interior wall finish
Painted drywall
1/2-inch gypsum board (5/8" in fire-rated assemblies) taped, mudded to a Level 4 finish, and painted. The default residential wall finish — 95%+ of US homes.
Cost tier
BUDGET
Cost / sqft
$2–$4.5
Install
trade
Durability
medium
Maintenance
low
Moisture
fair
Cost notes
Level 5 finish (skim coat) for raking-light situations adds ~$1/sqft. Mold-resistant (purple) board for bathrooms.
Aesthetic
- Finish: flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, gloss
- Color range: any
- Visual weight: light
Climate suitability
✓ Hot-humid
✓ Hot-dry
✓ Mixed-humid
✓ Mixed-dry
✓ Cold
✓ Arctic
Code notes
5/8" Type X required at garage-house separations + furnace closets per IRC R302.
Source
Architectural Graphic Standards — Architectural Graphic Standards (Ramsey/Sleeper) — Materials chapter
Tags: drywall, painted, default