I'm done fooling around with bad drywall installers.

[James L]

That should be easily-enough remedied. Take the amount of drywall off the blueprint. When they give you their rate per square foot, tell them how many square feet need to be installed, multiply the two, and tell them how much you'll pay for it.

Can't always take of an exact amount from a print because - especially on residential where drywall is hung horizontally - stud layout makes a difference sometimes.

But they usually add 10-15% for waste.

Belueve me, it's cheaper to waste it than patch in a bunch of small pieces

 

[James L]

Same here, but I'm more like $75-100 per sheet, hanging and finishing. I use adhesive on ceilings, but not walls.

I make good, tight holes by measuring to the start of the close side and end of the far side, making a rectangle.

For ceiling boxes and recessed lights, I draw the square, I draw an X to find the center, then I hole-saw at the X.

$75-100 per board is about right for me too.

I use a Rotozip for cutouts. I just get a measurement inside the box or can, and I'm good at getting to the edge and zipping along the outside.

But it's not as tight as if it's hand cut. The bit is 1/8"

 

[LarryFine]

Can't always take of an exact amount from a print because - especially on residential where drywall is hung horizontally - stud layout makes a difference sometimes.

I'll actually draw out each wall-stud layout, and draw each 4x8 sheet on it, in order to get an accurate count.

 

[James L]

I'll actually draw out each wall-stud layout, and draw each 4x8 sheet on it, in order to get an accurate count.

That probably works pretty good if you're hanging vertical.

I typically hang horizontal, and I use a mix of 8, 10, 12 ft boards. I don't hang 16s, just never saw the point in fighting one

 

[drcampbell]

... Believe me, it's cheaper to waste it than patch in a bunch of small pieces.

Of course. But it sounded like they're getting paid by the amount of drywall they consume, not the amount they hang. Not so?

 

[James L]

Of course. But it sounded like they're getting paid by the amount of drywall they consume, not the amount they hang. Not so?

Correct. They get paid by the amount of drywall they consume. Which is actually cheaper than paying them for what they hang.

I finished the basement one time, and I had someone else hang the drywall for me. I came back to find a couple of bottom sheets had been busted really bad. He cut them too tight to the floor, then tried to kick them in place.

I asked him why he didn't just take that sheet off and throw it away and put a new sheet on cut properly. He told me he thought I would get mad about wasting. So I had to drop some logic on him....

Instead of throwing away $15 of drywall oh, you would rather cause me an hour and a half of patching

You know what? He never did get that.

Whether it's cut off or it's actually damaged or whatever, waste is waste. And it's cheaper to throw it away and move on then it is to take the time patching it in

 

[Bluegrass Boy]

Of course. But it sounded like they're getting paid by the amount of drywall they consume, not the amount they hang. Not so?

That’s how it appeared to me. When you see them cut two foot off a full sheet, and then shortly need a 4x4 piece, but get another full sheet, and scrap what’s left. I have seen this several times, it was incredible what could have been used where needed , but was thrown in a dumpster. It made me think how much consumed instead of hung.

 

[Hv&Lv]

$75-100 per board is about right for me too.

I use a Rotozip for cutouts. I just get a measurement inside the box or can, and I'm good at getting to the edge and zipping along the outside.

But it's not as tight as if it's hand cut. The bit is 1/8"

Wow... you and Larry are high as sheet rockers..
That’s over $2.00 per ft..

You said $1.00 per ft earlier

12X54 board at $100 for finishing, not including the price of the board, is $1.85 per ft.

the board comes in about $0.25-0.28 per ft.

Maybe that’s why you never ask an electrician to do Sheetrock work..


I did some houses back in the late 90s. Paid $5 to get it hung, (4.5X12) and $9.25 to finish. They supplied the mud.

 

[James L]

Wow... you and Larry are high as sheet rockers..
That’s over $2.00 per ft..

You said $1.00 per ft earlier

12X54 board at $100 for finishing, not including the price of the board, is $1.85 per ft.

the board comes in about $0.25-0.28 per ft.

Maybe that’s why you never ask an electrician to do Sheetrock work..


I did some houses back in the late 90s. Paid $5 to get it hung, (4.5X12) and $9.25 to finish. They supplied the mud.

For sure, $2.50 - 3.00 / ft is where I want to be

$1.00 was what a remodeling company owner asked me about and I told him he's smoking crack.

Materials have been about $.45/ft so that would only be $.55/ labor to hang and finish. I can hang about 3 sheets/hr by myself, which is 96sf

I'm not gonna do it for $25.00 per hour on a 1099

I've done a couple of really clean (neat and easy) jobs for $1.85/ft and did ok. Honestly, I hate hanging, but finishing is therapeutic for me.

I actually have 3 drywall jobs toward the end of this month. Not sure why they all called at the same time. It'll be nice to hang up my electrical bags for 3 weeks.

 

[retirede]

I find that excessive adhesive used on the stud face pushes the board out a lot and proper box depth is compromised.

I get it that we should have the drywallers come back and repair,but that doesn't always fit in with trimming everything out in one trip and powering up.

I will use box extenders, etc in order to complete my job and back charge the General Contractor.

A couple bills with labor at $70/hr for fixing screw ups gets attention immediately.

Surprising how the next job is hung and finished so much better.

Insulation can cause bigger problems than adhesive. I’ve seen wet cellulose blown in behind fabric. It bulges out in between the studs. They end up with gaps between the stud and the rock. Install a TV mount (or anything else) after it’s finished and all the screws pop.

 

[James L]

Insulation can cause bigger problems than adhesive. I’ve seen wet cellulose blown in behind fabric. It bulges out in between the studs. They end up with gaps between the stud and the rock. Install a TV mount (or anything else) after it’s finished and all the screws pop.

That's where ring-shank nails can be more effective than screws.

 

[Hv&Lv]

For sure, $2.50 - 3.00 / ft is where I want to be

$1.00 was what a remodeling company owner asked me about and I told him he's smoking crack.

Materials have been about $.45/ft so that would only be $.55/ labor to hang and finish. I can hang about 3 sheets/hr by myself, which is 96sf

I'm not gonna do it for $25.00 per hour on a 1099

I've done a couple of really clean (neat and easy) jobs for $1.85/ft and did ok. Honestly, I hate hanging, but finishing is therapeutic for me.

I actually have 3 drywall jobs toward the end of this month. Not sure why they all called at the same time. It'll be nice to hang up my electrical bags for 3 weeks.

I’ve just been out of it for quite a while now..
I did a little figuring here.
That would be $30,000 to hang my house in today’s figures..

Thats about right with the way everything has gone up over the years.

 

[acin]

Had a rec covered in cabinet backsplash. they tiled it before we got there.

 

[GoldDigger]

That’s how it appeared to me. When you see them cut two foot off a full sheet, and then shortly need a 4x4 piece, but get another full sheet, and scrap what’s left. I have seen this several times, it was incredible what could have been used where needed , but was thrown in a dumpster. It made me think how much consumed instead of hung.

Not saying it was the case for what you saw, but there is one factor that might be relevant in other situations.`
A 4x8 sheet of rock, will have cleanly cut straight edges on the 4' sides and tapered edges to allow room for tape and mud on the two 8' sides. Ideally the wallboard will be laid out so that joints between sheets in the middle of the wall are tapered to tapered, with the flat edges and/or cut edges being used at corners where the taper is not needed. When making an end (4') to end butt joint it may also be easier to finish if factory edges instead of field cut edges are used.
On the other hand, there is a certain credibility to just wanting to "use" more sheets.

 

[LarryFine]

That probably works pretty good if you're hanging vertical.

I typically hang horizontal, and I use a mix of 8, 10, 12 ft boards. I don't hang 16s, just never saw the point in fighting one

Vertical minimizes butt joints, as does using the larger sizes you mentioned. Here's where I intentionally placed the drywall so the joints ran behind the window trim:

 

[farmantenna]

Let me drop this bomb, too...

Electricians are notorious for having atrocious looking makeup inside the boxes. Drywall guys can tell if you give a crap what kind of work you leave.

And if you don't care what your work looks like inside the box, they won't care what their work looks like around your boxes.

Be your best, and it can make a lasting impression.

Here's a couple shots of my makeup. I have a leg to stand on when i complain about others' work

hahahaha you're funny. they don't care or look at our workmanship. They put up sheetrock and understand nothing else.

 

[James L]

hahahaha you're funny. they don't care or look at our workmanship. They put up sheetrock and understand nothing else.

Make your work in the bottom 20% of quality, and you'll find out how much less they care

 

[Coppersmith]

Here's a drywall guy who knows what he's doing.

 

[AC\DC]

Dang, he Is good.

 

[James L]

Here's a drywall guy who knows what he's doing.

That's what a drywall hatchet is for.

Did you notice the drywall was narrow sheets?
16 inches wide. That's what was used for plaster veneer. That's what came after plaster and lath. That was the beginning of drywall. Metal mesh in corners, and 1/2 of plaster on top. Much faster than nailing on all those narrow lath boards