Drywall Labor Cost in Iowa
Ranked 27th of 49 (tied with Utah), Iowa pays drywall installers a median of $24.53 an hour, 13% below the US median of $28.33. Utah shares that median, but Iowa has the higher mean, $25.59 against $25.35.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 27th of 49 by median wage
Your estimate
4' x 8' sheets · 10% waste allowance4' x 8' drywall
Area
Materials
Cost breakdown
Quantities include a 10% waste allowance and standard deductions of 21 sq ft per door, 15 sq ft per window and 112 sq ft per garage door. The sheet count comes from laying the board out wall by wall, plus 10% as spare sheets. Round up when in doubt, an extra sheet costs less than a second trip.
How Iowa compares
| State | Rank | Median | Against Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 25 | $25.91 | $1.38 more |
| Nevada | 26 | $25.13 | $0.60 more |
| Iowa | 27 | $24.53 | this state |
| Utah | 27 | $24.53 | same |
| Arizona | 29 | $24.18 | $0.35 less |
A 12 x 12 room in Iowa
| Low end, $1.00/sq ft | $528 |
|---|---|
| High end, $2.10/sq ft | $1,109 |
| Utah | $528 to $1,082 | same low end as Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $528 to $1,082 | same low end as Iowa |
| Delaware | $502 to $1,056 | $26.40 less than Iowa at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Iowa labor for this room is $105.60 less at the low end, scaled from wages rather than bids (method). Also see the room's sheet count and its paint estimate.
What drywall workers earn in Iowa
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $17.67 | $21.54 | $24.53 | $29.70 | $32.53 | $25.59 |
| Tapers | $26.89 | $27.30 | $32.20 | $33.84 | $33.85 | $30.77 |
| Installers, yearly | $36,754 | $44,803 | $51,022 | $61,776 | $67,662 | $53,230 |
| US installers | $18.49 | $22.81 | $28.33 | $35.69 | $49.04 | $30.58 |
| US tapers | $21.00 | $25.35 | $32.82 | $42.57 | $51.50 | $34.96 |
Half of the installers in Iowa earn between $21.54 and $29.70 an hour, for a mean of $53,230 a year. Installers are a thin slice of the workforce in Iowa, with a location quotient of 0.35: their share of jobs is 35% of the national share. The mean, $25.59, and the median, $24.53, sit within 4% of each other. From the 10th percentile, $17.67, to the 90th, $32.53, installer pay spans $14.86 an hour, 49% of the $30.55 national spread. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $32.20 in Iowa, 31% more than installers.