Drywall is the most underestimated line item in a Boise remodel. It is hidden behind paint and trim, so homeowners assume it is cheap — until they price out hanging, taping, mudding, sanding, texturing, and the careful prep that makes a finished wall look seamless. Whether you are finishing a basement on the Bench, patching after a plumbing leak in Nampa, smoothing out dated popcorn ceilings in an Eagle ranch home, or building out a new addition in Meridian, the cost comes down to square footage, finish level, and condition. This guide breaks down each of those drivers using real 2026 cost data — both Boise-local figures where we found them and national ranges where local data is thin — so you can budget with confidence.
A quick orientation before the numbers. New drywall installation in Boise generally runs about $1.50 to $2.30 per square foot including labor and standard board, with one local ZIP estimate landing at roughly $1.97 to $2.12. Popcorn ceiling removal runs about $1.25 to $2.50 per square foot locally. Retexturing a ceiling runs about $1 to $2 per square foot, and a typical drywall repair lands around $350 to $650. Those headline figures are useful for back-of-the-envelope planning, but the real number for your home depends on the details we walk through below.
Everything here is presented as a range and as an estimate, not a quote. Iron Crest Remodel gives you a firm, itemized price only after inspecting your space, because the gap between a clean new-construction hang and a painted-popcorn scrape on a vaulted ceiling is large — and you deserve to know which one you are paying for. Our workmanship is backed by a 3-year warranty, with structural work covered for 10 years.
Most drywall and ceiling work is priced by the square foot, then adjusted for difficulty. Here is what each common task costs in 2026, with Boise-local figures noted where available.
Drywall Installation (Hang & Finish)
Hanging, taping, mudding, sanding, and finishing to a standard paint-ready surface runs about $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot nationally, with most Level-4 work between $1.50 and $2.50. In Boise the typical range is $1.50 to $2.30 per square foot including labor and half-inch board. If you break it apart, hanging alone is about $0.85 to $1.90 and finishing alone about $1.10 to $2.50 per square foot. Half-inch sheets in Boise run roughly $10 to $13 each.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal
Standard removal in Boise and Ada County runs about $1.25 to $2.50 per square foot (some local data is lower, $0.82 to $1.57), versus a national average closer to $1.84 to $3.46. By method: skim-coating over the texture is about $1 to $1.50, covering with new drywall about $1.50 to $5, and a full scrape-and-refinish about $2 to $6 per square foot. Painted popcorn costs more — closer to $7 versus about $5 unpainted. Pre-1980 ceilings should be asbestos-tested first ($120 to $850). See our full popcorn ceiling removal guide.
Ceiling & Wall Retexture
Applying texture to a prepared surface runs about $1 to $2 per square foot. Sprayed finishes like orange-peel and knockdown are the most economical, often $0.80 to $1.50; a knockdown finish can run $1 to $2.50 per square foot, or roughly $500 to $1,250 for a 500-square-foot ceiling. Boise-area texturing is commonly quoted around $1 to $1.25 per square foot. Removing old texture before re-applying adds cost.
Drywall Repair
Small holes under four inches cost about $75 to $150, though a $125 to $200 minimum service charge is common. Medium holes of five to twelve inches run $150 to $350, and large repairs needing a new piece of board run $400 to $800. A typical repair job lands around $350 to $650; ceiling repairs run higher, roughly $220 to $1,300, because overhead patching is slower and harder to blend. Re-texturing a patched area adds about $1 per square foot.
Whole-Room Drywall
A standard 12-by-12 room — about 500 square feet of wall and ceiling — runs roughly $580 to $1,800 complete, with many sources clustering at $750 to $1,750. Materials alone for that size run about $200 to $400, and labor is typically 50 to 60 percent of the total. Basements, additions, and garage conversions scale from there based on total square footage and finish.
Two jobs of identical square footage can differ by hundreds or thousands of dollars. These are the factors that move your number within — and sometimes beyond — the ranges above:
Finish level. A standard Level-4 finish is paint-ready and cheapest; a dead-flat Level-5 smooth finish takes extra skim-coating and sanding, while a sprayed texture can hide minor imperfections for less.
Ceiling height and access. Vaulted, cathedral, and two-story ceilings require staging or scaffolding, which adds labor compared with a flat 8-foot ceiling.
Whether texture is painted. Paint seals popcorn texture and blocks the water used to soften it for scraping, so painted ceilings take longer and cost more — often closer to $7 versus about $5 per square foot.
Existing condition and repairs. Water stains, cracks, sagging, and prior bad patches all need repair before finishing, adding scope that a clean new surface never requires.
Asbestos on pre-1980 ceilings. A lab test runs $120 to $850; a positive result means encapsulation or licensed abatement (abatement can run $4 to $20 per square foot) rather than a standard scrape.
Project size and continuity. Larger continuous areas usually cost a little less per square foot than small, cut-up rooms because crews work more efficiently and setup is spread across more footage.
Material type. Standard half-inch board is cheapest; moisture- and mold-resistant board for bathrooms and fire-rated board for garages cost more per sheet.
The same room can be finished three very different ways. Here is how the tiers compare so you can match the scope to your goals and budget — whether you are prepping a rental, updating a forever home, or staging a property for sale.
Budget
Standard half-inch board, a Level-4 paint-ready finish, and a sprayed texture or skim coat. Best for rentals, garages, and basements. Drywall around $1.50 per square foot; popcorn handled by skim-coating at roughly $1 to $1.50. A small room can land near the low end of the $580 whole-room range.
Mid-Range
Quality board, careful repairs, and a clean smooth or light knockdown finish in living spaces. Drywall around $2 to $2.30 per square foot; full popcorn scrape-and-refinish at roughly $2 to $4. A 12-by-12 room typically lands in the $750 to $1,750 range — the sweet spot for most Treasure Valley homeowners.
High-End
Dead-flat Level-5 smooth finishes, vaulted and cathedral ceilings, specialty board, and feature work like coffers or curves. Drywall pushes toward $3.50 per square foot and beyond once staging and detail are added. Full popcorn removal on tall ceilings reaches the upper $5 to $6 end. The finish that reads as effortless in a luxury home.
Drywall and ceiling work is often part of a larger remodel — a basement finish, a whole-home refresh, or repairs after water damage — and those projects do not always fit a single paycheck. Iron Crest Remodel offers financing options so you can move forward on the timeline that works for you rather than waiting and watching costs climb. We can walk you through monthly-payment scenarios alongside your itemized estimate, so you see both the total and the manageable path to get there.
Want to spread the cost over time? Explore our financing options and ask about them when you request your free, itemized estimate. Remember that every figure on this page is an estimate, not a quote — your real number comes after we see your space.
How much does drywall cost per square foot in Boise?
Local Boise pricing for drywall installation generally runs about $1.50 to $2.30 per square foot, which typically includes labor plus standard half-inch board. One Boise ZIP-code estimate put the figure at roughly $1.97 to $2.12 per square foot. That tracks the national 2026 range of about $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot for a hang-and-finish job, with most standard, paint-ready Level-4 work landing between $1.50 and $2.50. These are estimates, not quotes — the final number depends on finish level, ceiling height, and how much prep your space needs.
How much does it cost to drywall a whole room?
For a standard 12-by-12 room — roughly 500 square feet of wall and ceiling surface — national 2026 data puts a complete hang-and-finish job at about $580 to $1,800, with several sources clustering around $750 to $1,750. Materials alone for that size room run about $200 to $400, and labor usually accounts for 50 to 60 percent of the total. Larger rooms cost more in total but often a little less per square foot, since crews work more efficiently over bigger continuous surfaces.
How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost in Boise?
Standard popcorn (acoustic) ceiling removal in Boise and Ada County generally runs about $1.25 to $2.50 per square foot, with some local data showing figures as low as $0.82 to $1.57. The national 2026 average sits higher, around $1.84 to $3.46 per square foot. Method matters: skim-coating over the texture runs roughly $1 to $1.50 per square foot, covering with new drywall about $1.50 to $5, and a full scrape-and-refinish about $2 to $6. Painted popcorn costs more because paint blocks the water that softens the texture for scraping.
How much does drywall repair cost?
Small holes under four inches — nail pops, doorknob dents — typically cost about $75 to $150, though many contractors and handymen apply a $125 to $200 minimum service charge that covers the first hour. Medium holes of five to twelve inches run about $150 to $350, and large repairs requiring a new piece of board run about $400 to $800. A typical professional repair job lands around $350 to $650. Ceiling repairs cost more than walls — roughly $220 to $1,300 — because overhead work is slower and harder to blend.
What does it cost to retexture a ceiling?
Applying texture to a prepared ceiling generally costs about $1 to $2 per square foot. Sprayed finishes like orange-peel and knockdown are the most economical, often $0.80 to $1.50 per square foot; knockdown can run $1 to $2.50, or roughly $500 to $1,250 for a 500-square-foot ceiling. Boise-area texturing is commonly quoted around $1 to $1.25 per square foot. If old texture has to be removed first, add that removal cost on top.
Why is my quote higher than these published ranges?
Published ranges describe straightforward work in average conditions. Your quote can run higher for legitimate reasons: painted popcorn that resists wet-scraping, vaulted or two-story ceilings that need staging, water damage or cracks that require extra repair before finishing, a dead-flat Level-5 smooth finish, and — on pre-1980 ceilings — asbestos testing ($120 to $850) or, if a test is positive, encapsulation or licensed abatement (abatement can run $4 to $20 per square foot). We give you a firm, itemized quote after inspecting your space so the scope is clear before any work starts.
Cost figures on this page are 2026 estimates drawn from public Boise-local and national pricing data and are provided for planning only. They are not quotes and do not constitute a contract. Your actual price depends on your specific space and scope.