Division 09 / Delivered

Division 09 drywall, ceilings and finishes estimating

Drywall is priced off the partition schedule, not off the floor plan. Two walls the same length on the plan can carry a two hour rating and a single layer of half inch board respectively, and they are not the same money.

What we measure, and in what units

SF board by type, thickness and layer count
LF partition by height and type
LF resilient channel
SF shaftwall
SF ceiling grid and tile by type
LF perimeter angle
EA cutouts by fixture type
SF flooring by type
SF paint by substrate and coat count
LF base

What the deliverable looks like for this division

Every partition type in the schedule taken separately, because each carries its own stud, its own layers and its own labour. Ceilings as grid and tile by type with the perimeter measured around every column and soffit return. Repetitive unit layouts taken once in full and multiplied by the verified count against the unit mix.

Scope items routinely missed on this division

Only someone who has priced the work knows what falls through the gaps. No competitor publishes this list.

Second and third layers on rated assemblies counted as one.
Metal stud bulkheads, soffits and drops, which sit in the drywall scope but are drawn on the architectural rather than the partition plans.
Shaftliner at elevator and stair shafts, a different product and a different install.
Two layer Type X at stair landings.
Corner bead, control joints and trim in linear feet.
Ceiling grid cutouts by fixture type, and the hanger wire and seismic bracing that go with them.
Transitions between acoustical and gypsum ceilings, which are detail work in linear feet.
Access panels, counted.
Levels of finish, since Level 4 and Level 5 are materially different labour over the same board.
Paint on the back side of rated walls above the ceiling.

Documents needed to price it

Architectural plans
Reflected ceiling plans
Partition types and the assembly legend
The finish schedule
Sections, for heights
The door and frame schedule

Questions people in this trade actually ask

How does partition linear footage convert to board square footage when heights vary?

It does not convert. Partitions are taken in linear feet banded by height, and board is taken as area by layer from those runs and heights. Carrying both is what lets you check one against the other.

What changes between Level 4 and Level 5 finish?

Level 5 adds a skim coat over the whole surface and is specified for critical lighting. It is a different amount of labour over the same board and it comes from the specification, not the drawings.

Are ceiling grid and tile priced together or separately?

Separately, because the tile schedule frequently specifies several products in one building and the grid type varies too. One number hides all of that.

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