Drywall Cost Guide for Gainesville, FL, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the unit price for new drywall?
$2.00 to $3.50 per square foot in 2026, hung and finished. Board, tape, mud, and sanding are in that range.
What adds the most cost?
Area first. Then finish level, ceiling height, and texture. Paint is priced apart in most bids.
How do I read a bid?
Each line should name the work and its price: board, hang, finish, texture. If a bid is one lump sum, ask for the lines.
What finish level do I need?
Level 4 is the norm for walls that get flat or eggshell paint. Level 5 is best under gloss paint or hard side light.
Do patches come with a firm price?
Yes, after the free check. Most patches are $250 to $900 based on size and texture work.
Which towns do you serve?
Gainesville, Newberry, Alachua, and High Springs. Each town page shows its own ranges and facts.
This guide holds the ranges the rest of this site uses. Install: $2.00 to $3.50 per square foot, hung and finished. Taping and mudding alone: $1.00 to $2.00 per square foot. Texture match: add $0.75 to $1.50 per square foot. Popcorn removal: $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot. Patches: $250 to $900 per job. Water damage sections: $350 to $1,200 each. The guide is dated 2026 and built from Gainesville area bid data. Call (352) 649-3354 for a firm price on your room.
Unit prices
What moves the price
Area sets the base. Finish level adds coats and sand time. Ceiling height adds lift time. Texture adds a spray pass and a blend edge. Wet work adds cut-out, dry time, and new board. Each bid on this system lists these as lines.
Patch or full sheet?
A hole the size of a plate is a patch job. A wall with many holes or soft, wet board is a sheet job. If less than a third of the wall is hurt, a patch is most often the right buy. If the board is soft when pressed, new board costs less over time. We give both prices at the site check when both paths make sense.
A note on old ceilings
Many Gainesville homes built before 1980 have popcorn ceilings. Some of that texture holds asbestos. A test kit costs little and keeps the job safe. We will not scrape an old ceiling blind. The test fee, if you need one, shows at cost on the bid.
How to read a bid
- Board: type and thickness named.
- Hang: priced per foot.
- Finish: level named, priced apart.
- Texture: type named, priced apart.
- Extras: tests, permits, framing repair, each at its own price.
A bid that hides these in one lump sum is hard to check. Ask for the lines. Any firm can split a bid if the math is real.
Next step
Try the calculator on the install page or the repair page. Then contact us for a free written bid.