Do the walls or ceilings in your house or condo need work? If you're in Broward, Palm Beach or Miami-Dade, this is the page for your decisions. It belongs to our drywall services, which cover the same trade at larger scale for contractors on the commercial drywall and ceilings page. J. Perry & Sons handles drywall installation for additions and remodels and drywall repair where water and movement did damage, converts textured walls to smooth, and builds the ceiling details that make a room look finished.
Residential drywall cost: $4.50–$7 per sq ft at Level 4
| Scope | Unit | Installed range |
|---|---|---|
| Hang, tape and finish to Level 4 | per sq ft of board | $4.50–$7 |
| Hang and finish to Level 5 for smooth walls | per sq ft of board | $6.50–$10 |
| Skim coat to smooth a textured or damaged ceiling | per sq ft | $4.50–$8 |
| Patch, nail holes to roughly 2 ft square, textured | each | $175–$350 |
| Minimum service visit (several small patches in one trip) | per visit | $650 |
About these prices. These ranges are starting points based on typical South Florida projects. Your final price depends on the condition of the property, access, the materials or system specified and the full scope of work. We confirm every number after we review your project in person or from the drawings, and the price in your signed proposal is the one that applies.
Prices include board, fasteners, tape, compound, bead, sanding and haul-away. Sheetrock is a brand of drywall, so sheetrock repair is priced the same way. Primer and paint are separate. A tall great room, a stairwell or work over 10 ft sits at the upper end. Framing, insulation and electrical rough-in are scoped separately when they are part of a larger remodel.
Choosing the finish for your house
The choice that matters most is the finish level, meaning how many coats of compound go on and where. It comes down to two things: your paint sheen and how light crosses the wall.
Flat or eggshell paint, normal light. Level 4 is right. Bedrooms, closets and hallways without big windows at the end don't need more.
Impact sliders, long hallways, high-gloss or dark paint. Light rakes along these walls in the late afternoon and shows every joint and screw. Level 5 is the answer. The reasoning is on the Level 5 drywall finish page.
Heavy texture. If you want knockdown or orange peel, Level 3 under it is enough, and it's the lower-cost route.
Smooth. A smooth modern wall is a Level 5 wall. If your house has old texture you want gone, the existing walls are skimmed, not replaced.
Send a photo of the room through our project form with the paint sheen and color you're planning, and we'll tell you which level to order. The estimate is free.
Texture: orange peel, knockdown or smooth
Adding a wall or opening one for plumbing, and worried the new section will stand out? Most South Florida houses have orange peel or knockdown on the walls and a knockdown or sprayed ceiling, and we match the surrounding texture so the new section disappears once painted. Sprayed orange peel is a fine spatter left as it lands. Knockdown is sprayed heavier and flattened with a knife. If you're changing the whole house to smooth, tell us before the quote; it changes the scope from patch-and-match to skim-everything. Smooth also reads better with recessed lights and modern trim, and it's the safer choice if you plan to sell.
Living in the house during drywall repair or remodeling
Wondering how much of a mess this will make? Drywall is dusty only at the sanding stage, and we handle that with vacuum-attached sanders and plastic containment at doorways. Rooms being worked on are closed off, and the AC return in those rooms is sealed so dust doesn't travel through your house. Between coats, compound needs time to dry, so a bathroom or bedroom takes several visits over a few days rather than one long day. Most owners stay in the house. If a whole-house job means a week of daily visits, we give you a room-by-room schedule up front so you know which bathroom is available when.
Planning a whole-house job while you live there? Call (561) 556-7509 and we'll walk through a room-by-room schedule with you before we start.
Furring over block, moisture and tile backing
Exterior walls in a CBS (concrete block) house are block, and drywall goes on furring strips attached to it. Furring is rarely straight, and board hung on crooked furring shows it. We shim the furring to plane before hanging. Bathrooms, laundry rooms and walls near plumbing get moisture-resistant board; behind tile in a shower we use cement board or foam board. Ceilings get 5/8-inch board because 1/2-inch sags in humid air. The overview of board types is on the main drywall page.
How a residential drywall project goes
- Walkthrough. We measure, check framing and note texture, ceiling heights and any water staining.
- Written scope. Each room lists board type, finish level and texture to match.
- Protect and hang. Floors covered, doorways sealed with plastic, board hung and fastened.
- Tape, coat and sand. Three coats with dry time, vacuum sanding, light-check.
- Texture. Matched to the room, or skimmed smooth.
- Handoff to paint. Dust cleaned up and the surface ready for a primer suited to fresh compound.
Permits and your HOA
Patching and finishing drywall needs no permit. New walls, a garage conversion or a wall removed in a remodel do, and J. Perry & Sons pulls the permit as the licensed general contractor on the job. If you live in an HOA community, interior drywall is rarely an issue, but exterior changes and some common-wall work can need approval; ask your community before scheduling anything that touches a shared wall. Condo owners should expect the building to set work hours and a debris route.
Converting a garage or taking out a wall? Call (561) 556-7509 to set up a free walkthrough, and we'll tell you what the permit involves.
Related residential drywall services
- Drywall repair: holes, cracks, water damage and texture matching.
- Popcorn ceiling removal: lab test, scrape and skim smooth.
- Level 5 drywall finish: for gloss, dark colors and raking light.
- Curved walls, arches and ceilings: arched doorways, niches and radius walls.
- Drop ceilings and soffits: trays, coffers and soffits over kitchen cabinets.
- Painting: primer and paint after the finish.
Residential drywall by city
Residential drywall in Boca Raton · Residential drywall in Fort Lauderdale · Residential drywall in West Palm Beach · Residential drywall in Weston · Residential drywall in Wellington · Residential drywall in Jupiter · Residential drywall in Delray Beach
Planning guides: Knockdown vs smooth ceiling in Florida · Drywall texture matching · Drywall Level 5 finish explained
Drywall for a house, or for a building?
The main drywall page lists all finish levels and board types. If you're a contractor, landlord or manager reading this for a tenant space or a multi-unit job, the commercial drywall and ceilings page is written for you.
Workmanship warranty on every job; materials carry the manufacturer's warranty. Terms are in your written contract.
Which board goes in which room
A house isn't one wall type, and the board should change with the room. This is how we spec a typical South Florida home:
- Living areas and bedrooms. Standard half-inch gypsum board from USG, CertainTeed or National Gypsum, hung horizontally to cut down the number of butt joints (the harder-to-hide joints where board ends meet).
- Ceilings. Five-eighths board or sag-resistant half-inch, so the ceiling stays flat under texture and attic humidity.
- Bathrooms, laundry and kitchens. Mold-resistant board on walls outside the wet zone. Inside the shower we use cement board or a waterproofed backer, never gypsum.
- Garage wall shared with the house. Type X fire-rated board, as the building code requires on that separation.
- Exterior block walls. Furring strips with board over them, and the gap left open so the block can breathe.
For joints we use paper tape, setting compound on the first coat, and all-purpose compound to finish. That combination holds up to the humidity swings your house sees when the AC cycles on and off, and it gives a clean base for orange peel, knockdown or a smooth finish.
Prefer to send photos or plans? Send us your project
Residential drywall FAQ
How much does drywall cost for a house? Hanging and finishing to Level 4 is $4.50–$7 per square foot of board, and a smooth Level 5 finish is $6.50–$10. A single hole or crack patch is $175–$350 each, with a $650 minimum visit for small jobs. Final pricing is confirmed after we review your project.
Do I need to move out during drywall work? No. Rooms under work are closed off with plastic, the AC return is sealed and sanding is done with vacuum attachments. Plan on a few days per room because each coat has to dry.
Can you match the texture on my walls? Yes. We spray or hand-apply orange peel and knockdown, test on a scrap, and feather it into the existing wall. Repainting the full wall corner to corner gives the cleanest result.
Should I choose smooth walls or textured walls? Smooth shows more of the framing and workmanship, so it costs more, but it looks cleaner with modern trim and recessed lights. Texture hides minor flaws and costs less to finish. We'll tell you what your walls support after seeing them.
How do I get an exact price? Send photos of each room through our project form, or call and walk us through the project. We visit, measure and send a written scope that lists every room with its finish level, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project. Licensed Florida general contractor CGC1540699. Serving Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.