The cost to drywall a garage is $1,100 on average, or between $360 and $1,700, depending on size and drywall type.
If you’re looking to give your garage space a facelift, a little drywall can go a long way. The average cost to drywall a garage is about $1,100, but often ranges between $360 and $1,700, depending on the amount of drywall you need and other factors. Adding drywall to your garage can also do more than boost the look of your space. Installing drywall can offer protection if you want to keep your vehicle and tools safe from a potential fire. To help you budget for drywalling your garage, we’ve rounded up some of the most significant cost factors.
Several factors influence the cost to drywall your garage, including the size of your garage, the drywall materials, the finish, existing features in your garage, labor, and your location. Let's break down each of these factors to help you tally up the total cost to drywall a garage.
Installing drywall costs between $1.50 and $3.50 per square foot, or an average of $2 per square foot, including labor. The size of your garage ultimately plays one of the largest roles and how much you will pay to install drywall. On average, a one-car garage will cost around $850, a two-car garage will cost around $1,100, and a three-car garage will cost around $2,000.
Refer to this chart for an idea of how much your garage might cost, and be sure to measure your garage’s dimensions to know the exact square footage and associated costs for your particular garage.
| Garage Size | Square Feet | Cost Range (with labor) |
|---|---|---|
| One-Car Garage | 240–380 square feet | $360–$1,350 |
| Two-Car Garage | 360–480 square feet | $540–$1,700 |
| Three-Car Garage | 700–860 square feet | $1,050–$3,000 |
For a standard 4-by-8-foot panel, you could spend anywhere between $10 to $65 per panel for high-end drywall materials or between $0.30 and $2 per square foot, not including the cost of garage insulation or labor fees. If you opt for soundproofing drywall or drywall with extra water resistance, you’ll spend near the higher part of the price range, while standard drywall tends to cost between $10 and $25 per panel.
Drywall tends to run in thicknesses ranging from 1/2 to 5/8 inches. Prices reflect the thickness of the drywall panels, with 5/8-thick panels costing around $5 to $10 more apiece than 1/2-thick panels. Standard drywall is around 1/2 an inch thick, but most garages benefit from thicker, 5/8-inch drywall that offers more fire-resistant properties. This is why garage drywall with added fire resistance tends to run higher than standard drywall for other areas of the home.
If you have an unusually shaped garage, this could affect your drywall installation costs. The standard size for drywall sheets is 4-by-8-foot panels. If your garage has higher-than-average walls, then you may need to pay more to install custom or less available drywall sheets. Likewise, any windows, corners, garage ceiling openings, or doors in your garage mean cutting the panels to fit the shape of the walls or ceiling—all of which increases expenses.
The cost to finish drywall ranges from $0.50 to $1.50 per square foot with labor. If you know how to finish drywall and want to DIY it, a bucket of premixed joint compound costs anywhere from $10 to $25 and covers up to 450 square feet, and a roll of drywall tape costs around $5.
You’ll need to sand the compound after it dries and apply a second and a third coat of joint compound. So, factor in the cost of three rounds of joint compound and a roll of drywall tape for a rough total of $35 to $80.
Hiring a pro to install drywall in your garage will cost somewhere between $1.20 and $3 per square foot in addition to the drywall materials. Having a professional install your drywall panels accounts for 15% to 25% of the total cost of your project.
The cost of living in your area can also impact how much it costs to install drywall in a garage. For example, installing drywall in Los Angeles, California, costs an average of $2,200, while the average cost to install drywall in Austin, Texas, is $1,600. Factor in the going rates to hire a local drywall contractor for the most accurate estimates.
The average cost to remove drywall is between $0.30 to $0.45 per square foot. For a standard, two-car garage, you'll end up spending anywhere from $100 to $225 to remove old drywall in your garage.
Drywall is easy to ding—especially when it's in your garage. The cost to repair drywall falls between $300 and $900 on average. Patching a small hole in drywall costs the least to repair, while larger damage costs the most.
Texturing drywall by hand can cost between $0.50 and $2 per square foot. Light textures or textures applied via a spray application are the most budget-friendly and range in price from $0.50 to $1 per square foot. Heavier textures or hand-applied textures tend to cost double or even triple that of basic texturing, falling somewhere between $1.50 and $2 per square foot.
Adding texture to drywall in your garage requires more technique and skill than installing the drywall but can also add character if you plan on using your garage as a living space like an accessory dwelling unit.
If you drywall your garage yourself, you’ll pay $0.30 to $2 per square foot in materials, or between $75 to $1,720 depending on the size of your garage, the thickness of the material, and whether you decide to add texture. If you hire a drywalling pro, you’ll pay an additional $1.20 to $1.50 more per square foot in labor fees.
But installing drywall is an intermediate DIY project that isn’t for everyone. If you don't feel comfortable installing it yourself, you're better off hiring a garage modeling contractor near you to do the work properly.
Installing drywall can quickly become a cost-heavy investment. Fortunately, there are several ways that you can shave off costs from your drywall project. Here are some tips on how to save on drywalling your garage:
DIY your drywall installation. Installing drywall yourself can save you between 15% and 25%.
Don't add texture. Texturing drywall is an optional add-on. If you're just using your garage to park your car, then you might not need to texture the drywall.
Go for a light texture. If you do plan on using your garage for more than parking vehicles, you can save money by going with a light texture using a spray installation method.
Finish the garage drywall yourself. Finishing your garage’s drywall yourself is another way to save on labor costs.
Choose a thinner drywall sheet. Thinner drywall sheets cost $5 to $10 less per panel than thicker sheets, but thinner sheets may be less fire -and moisture-resistant.
Drywalling a garage is a smart decision if you want to protect your garage from fires, moisture damage, and exterior noise. Most garages have flammable supplies that could result in serious damage in the off chance of an accident. Drywall is fire resistant, helping to prevent fires from spreading. Not to mention, drywall can improve the appearance of a dingy, old garage.
You can drywall an unheated garage because the material handles cold temperatures perfectly well. There are no risks or downsides to installing drywall in a garage that is not heated, and the material stands up to moisture and other elements quite well. Drywall will protect your unheated garage's electric wires and cables and add fire protection. However, for effective bonding, you should install drywall at a temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
If you plan on heating your garage, you must install a vapor barrier when drywalling the garage. A vapor barrier protects your garage from frost and mold that can occur through condensation. If your garage is unheated, you don't need to install a vapor barrier. The only exception is if you regularly crank the heat in your car before getting in it. In this case, you may still want to install a vapor barrier, as your car can heat your garage.
