---
title: "Drywall Finish Levels 0 to 5 Explained (GA-214) | TapeAndFloat"
url: https://tapeandfloat.com/guides/drywall-finish-levels.html
language: en
author: James Grokman, CEO, TapeAndFloat
updated: 2026-10-25
---

[Leer en español](https://tapeandfloat.com/es/niveles-de-acabado-drywall.html)

# Drywall finish levels 0 to 5, explained

**Drywall finish levels are the 6 grades, Level 0 to Level 5, that the[Gypsum Association](https://gypsum.org/)'s GA-214 uses to define how much tape and compound a wall gets before paint. Level 4 is common for flat paint; Level 5 adds a skim coat.**

By [James Grokman](https://tapeandfloat.com/about.html), CEO, TapeAndFloat · Published October 20, 2026 · Updated October 25, 2026

"Smooth walls" means something different to every homeowner, GC, and painter. The industry's fix is a set of six finish levels, defined in the Gypsum Association's _GA-214, Recommended Levels of Gypsum Board Finish_. Put the level on every quote and most walk-through arguments go away. Here's what each one means in plain words.

Level| What's done| Typical use  
---|---|---  
**0**|  Board hung. No tape, mud, or corner bead.| Temporary work, or when the final finish hasn't been decided.  
**1**|  Tape set in compound at joints and inside corners. Tool marks and ridges are fine.| Above ceilings, attics, plenums, and other hidden areas. Often called fire-taping on rated walls.  
**2**|  Tape embedded and wiped with a thin coat. One coat over screws and bead.| Garages, warehouse storage, and board used as a tile backer where allowed.  
**3**|  Level 2 plus one more coat on joints and corners. Two coats on screws and bead. Smooth, no tool marks.| Under medium or heavy texture, or heavy wallcovering. Not for smooth painted walls.  
**4**|  Two coats on flat joints, one on inside corners, three on screws and bead, all sanded smooth.| The common choice for flat paint, light texture, and wallpaper.  
**5**|  Level 4 plus a thin skim coat over the entire surface.| Gloss, semi-gloss, or enamel paint, smooth flat paint, and walls hit by strong side light from windows or fixtures.  
  
**Count the tape coat:** under GA-214, the compound you bed the tape in counts as its own coat. Agree on that with the GC before you argue about whether a joint got "two coats".

## Level 4 vs. Level 5: the one that causes fights

A Level 4 wall can look perfect at the walk-through and then show every seam and screw pop once the painter rolls on eggshell and the afternoon sun comes through a big window. That's not always bad finishing. It's often a Level 4 price on a Level 5 situation. If the client wants a sheen finish, has tall windows or long hallways with side light, or says the words "smooth wall", quote Level 5 or write in plain text that Level 5 is excluded.

## Level 3 vs. Level 4 under texture

Heavy knockdown or orange peel hides a lot, which is why Level 3 is recommended under medium and heavy texture. Light texture, or a client who might go smooth later, needs Level 4. Ask before you price it, because the extra coat and sanding pass is real labor.

## How to put the level on your quote

  * Name the level for each area: "Living areas Level 4, garage Level 2, master bedroom accent wall Level 5."
  * Say who primes. GA-214 recommends priming before final decoration, and skipping primer makes any level look worse.
  * Say whether texture is included, and which kind.
  * Agree on the lighting for the inspection. Judge the wall in the lighting it'll actually have, not under a work light held flat against it.

**Price the level, not just the square feet.** The free TapeAndFloat calculator turns your square footage and your rates into sheets, mud, tape, labor, and a quote you can text or print.  
[Open the bid calculator](https://tapeandfloat.com/calculator.html) [Join the pro waitlist](https://tapeandfloat.com/pros.html#pros)

Next: read [how to bid a drywall job](https://tapeandfloat.com/guides/how-to-bid-drywall.html), step by step.

Summary for general guidance. Always follow the project specs, the manufacturer's instructions, and GA-214 itself where a contract references it.