Drywall Tips·April 2, 2026·5 min read
Drywall finish levels get glossed over in a lot of specs, and it shows up later in the paint. The Gypsum Association defines finish levels from 0 through 5, but for most commercial and residential projects the decision is really between Level 4 and Level 5.
Level 4
Level 4 is the standard for most painted walls: joints and fasteners have three coats of joint compound, sanded smooth, ready for a flat or eggshell finish under normal lighting. It's the right call for most offices, homes and back-of-house spaces.
Level 5
Level 5 adds a full skim coat of joint compound over the entire surface. It smooths out the difference in texture between the paper of the board and the finished joints. This is what you want under gloss or semi-gloss paint, under raking natural light, or in high-end finishes where anything less will telegraph through.
How to decide
Ask two questions: what paint sheen are you using, and how will the wall be lit? Anything above eggshell, plus any wall with strong side lighting or big windows, is a good candidate for Level 5. It costs more, but so does repainting a wall that never looked right.