Cost to Texture Drywall

The Roll-On Base

• Hand texturing drywall starts by rolling on a coat of thinned joint compound. A 5-gallon bucket of premixed compound costs around $13 as of September 2011, but construction material prices are notorious for fluctuation, often from month to month. When thinned to pancake batter consistency, a 5-gallon bucket of compound will cover approximately 200 square feet. A paint roller, large paint pan and an extension pole will add $15 to $25 to the cost.

Slap Brush Texturing

• Drywall contractors add a stippled texture to ceilings with a slap brush, or a crow’s foot brush, which runs about $9. You’ll also need an extension pole to hold the brush, which adds another $10 to $20 dollars, depending on the quality of the pole. If you have a push broom, the pole may fit the brush.

Hand Troweled Texture

• For creating troweled textures, sometimes called orange peel or knockdown, you’ll need a trowel. You can pull the trowel lightly over the rolled on texture while it’s still damp to smooth down just the tips or to add a swirled effect. Trowel prices range from $7 to $35 dollars, depending on the width of the trowel and the quality.

Spray-On Texture

• If you’re not into rolling on the thinned joint compound, you can spray it on. Drywall texture spray rigs are expensive, easily costing more than $300, but you can rent one for a fraction of the price at a local construction rental store. You’ll still need to buy and thin the joint compound, but you can adjust the nozzle of the sprayer to deliver thick or thin texture evenly.