Adding skip trowel texture to your walls costs an average of $800, depending on the size of the room.
Adding a skip trowel texture costs around $800 per room, on average, and most projects fall between $500 and $1,400 per room. Most contractors charge around $1.75 per square foot of wall you want textured. While this can get expensive, this organic-looking knockdown texture adds warmth and rustic charm to any room, so it’s often worth the money. We’ll discuss how to estimate your skip trowel texture cost in this guide, including the most significant cost factors.
| Room Type and Size | Average Total Cost for All Walls | Average Total Cost for Ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom (11 ft. by 12 ft.) | $500 – $700 | $170 – $270 |
| Living Room (12 ft. by 18 ft.) | $600 – $1,000 | $270 – $400 |
| Garage (20 ft. by 20 ft.) | $1,000 – $1,600 | $500 – $800 |
| Basement (30 ft. by 30 ft.) | $1,050 – $1,700 | $1,130 – $1,800 |
You can add skip trowel and other drywall textures to both walls and ceilings. Expect to pay $1.25 to $1.80 per square foot to apply skip trowel drywall texture to walls and $1.25 to $2.00 per square foot to apply it to ceilings.
While the cost to texture walls is usually lower than the cost to texture ceilings on a per-square-foot basis, the total cost to apply drywall texture to a ceiling throughout a room is typically lower than the total cost for all four walls. This is because of the lower total square footage of the ceiling area. The estimates above assume standard interior walls are 8 feet tall, basement walls are 7 feet tall, and garage walls are 10 feet tall. The taller your walls, the more you’ll pay per room for the finish.
The cost to apply skip trowel drywall texture ranges from $1.25 to $2.00 per square foot. The typical cost range for a wall application is only $1.25 to $1.80 per square foot.
If you want to apply a skip trowel drywall texture to a wall or ceiling that already features a different texture—like popcorn ceiling—you’ll need to factor in the removal cost. Retexturing already textured walls—including removing the existing texture and the addition of a new one—costs $1.80 to $3.80 per square foot on average.
Skip trowel texture costs can vary quite a lot, depending on the size of the room, the condition of the walls, and more. Below is a breakdown of skip trowel drywall texturing project cost factors.
Drywall joint compound powder is a material mixed with water to create drywall mud. You can purchase it by the gallon, and it usually costs $0.20 to $0.26 per square foot of wall or ceiling you plan to cover.
When you hire a professional drywall contractor to install a skip trowel drywall texture, the cost of labor alone ranges from $0.99 to $1.80 per square foot. Most drywall contractors charge a $100 minimum for this type of project, but even smaller rooms like bathrooms will almost certainly rise above this minimum.
If you’re having your walls or ceilings retextured, you may be responsible for a variety of additional costs, including the following:
Removal of the old texture: $1–$3 per sq. ft.
Cost to repair minor holes, cracks, or water damage: $100–$400
Cost to install new drywall for major damage: $1.50–$3.50 per sq. ft.
Minor ceiling repairs: $200–$500
Major ceiling repairs: $400–$1,200
Asbestos testing: $250–$750
The wall condition when you begin your project also matters. Removing old skip trowel texture or a popcorn finish will typically cost closer to $1 per square foot, while removing wallpaper costs closer to $3 per square foot.
If you have one to three full days available to work and basic drywall experience, or you know how to texture walls, specifically, adding texture to walls or ceilings can be an affordable DIY project. You can save $0.99 to $1.80 per square foot by doing the job yourself, which comes out to an average of around $550 per bedroom.
However, because skip trowel is a hand-applied texture that uses a knife or trowel rather than a sprayer, it’s usually best to leave the work to a pro who has years of experience. You can still save money by doing wall prep yourself, like knocking down old texture or removing wallpaper—an average of around $400 per room. You might also be able to save some money by purchasing the materials yourself to avoid upcharges from your professional.
Since the process takes skill to get right, make sure you choose a drywall installer near you that has experience adding skip trowel texture to walls. This is one area where paying more for expertise is well worth the investment for a professional appearance.
You can skip trowel over walls with an existing texture as long as the texture was not heavily applied. A heavily applied texture will be visible through any new drywall texture if it is not sanded down before the new texture is applied. In most cases, it’s a good idea to sand down the existing texture entirely before applying a skip trowel texture. This takes more time if you do it yourself and costs more if you have a pro do it, but you’ll get much better results.
Yes, you can absolutely paint a wall that has skip trowel texture, but you need to make sure you have the right tools and use the appropriate strategies. First, make sure you buy a high-capacity roller with at least a ¾” nap. This type of roller will hold enough paint to make application easy, and the thick nap is more likely to apply paint over the peaks and valleys. Additionally, you can’t tape a textured wall, so paint any untextured walls or ceilings first, then tape the smooth surfaces and paint the skip trowel walls last.
To properly clean and maintain your skip trowel drywall texture, dust the surface weekly with an electrostatic duster or vacuum with a soft brush attachment. Never scrub the surface. You can remove stains by gently applying a mild detergent solution with a paint roller, removing it with a damp roller, and drying with a dry roller. Avoid indoor smoking and limit the use of fireplaces to cut down on cleaning frequency.
