half the board on a double-layer assembly, and the error is invisible in a summary quantity.

One finish level applied building-wide. Pricing everything at Level 4, or everything at Level 5, is the most expensive assumption in this trade. Level 5 requires a full skim coat over the entire surface, and specifying it where it was not asked for can add materially to the finishing labor with nothing to show for it.

Partitions assumed to stop at the ceiling. Whether a partition dies into the ceiling grid or runs to the underside of structure changes board quantity, framing length, insulation, firestopping and the head-of-wall detail. The wall type schedule and sections tell you; the floor plan does not.

Acoustic sealant measured as wall length. An acoustic partition is typically sealed at head and base on both faces. Taking that at the wall's linear footage instead of four times it is a systematic shortfall on every acoustically rated wall in the building.

Shaft wall priced as standard partition. Shaft wall uses liner panel and C-H studs, is erected from one side, and often occurs in the tightest and highest locations on the job. Rolling it into the general partition quantity understates both material and labor.

Related Estimating Services

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you separate quantities by finish level?

Yes — finishing is reported in square feet against each GA-214 level, keyed to the room finish schedule. Level 5 areas are listed on their own so you can see exactly where the skim-coat labor is and challenge it if the spec is ambiguous.

Does the takeoff include the metal framing?

It can, and by default it does, because most drywall subcontracts carry it. Framing is quantified in linear feet by gauge, depth and spacing and listed separately from board, so the scope boundary is visible and easy to remove if your contract splits it.

How do you handle fire-rated and acoustic assemblies?

Each wall type is quantified as its own assembly against the wall type schedule, carrying its layer count, board type, framing, insulation, sealant and firestopping together. Rated assemblies are cross-checked against the life-safety plan and the referenced UL numbers.

Do you report board as square feet or as sheet count?

Both. Square feet drive the finishing labor and sheet count by size drives the purchase and the delivery — and since board comes in more than one width and length, sheet count is what a supplier can actually quote from.

Is cavity insulation part of a drywall takeoff?

Where the drawings assign it to this package, yes — quantified by square foot against the wall types that call for it, with the R-value or STC target noted. If insulation is a separate subcontract on your job, we list it so it can be removed cleanly.

What if there is no wall type schedule?

Then we quantify from plans, sections and the life-safety drawings and state every assembly assumption explicitly. This is the one document whose absence changes a drywall number most, so we will tell you at quote stage rather than after delivery.

Do you account for wall height and access?

Yes. Board is segregated by access condition — standard reach, scaffold and lift — because the same square foot of an atrium wall and a corridor wall do not install for the same cost.

Can you quantify ceilings and soffits too?

Yes, from the reflected ceiling plan — gypsum ceilings, soffits, bulkheads and coves by square foot with their framing interface, reported separately from acoustical grid so the two trades stay distinguishable.

Send us your drywall plans and get a quote

Upload your plans or tell us what you need. We’ll reply with pricing and a delivery date.

Need to add trades, ZIP code, target date or project state? Use the full quote form ↗