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Finishesaka: drywallaka: gypsum boardaka: sheetrockaka: GWB

Wallboard

In Plain English

The flat panels screwed to wall framing that create the smooth interior wall surfaces you see and paint.

Definition

Wallboard is a panel product installed on wall and ceiling framing to create smooth, paintable interior surfaces. Gypsum board (drywall) is the most common type, available in standard, moisture-resistant, fire-rated, and abuse-resistant varieties. Wallboard is fastened to framing, taped at joints, finished with joint compound, and primed before painting.

Why It Matters in Bidding

Wallboard is one of the highest-quantity finish materials on most commercial bids, so drywall takeoffs (sheet counts, type, and thickness) directly drive both material and labor pricing for the entire interior finishes scope. Choosing the wrong type during estimating, such as bidding standard board where fire-rated Type X or moisture-resistant board is required, creates compliance failures and costly change orders. Because gypsum pricing is commodity-driven and swings with supply, estimators often lock material quotes or add escalation contingency before submitting a bid.

Example

On the medical office fit-out bid, the drywall subcontractor priced 1,840 sheets of 5/8-inch Type X wallboard plus moisture-resistant board at all wet walls, then added a 4 percent escalation allowance because the gypsum supplier would only hold pricing for 30 days.

Related Terms

PaintPrimerCeiling GridAcoustical Ceiling

Related Tools & Templates

Interior Finish Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

Estimators measure total wall and ceiling area from the drawings, subtract large openings, then divide by the coverage of a single sheet (a 4-by-8 panel covers 32 square feet). They add a waste factor, typically 5 to 15 percent, and break quantities out by type and thickness so labor and material can be priced separately.
Type X is 5/8-inch board with a glass-fiber-reinforced core that resists burn-through, letting a tested assembly achieve a one-hour or greater fire rating, while standard board carries no rating. Substituting standard board into a rated wall fails inspection. Type X costs more per sheet, so misreading the wall schedule during takeoff understates the bid.
The drywall subcontractor usually carries hanging, taping, and finishing, but the specified finish level (Level 0 through Level 5 under GA-214) changes labor significantly. A Level 5 skim coat costs far more than Level 4. Estimators must confirm the level in the finish schedule, since assuming a lower level erodes margin on award.

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