# I need a simple drywall estimate



## June (Jun 9, 2009)

I new on this site and I need some help with estimating a job. The estimating part is a little confusing so if someone can help me. I'm installing sheetrock inside a 3 bedroom mobile home. One of the bedroom sizes is 14x 9 and the other one 12x 14 and that's ceilings and walls there are also closets that 8x6 and a wash room with just ceilings is 6ft by 6ft flat ceiling only. I estimate between 40 to 50 sheets of drywall do anyone know the actual labor cost of materials. Thanks


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## willworkforbeer (Mar 7, 2009)

June said:


> do anyone know the actual labor cost of materials.


I did not know materials had labor cost, please rephrase your question.


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## June (Jun 9, 2009)

June said:


> I new on this site and I need some help with estimating a job. The estimating part is a little confusing so if someone can help me. I'm installing sheetrock inside a 3 bedroom mobile home. One of the bedroom sizes is 14x 9 and the other one 12x 14 and that's ceilings and walls there are also closets that 8x6 and a wash room with just ceilings is 6ft by 6ft flat ceiling only. I estimate between 40 to 50 sheets of drywall do anyone know the actual labor cost . Thanks


I mess up I mean labor cost.


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## willworkforbeer (Mar 7, 2009)

June said:


> I mess up I mean labor cost.


You must be the female half of your company? Just caught that. You get a free pass. Asking for labor estimates is a nono here :no:


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## B.K (Dec 15, 2008)

Uh oh......i smell somebody's cheque book being opened....prepare...you'll be given the price to right down on that cheque. 

-Bill


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## June (Jun 9, 2009)

*Just had to ask Hey I'm new on here*

Yea you right I'm a female but don't get me wrong. I got didn't right down the measurements right for my husband and I got to get this right I really need to know how many sheets of sheetrock I will need for this mobile home I measure 394 for area but I did something wrong because I konw that I need more than 13 sheets. So I just needed to be correct before I gave this to my husband some how I think I mess up with the calculations. I can do the labor no problem didn't know the rules.


June said:


> I new on this site and I need some help with estimating a job. The estimating part is a little confusing so if someone can help me. I'm installing sheetrock inside a 3 bedroom mobile home. One of the bedroom sizes is 14x 9 and the other one 12x 14 and that's ceilings and walls there are also closets that 8x6 and a wash room with just ceilings is 6ft by 6ft flat ceiling only. I estimate between 40 to 50 sheets of drywall do anyone know the actual labor cost of materials. Thanks


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## Crock (Mar 8, 2009)

Somebody been a bad girl.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Length X Width = Area

Length X Height = Area

You do know that there are usually 4 walls in a room.

You can also buy a calculator, I bet there is one on your mobile phone.

Pop your teeth back in and get to the math before your husband gives you a black eye.

Just trying to be helpful.


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## naptown CR (Feb 20, 2009)

you forgot to add in your walls. 

I don't mean to be a hard a** but is english a second language for you?


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## June (Jun 9, 2009)

*This is what I have*

14 x9 is the actual room size lenght x width
8x14 height x lenght


June said:


> I new on this site and I need some help with estimating a job. The estimating part is a little confusing so if someone can help me. I'm installing sheetrock inside a 3 bedroom mobile home. One of the bedroom sizes is 14x 9 and the other one 12x 14 and that's ceilings and walls there are also closets that 8x6 and a wash room with just ceilings is 6ft by 6ft flat ceiling only. I estimate between 40 to 50 sheets of drywall do anyone know the actual labor cost of materials. Thanks





June said:


> Yea you right I'm a female but don't get me wrong. I got didn't right down the measurements right for my husband and I got to get this right I really need to know how many sheets of sheetrock I will need for this mobile home I measure 394 for area but I did something wrong because I konw that I need more than 13 sheets. So I just needed to be correct before I gave this to my husband some how I think I mess up with the calculations. I can do the labor no problem didn't know the rules.


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## June (Jun 9, 2009)

*I got the answer*

I will need 55 sheets of sheetrock now I just have to figure out the labor and the materials.


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## davitk (Oct 3, 2008)

If you 3/8 material be cheapear money labor. Free pass?


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## Rx8 (Jan 3, 2009)

Did anyone else read this with a hillbilly accent, or was that just me? :whistling

Also June, consider reading your full post a couple times before hitting the post button, as this will eliminate 90% of your lazy typos/broken English (assuming you do know how to spell everyday words).


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## SLSTech (Sep 13, 2008)

Seeing everyone is keeping it somewhat civil - the universal answer to pricing is treefiddy. I suggest posting an intro, put your location in your profile & read the sticky thread in the business section. No one can give you a price as we don't know what type of truck you drive, mortgage payments, profit & overhead, how fast or slow hubby is, how much you pay helpers, what tools you are using, what you look like, etc...


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## MZ-HANDYMAN (Jun 7, 2009)

It's simple, Do you think it will take 2 weeks? If so, How much do you think you need to make to earn a decent living for 2 weeks... Ok now add 20%

**MZ-HANDYMAN**


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## June (Jun 9, 2009)

whatever


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## DJ9222 (Apr 28, 2009)

Right Now you got it.....
charge whatever you want......


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## naptown CR (Feb 20, 2009)

Rx8 said:


> Did anyone else read this with a hillbilly accent, or was that just me? :whistling
> 
> Also June, consider reading your full post a couple times before hitting the post button, as this will eliminate 90% of your lazy typos/broken English (assuming you do know how to spell everyday words).


I asked this earlier

Actually she was trying to figure how much material and needed a formula.

Wow the love emaninating from this group tonight is astounding. This has remained remarkably civil. She didn't ask how much to charge though. 

Maybe tomorrow:whistling


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## Crock (Mar 8, 2009)

www.ispell.com



Please make this a sticky.


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## DavidNTX (May 6, 2007)

These are items that must be known before starting an estimate on any job. 

Your overhead - this is the amount of everything that has to do with your business that isn't neccessarily job specific (office supplies) or that is a recurring price (insurance and FICA) that is always present. Some of these are as follows: 
Truck expenses including gas, insurance, maintenance, repairs etc. 

Office expenses including rent, property taxes, office supplies, utilities etc. 

Training, uniforms, trade journals, advertising, memberships and dues etc. 

Wages and salaries fur management employees, secretaries, bookkeeping expnses etc. 

Taxes whether it be property taxes paid or the employers side of FICA or any other employer paid taxes. 

This is not a complete list but hopefully will help you to understand the importance of ALL of these items. Each and everything that has to be paid for by your business needs to be covered in your job estimates. This is the source funding for your business. If each and every business expense is not covered here then you are in a negative pricing situation and this cost is coming directly out of your pocket. Neglecting this all important information in your pricing is not good for your business. 

Do this one time, put it in a list form and it will be there for future reference. It is always a good idea to keep this list up to date every so often to be sure that you are charging correctly for for your overhead. A good source of information to help you figure out all of your non direct job related expenses.is your business checkbook register and your tax returns. 

Once you have this number it needs to be tied to your labor cost in some way or another. Example, if you have 100 dollars worth of non job related business expense each day and 100 dollars worth of labor each day that would be a 100 % overhead. That means for every dollar that you spend on labor you spend another dollar on trucks and gas and electricity and stuff. If you have $15,000 worth of non job related expenses each year and $20,000 worth of job related labor for the year your overhead would be 75% 

The calculation is simple, non job related expenses divided by job related labor. This number is specific to your own business and is one of the most important keys to a successful estimate. ​Sales tax information for your state - the sales tax rate varies from state to state as do the laws on how to apply the tax to your job. Some states require sales tax on materials only unless it is a government building like a school or a courthouse. Some states require sales tax on the labor. If this isn't confusing enough for you, some states require sales tax on labor for maintenance and "redo" work but no sales tax on new construction. You have to know the tax laws for your state. Be sure and keep up to date because states will change these laws from time to time. 

Profit - the percentage of profit you want to make on a job. 

Once you have this specific information about your business and the job you are estimating, then you can actually look at a job for pricing. This information has to be known before a good estimate that pertains to YOUR specific business can be obtained. 

There is nothing "simple" about an estimate if it one that is actually reflecting how much YOU should charge.

Material

Once you have this information then it is then simple to figure that 1 4 X 8 sheet of gyp will cover 32 SF (4 X 8 = 32) so your total SF divided by 32 will give you the number of sheet required.

Example - your room that is 14 X 9

Assuming these walls to be 8' high then 14 + 9 + 14 + 9 = 46 X 8 or 368 SF

The ceiling will be 14 X 9 or 126 SF

368 SF + 126 SF = 494 SF

494 / 32 (SF per sheet of gyp) = 15.4375 or 16 sheets

Multiple 16 X your price per sheet plus your markup

Use this same formula for your drywall mud, screws, paint etc. for the complete job.

Labor

Let's say a man can hang 3 sheets per manhour. 16/3 = 5.333 or 6 manours

Do the same thing with the screws, mud paint etc. to get the full labor requirements in manhours.

Multiply manhours plus your cost per hour INCLUDING overhead (see above)

Add your material and labor together, add taxes where required for your state and the job type and you will have your total bid.

If you really need to "get it right" then this is the way to do it.


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## A+ Texture (Sep 23, 2008)

Multiply ceiling Height x Length of wall. This will give you sqaure footage of that wall. If there is the same wall on the opposite side of the room take that number and double it. If not measure it the same way. This will give you the square footage of your walls only. 
Now for your ceiling square footage. Multiply length of wall by the length of wall, so if one wall is 14, and the other is 9 it would be 14x9=126. Add this number of ceiling footage to that of your walls and thats your total board foot. Now you need to determine what size sheet your gonna use. If 8' sheets you divide your total Board Feet by 32 because there are 32 sq ft. in that size of rock. 10' sheets have 40 sq. ft, and 12' sheets have 48 sq. ft. 
If you want post the size of EACH room and ceiling height, your first thread was not very clear. Make sure to list each room individually. Someone will figure it out for you. Also specify what size sheet you will be using.


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## A+ Texture (Sep 23, 2008)

You said, 3 bedrooms but only gave sizes for 2, then you said a couple closets, and a wash room ceiling only so...

Room #1) 14 x 9= 126 sq ft. (ceil.), walls assuming 8' ceil. 46 (total length of walls) x 8' (ceiling height).= 368. So ceiling 126+368(walls)= 494 total for room #1.

Room #2) 12x14=168 sq. ft. (ceil), walls (total length) 52x8 (ceil. ht.)=416. So ceiling 168+walls 416 = 584 total B.F. for room #2.

The 2 closets now. 8x6=48 and since theres 2 double it 48x2=96 Total for ceilings. Now total length 28 plus other closet 28+28=56total length. Total length 56 x 8' ceil.= 448 sq. ft. Now add ceil. 96+ walls 448= 544 total for the 2 closets.

Now the wash room, you said ceiling only 6x6= 36 total

Add them up Room #1 494 + Room #2 584 + 2 closets 544 + washroom 36 = 1658 Total Board Feet
If you get 8' rock you'll need 1658/32=51.8 sheets
10' rock you'll need 1658/40=41.45 You were pretty close with your 50 sheet estimate, good job.


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## AARC Drywall (May 11, 2008)

wow...a newbie.....sounds like a homeowner want to be a contractor to me...a real contractor would not ask these types of questions, and a drywall labour would know roughly how to calculate this....newwwwbbbbiiiiiieeeee.


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## Darwin (Apr 7, 2009)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> *Pop your teeth back in and get to the math before your husband gives you a black eye.*
> 
> *Just trying to be helpful.*


Man, youse is toooo funny :thumbsup:


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## Elite_Drywall (Feb 23, 2009)

50 sheets, you multiply 50x1000 that equals = $50,000 for labor and material. For that much you might as well buy a new trailer.


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## BattleRidge (Feb 9, 2008)

8 footers would be a waste of effort. Your gunna have 2 butts in every wall and ceiling, SUCK. If you use 12s it will take like half the time for the same pay, and your rock will cost less.:thumbup: Now hire a contractor.


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## Cole (Aug 27, 2004)

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