Trade Topics
October 2009

Framing and Drywall Costs (now below 2004 prices)

The pricing tables below contain common framing and drywall line items and reflect a recent survey of subcontractors providing these services. The pricing is the midpoint between open shop and union drywall contractors but may fluctuate depending on job conditions, size of the drywall work, and market forces at the time of bid. The figures are based on a direct contractual relationship with the trade contractor - if you have a general contractor running your job the figures would be slightly higher.

Partition Wall Defined: This wall is commonly referred to as a 'hard' wall and is constructed of 3-5/8" 25 gauge metal studs placed 24" apart and having 5/8" gypsum wall board applied to both sides and finished with a 'skip trowel' texture and properly braced. A wall of this type may be built under an existing acoustic grid or built freestanding prior to acoustic grid installation. In typical tenant improvement construction these walls will have no fire rating unless they are part of corridor assembly.

Full Height Wall Defined: This wall (also called a 'Demising Wall') is full height; extending from the slab (or floor) to the the roof (in a single story building ) or to the underside of the next floor above in a multi-story building. The sizing and frequency of the metal studs will depend on the height of the wall. Both sides of the wall will have 5/8" gypsum wallboard applied and be fire taped without further finish. For finishes: Smooth or Skip trowel, see adders below.

Adders and other drywall unit costs -  for example item #16 is the adder for finish of that part of a demising wall left exposed below a suspended ceiling.