How Much Does Skip Trowel Texture Cost to Apply? [2025 Data]
Adding skip trowel texture to your walls costs an average of $800, depending on the size of the room. Costs range between $500 and $1,400, but a drywall pro can create a quote.
Adding a skip trowel texture costs around $800 per room, on average, and most projects fall between $500 and $1,400 per room. Most contractors charge around $1.75 per square foot of wall you want textured. This organic-looking knockdown texture adds warmth and rustic charm to any room, so it’s often worth the expense to homeowners. We’ll discuss how to estimate your skip trowel texture cost in this guide, including the most significant cost factors.
Skip Trowel Finish Application Cost Factors
Skip trowel texture costs can vary greatly, depending on the size of the room, the condition of the walls, and more. Below is a breakdown of the cost factors for a skip trowel drywall texturing project.
Size
The cost of applying skip trowel drywall texture ranges from $1.25 to $2.00 per square foot, while the standard cost of a wall application is $1.25 to $1.80 per square foot.
If you want to apply a skip trowel drywall texture to a wall or ceiling that already features a different texture—like popcorn ceiling—you’ll need to factor in the removal cost. Retexturing already textured walls—including removing the existing texture and the addition of a new one—costs $1.80 to $3.80 per square foot on average.
Room Type
| Room Type and Size | Average Total Cost for All Walls | Average Total Cost for Ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom (11 ft. by 12 ft.) | $500 – $700 | $170 – $270 |
| Living Room (12 ft. by 18 ft.) | $600 – $1,000 | $270 – $400 |
| Garage (20 ft. by 20 ft.) | $1,000 – $1,600 | $500 – $800 |
| Basement (30 ft. by 30 ft.) | $1,050 – $1,700 | $1,130 – $1,800 |
You can add skip trowel and other drywall textures to both walls and ceilings. Expect to pay $1.25 to $1.80 per square foot to apply skip trowel drywall texture to walls and $1.25 to $2.00 per square foot to apply it to ceilings.
While the cost to texture walls is lower than the cost to texture ceilings on a per-square-foot basis, the total cost to apply drywall texture to a ceiling throughout a room is lower than the total cost for all four walls. This is because of the lower total square footage of the ceiling area. The estimates above assume standard interior walls are 8 feet tall, basement walls are 7 feet tall, and garage walls are 10 feet tall. The taller your walls, the more you’ll pay per room for the finish.
Materials
Drywall joint compound powder is mixed with water to create drywall mud. You can purchase it by the gallon for $0.20 to $0.26 per square foot of wall or ceiling you plan to cover.
Labor
When you hire a professional drywall contractor to install a skip trowel drywall texture, the cost of labor alone ranges from $0.99 to $1.80 per square foot. Most drywall contractors charge a $100 minimum for this type of project, but even smaller rooms like bathrooms will almost certainly rise above this minimum.
Retexturing Costs
If you’re having your walls or ceilings retextured, you may be responsible for a variety of additional costs, including the following:
Removal of the old texture: $1–$3 per sq. ft.
Cost to repair minor holes, cracks, or water damage: $100–$400
Cost to install new drywall for major damage: $1.50–$3.50 per sq. ft.
Minor ceiling repairs: $200–$500
Major ceiling repairs: $400–$1,200
Asbestos testing: $250–$750
The wall condition when you begin your project also matters. Removing old skip trowel texture or a popcorn finish will cost closer to $1 per square foot while removing wallpaper costs closer to $3 per square foot.
Applying a Skip Trowel Drywall Texture Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro
If you have one to three full days available to work and basic drywall experience, or you know how to texture walls, specifically, adding texture to walls or ceilings can be an affordable DIY project. You can save $0.99 to $1.80 per square foot by doing the job yourself, which comes out to an average of around $550 per bedroom.
However, because skip trowel is a hand-applied texture that uses a knife or trowel rather than a sprayer, it’s best to leave the work to a pro with years of experience. You can still save money by doing wall prep yourself, like knocking down old textures or removing wallpaper—an average of around $400 per room. You might also be able to save some money by purchasing the materials yourself to avoid upcharges from your professional.
Since the process takes skill to get right, make sure you choose a drywall installer near you who has experience adding skip trowel texture to walls. This is one area where paying more for expertise is well worth the investment for a professional appearance.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can skip trowel over walls with an existing texture as long as the texture was not heavily applied. A heavily applied texture will be visible through any new drywall texture if it is not sanded down before the new texture is applied. In most cases, it’s a good idea to sand down the existing texture entirely before applying a skip trowel texture. This takes more time if you do it yourself and costs more if you have a pro do it, but you’ll get much better results.
Yes, you can absolutely paint a wall that has skip trowel texture, but you need to make sure you have the right tools and use the appropriate strategies. First, make sure you buy a high-capacity roller with at least a ¾” nap. This type of roller will hold enough paint to make application easy, and the thick nap is more likely to apply paint over the peaks and valleys. Additionally, you can’t tape a textured wall, so paint any untextured walls or ceilings first, then tape the smooth surfaces and paint the skip trowel walls last.
To properly clean and maintain your skip trowel drywall texture, dust the surface weekly with an electrostatic duster or vacuum with a soft brush attachment. Never scrub the surface. You can remove stains by gently applying a mild detergent solution with a paint roller, removing it with a damp roller, and drying with a dry roller. To cut down on cleaning frequency, avoid indoor smoking and limit the use of fireplaces.
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