Why are drywall installation quotes priced per square foot of board in Ottawa?

Drywall installation is priced per square foot of board because the board area, meaning the wall and ceiling surface covered, not the floor area, is the measure contractors and published price pages use. Published Toronto and Ontario contractor prices for hanging, taping and finishing new board run about $1.50 to $4.50 per square foot of board, read October 1, 2026; these are not Ottawa prices.

What changes the number for a given job:

• the board area of the walls and ceilings
• the ceiling height
• the finish level you specify (published pages agree only that a Level 5 skim costs more than a standard finish)
• whether primer and paint are included or quoted separately
• texture matching, where new work meets an existing textured surface
• removal of old board before new board goes up
• the permit, where the drywall is part of permit work

The per-square-foot unit makes quotes easier to compare, as long as they price the same scope. Ask each quote to name the finish level by number and the coats of compound on joints and fasteners. The Gypsum Association's GA-214 guide, an industry recommendation and not a Building Code rule, lists Level 4 for flat paint and light textures and Level 5, a thin skim coat over the entire surface, for gloss or dark paint and critical lighting.

The board matters too. Ontario's Building Code (9.29.5.4.(1)) sets 1/2-inch (12.7 mm) as the minimum thickness where board supports insulation, and its Table 9.29.5.3 sets the maximum support spacing by board thickness and orientation. These are minimums for new work; ask the City how they apply to your renovation, and ask the contractor to name the board for your framing in the quote.

When you set two written quotes side by side, check that each one names the board thickness and type, states the finish level as a number, says whether primer and paint are included, and lists what is removed and disposed of before the new board goes up.