Drywall · CA

Drywall cost in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Planning ranges for drywall work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, built from BLS OEWS May 2025 wages (SOC 47-2081) plus our published hours and materials. Open any job row to run it on your ZIP.

Last updated from data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · PPI construction materials 2026-09 · estimates only

How this market compares

Practical cut for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara: published OEWS wages for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers, then the same estimating math we use everywhere. Mean hourly pay here sits about 8% above the national OEWS mean.

Among 209 OEWS areas with published Drywall wages, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara ranks #32 nationally on mean hourly pay ($32.94). Compared with other CA areas that report Drywall wages, this market is #17 of 24. The published p10–p90 band runs $22.32 to $47.94 (a $25.62 spread around the $32.94 mean; median $30.95).

Local employment for this SOC is roughly 440 workers (OEWS May 2025). Nationwide that occupation is about 83,080. Sample jobs: Drywall Patch (small hole) mid estimate $148 here vs $138 U.S. (7% above); Drywall Installation mid estimate $2,283 here vs $2,145 U.S. (6% above).

Same-state comparison: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom ($33.16, 0.22 higher); Yuba City ($31.94, 1.00 lower); Chico ($31.78, 1.16 lower).

Local tip: Local code, permit fees, and how busy crews are this month move numbers as much as wage rates do.

Sample project ranges

ProjectLowMidHigh
Drywall Patch (small hole) (calc)$53$148$405
Drywall Installation (default size) (calc)$948$2,283$6,701
Mean hourly wage
$32.94
Median hourly
$30.95
p10 – p90
$22.32 – $47.94

Getting quotes without the circus

  1. Screenshot our mid/low/high band.
  2. Ask three licensed, insured pros for written scopes.
  3. Compare exclusions — permits, haul-away, thermostats, flashing — before crowning a winner.

What usually moves the number

Rebates (verify; don’t trust a random Facebook ad)

Check IRS, ENERGY STAR, and DSIRE for any incentives that apply to this project. For state/utility directories, start with DSIRE. Fairange does not quote federal tax credits on metro pages.

Drywall cost FAQ — Santa Maria-Santa Barbara

How much does drywall cost in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?

We combine OEWS wages for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers with published hours and materials assumptions for jobs like drywall patch (small hole), drywall installation. Treat the table as a planning band, then collect written bids.

Where do the wages come from?

BLS OEWS May 2025 — mean $32.94, median $30.95, p10–p90 $22.32–$47.94 (SOC 47-2081).

Is this a contractor quote?

No. Fairange publishes educational planning ranges. Markup is 2.0× / 2.25× / 2.5× on labor; materials use cited retail baselines with a dampened regional factor. See methodology.

Job guides: Drywall Patch (small hole) · Drywall Installation. Reports: repair labor by metro. Open calculator with your ZIP.

What this estimate can’t tell you. Roof pitch, an old house or code upgrades, tough access, permits, emergency or after-hours calls, and brand tier can push a real quote outside this range.

Check our math

BLS OEWS May 2025 · local hourly means the calculator uses

Drywall (47-2081)$32.94/hr mean

Source: official BLS OEWS data for this area · area index: oessrcma.htm.

Contractor markup (2.0× / 2.25× / 2.5×) and the regional materials factor are ours — see methodology.

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Thermostats

A decent thermostat won’t fix a bad install, but it can stop the short-cycling arguments.

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Water heaters

Tank, tankless, heat-pump — the sticker price is only half the story.

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Warranties & financing

Read the exclusions. “Full coverage” rarely means what the brochure implies.

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Monthly wage & cost note

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