Home Improvement Interior Remodel Walls & Ceilings Drywall

Level 0 to Level 5 Drywall Finishes Explained

Finishing drywall is the last step of installing drywall. Drywall finishing requires a good deal of craftsmanship, and it's this last stage of finishing that can make or break the appearance of the walls or ceiling. Understand the five drywall finishing levels, from level 0 (boards hung only) to level 5 (mirror-smooth surface).

Drywall Finishing Ceiling
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What Drywall Finish Levels Are

Gypsum Association, the wallboard's trade organization, and drywall professionals have codified a set of professional standards that define the process of finishing drywall into five distinct levels.

Serious do-it-yourselfers can use drywall finishing levels to help their drywall finish look as professional as possible.

Tip

Mention drywall finish level five to your contractor and you might get a puzzled look. Numeric drywall finishing levels aren't part of normal conversation, even for many experienced contractors. Instead, discuss the effect that you're aiming for. The contractor will know what you want and can translate this to the drywall crew.

Drywall Finish Level 0

Drywall finish level 0 means that no drywall finishing of any type has been done. At this level, the drywall boards are simply fastened to the walls or ceiling.

Drywall Finish Level 1

Drywall finish level 1 means that drywall joint tape has been embedded in the joint compound at the seams (joints). Nothing further has been done.

Drywall Finish Level 2

Drywall finish level 2 means that you have skimmed a thin coat of joint compound over the tape and covered the drywall screw holes.

You can stop at this level if you intend to cover the wall surface with tile or if it's in a garage intended to be used for storage or a workshop-type space.

Drywall Finish Level 3

At drywall finish level 3, the drywall finishers apply a coat of joint compound to the tape and screws.

Walls that will receive a heavy texture, such as knockdown texture, can end at this level. For these textures, progressing beyond this level is not necessary since texturing will produce a finish that is rougher than level 3.

Drywall Finish Level 4

Drywall finish level 4 is the classic drywall finish. Here, you apply another coat of joint compound to the tape and screws and sand the dried compound.

Drywall finish level 4 is typically used when a surface is painted or covered with wallpaper.

Drywall Finish Level 5

Drywall finish level 5 is the highest possible level of drywall finishing involves applying a skim coat, if applicable. A level 5 finish is a skim coat of joint compound (also known as mud) applied to a finish that you would normally leave at level 4. 

You need a level 5 coating when the finish will have glossy, enamel, or non-textured flat paint or when the light will be angled low enough to highlight bumps and depressions.

Drywall finish level 5 is a premium finish that does not come by default. This must be negotiated with the contractor or drywall installer, and it will likely come at an added cost.

There are three ways to apply a skim coat:

  • Roller: Thinned-out joint compound is rolled onto the wall with a thick-nap roller. Excess is scraped off immediately.
  • Taping knife: A series of six or eight dabs of mud are applied, each about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Immediately, the mud is smoothed across the surface, then excess mud is scraped off.
  • Spray finish: Professionals have spray equipment to allow them to spray on drywall compound. This type of equipment can be rented at rental yards or even at some home improvement stores.
illustration of drywall finishing levels

The Spruce / Lisa Fasol

Drywall Finishing Level Considerations

In a perfect world, all drywall—every square inch of it—would be mudded and sanded down to a mirror-smooth surface. While this is possible, it's not cost-effective.

If you're hiring out the work, every step requires an additional visit from the drywall worker. For do-it-yourselfers, it's yet another day or two you add to the entire project. The nature of the space and how you use it may dictate the level of drywall finish that's appropriate:

  • Garages and workshops: A level 1 or 2 drywall finish may be completely sufficient in garages and workshops. On the other hand, a car aficionado might enjoy having a workspace that is as clean and smooth as any other wall found in the residential part of the home.
  • Wainscot-hidden wall surfaces: For wainscoting, it's not necessary to put a premium finish on the lower one-third of your walls since it will get covered up anyway.
  • Cabinet-hidden walls: Because kitchens are often blanketed with cabinets and appliances, much of the wall space doesn't need a level-5 finish.
  • Ceilings: Ceilings tend to get raked by natural light through the windows, highlighting pops, bumps, and depressions. For many homeowners, nothing less than a level 5 will do on their ceilings. At the very least, ceilings always call for a level 4 finish.
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  1. GA-214-2021 Levels of Finish for Gypsum Panel Products. Gypsum Association.