Garage and basement drywall, done to code.

Garage drywall installation is a simple job to do well, and it's also easy to cut corners on. We hang, tape, and finish garage walls and ceilings to a clean surface you can paint. Most homeowners want a basic taped finish in a garage instead of a perfectly smooth wall, which makes sense for a space that holds the mower and the bikes.

The wall and ceiling between an attached garage and the house are a fire separation, and code sets what goes there. The shared wall needs at least 1/2-inch drywall on the garage side. A ceiling with a room above it needs 5/8-inch Type X. We install the right board in each spot and finish the rest of the garage to match.

In Portland, finishing a basement means dealing with moisture. From October to May, basement walls sit against wet soil, and standard drywall installed tight to a damp foundation will eventually grow mold. We use moisture-resistant board where the conditions call for it. We also keep the bottom of the drywall up off the concrete floor so it can't soak up water from the slab. We finish new basement walls and ceilings smooth and ready for paint, so the room looks like the rest of the house instead of a converted cellar. If your plan includes framing new walls, we schedule the drywall around the framing so the finish comes out right the first time.

The Oregon Residential Specialty Code (section R302.6) sets two different requirements for an attached garage. The wall between the garage and the house needs at least 1/2-inch drywall on the garage side, and so do the walls and beams that hold up a floor above. A garage ceiling with a habitable room above it, such as a bedroom over the garage, needs 5/8-inch Type X fire-rated drywall.

Type X is denser than standard drywall and has additives that slow a fire from burning through it. The U.S. Fire Administration reports that garage fires are only about 2 percent of residential fires, but they tend to be larger and spread farther than fires that start elsewhere in the house. That is why the code asks for the heavier board where a fire in the garage could reach a bedroom above. Garage walls that are not shared with the house, and detached garages, don't carry these requirements. We install to the current code, because this is one of the few places in a house where the drywall does a safety job.

Turning a garage or basement into living space usually needs a permit. The rules change often enough that you shouldn't rely on a number from a web page, including this one. We build to code, and we'll point you to what the City of Portland or your local jurisdiction requires for your project. Confirm the current permit rules with your building department before work starts. What we can promise is that the drywall we install, especially the fire-rated wall and ceiling between the garage and the house, is done to the standard an inspector looks for.

We price garage and basement jobs from the space itself, with no flat rate. These are the things that change the price:

• Square footageThe total wall and ceiling area is the biggest factor.
• Ceiling heightTall basement or garage ceilings take more scaffolding and more sheets hung overhead.
• Fire ratingType X board on a garage ceiling with a room above it, and the required separation on the shared wall.
• Finish levelA basic taped finish in a garage costs less than a smooth basement room that's ready for paint.
• Framing conditionStraight, square framing is quick to hang on. Framing that needs shims or fixes takes prep work first.

Estimates are free and written. Send photos of the space or your plans and get a real number.