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DrywallPlanner

Drywall Labor Cost in Virginia

Ranked 23rd of 49, Virginia pays drywall installers a median of $26.84 an hour, 5% below the US median of $28.33. One rung up, Georgia pays $1.17 more an hour; one rung down, Maryland pays $0.55 less.

  • BLS May 2025 data
  • 23rd of 49 by median wage

By · Updated

Median installer wage$26.845% below US $28.33
Rank by median23rdof 49 states
Labor per sq ft$1.05+estimate, up to $2.15
Installers on payrolls2,4809th most of 49

Room dimensions

Room shape
Length
ft
in
Width
ft
in
Wall height
ft
in

Wall height changes the board layout. Compare 8 ft, 9 ft and 10 ft walls.

Surfaces & board

Sheet size

Openings & waste

21 sq ft each
15 sq ft each
16 x 7 ft, 112 sq ft
%
10% is standard
Cost estimateoptional
$
per 4' x 8' sheet
$
typical $1.20 to $2.50

Your estimate

4' x 8' sheets · 10% waste allowance
21sheets of
4' x 8' drywall

Area

Gross wall area416.0 sq ft
Less openings- 51.0 sq ft
Net wall area365.0 sq ft
Ceiling area168.0 sq ft
Total drywall area533.0 sq ft
With 10% waste586.3 sq ft

Materials

Joint compound85.1 lb2 × 4.5 gal box
Joint tape225 linear ft1 × 250 ft roll
Drywall screws575about 3 lb

Cost breakdown

Drywall board (21 sheets)$336
Finishing materials$65.00compound, tape, screws
Labor (hang & finish)$853
Estimated total$1,254

Quantities include a 10% waste allowance and standard deductions of 21 sq ft per door, 15 sq ft per window and 112 sq ft per garage door. The sheet count comes from laying the board out wall by wall, plus 10% as spare sheets. Round up when in doubt, an extra sheet costs less than a second trip.

How Virginia compares

Closest median wages
Maryland $26.29, New Mexico $25.91 and Georgia $28.01
21st to 25th of 49 by median installer wage
StateRankMedianAgainst Virginia
Michigan21$28.10$1.26 more
Georgia22$28.01$1.17 more
Virginia23$26.84this state
Maryland24$26.29$0.55 less
New Mexico25$25.91$0.93 less

A 12 x 12 room in Virginia

384 sq ft of 8 ft walls plus 144 of ceiling
Low end, $1.05/sq ft$554
High end, $2.15/sq ft$1,135
The same room in the states with the closest median wages
Maryland$554 to $1,135same low end as Virginia
New Mexico$581 to $1,188$26.40 more than Virginia at the low end
Georgia$581 to $1,188$26.40 more than Virginia at the low end

Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Virginia labor for this room is $79.20 less at the low end, scaled from wages rather than bids (method). Also see the room's sheet count and its paint estimate.

What drywall workers earn in Virginia

Hourly wage percentiles, Virginia, BLS May 2025
Occupation10th25thMedian75th90thMean
Installers$18.77$22.84$26.84$29.22$34.29$26.59
Installers, yearly$39,042$47,507$55,827$60,778$71,323$55,310
US installers$18.49$22.81$28.33$35.69$49.04$30.58

Half of the installers in Virginia earn between $22.84 and $29.22 an hour, for a mean of $55,310 a year. A location quotient of 1.13 puts installers 13% above their national share of jobs in Virginia. The mean, $26.59, and the median, $26.84, sit within 1% of each other. From the 10th percentile, $18.77, to the 90th, $34.29, installer pay spans $15.52 an hour, 51% of the $30.55 national spread. BLS publishes no taper estimate for Virginia.

Frequently asked questions

Drywall and ceiling tile installers in Virginia earn a mean of $26.59 an hour ($55,310 a year) and a median of $26.84, 5% below the US median of $28.33. The middle half earn $22.84 to $29.22.