Level 4 or Level 5? Put both on the quote.
A basement quote is a board count, a few sheets of Type X by the furnace, corner bead, a ceiling and a finish level the customer has never heard of. Redline turns your count into a quote with Level 4 and Level 5 side by side, so they choose with the price difference in front of them.
From the board count to a quote
Count the board
Sheets by size and type: 1/2 inch regular, 5/8 Type X for the furnace room or garage ceiling, moisture-resistant in the bath. Plus bead footage and ceiling area.
Price the way you price
By the sheet hung and finished, or by the square foot. Tell Redline your rates once and it uses them.
Finish levels as options
Level 4 for most walls, Level 5 where they want a smooth finish under bright light. The chat drafts each as its own quote with its own total. On Solo, the quote composer can hold both as options on one quote.
Texture, ceilings and height
Knockdown or orange peel on the ceiling, a high-ceiling charge over your normal height, a lift if you need one. Each its own line.
Save it and book the trips
Once they say yes, book hang, tape and each coat as separate visits so drying time can move them. See drywall software.
A basement, two finishes
Two drafts for Jan Ostrowski:
Option 1, Level 4: hang and finish 1/2 in 4x12 x 32 at $72 $2,304, 5/8 Type X ceiling x 4 at $88 $352, corner bead 140 ft at $2.50 $350, cleanup and haul-away $150. Total $3,156.
Option 2, Level 5 in the family room: everything in option 1, plus skim coat on 12 sheets at $30 $360. Total $3,516.
Look right?
Added as a $0 line on both. Approve them and they save to his file.
Quotes are drafts you check. Example prices only.
What goes on a drywall quote
- Board by size and type: regular, Type X, moisture-resistant
- Hang and finish by the sheet or the square foot
- Finish level, with Level 5 as its own line or option
- Corner bead and trim by the foot
- Ceilings, high work and texture each on their own line
- Patches by the each, for small jobs
- Inspections by others and access, as $0 lines
The finish level conversation
Plenty of homeowners don't know what a finish level is until the light hits a wall at a low angle and they see every seam. Explaining Level 5 after the fact is a lost argument. Putting it on the quote as an option, with what it costs, lets them pick it up front or knowingly skip it.
The same goes for the inspection line. If the insulation inspection hasn't passed, you can't hang. A $0 line that says so turns a delay into something the customer already agreed to.
Straight answers on drywall quotes
Redline does
- Price by the sheet, square foot or patch
- Price Level 4 and Level 5 side by side
- List board types, bead and ceilings as separate lines
- Remember your rates for next time
- Add a deposit for large jobs
Redline doesn't
- Do takeoffs from plans
- Count sheets from photos
- Order board or track deliveries
- Let the customer accept the quote online
- Text the quote (email it from your Gmail)
Questions contractors ask
Can I quote GC work this way?
Yes. Make the builder the customer and the address the job. The quote saves on their file, and invoices later default to due in 14 days.
What about patch jobs?
Tell Redline your patch prices once ("small patch $165, ceiling water damage $420") and quoting one is a single message.
Can I quote popcorn ceiling removal?
Yes, by the square foot, with a $0 line saying it's subject to an asbestos test before you scrape. Keep the lab report photo on the job.
More for drywall contractors
Quote the next basement from the doorway.
Quotes are free on every plan. Solo adds invoices and card payments, with a 7-day trial on the web.
Keep reading
- Drywall softwareBook trips around drying time, quote by finish level and chase slow-paying GCs.
- Painting estimate appWalls, trim, doors, coats and prep into a bid with a deposit for paint.
- General contractor estimate appSubs' numbers, your markup, allowances and contingency rolled into one bid.
- Quotes and estimatesItemized quotes by chat or from a photo, with a deposit. Options and tax in the composer.