Drywall Listings
The drywall listings published through National Drywall Authority cover contractors, installers, finishers, suppliers, and inspection professionals operating across the United States. Each entry is structured around trade classification, service type, and geographic service area, giving industry professionals and service seekers a consistent reference point when navigating the drywall sector. The scope extends from residential new construction through commercial tenant improvement and remediation work. For a full explanation of how the directory is structured and what it covers, see the Drywall Directory Purpose and Scope page.
How listings are organized
Listings are organized by three primary axes: trade category, project type, and state-level location. Within each trade category, entries are further segmented by licensing classification where state law imposes one. As of 2024, 46 states require some form of contractor licensing for drywall work performed above a defined dollar threshold, with thresholds ranging from $500 in states like California (Contractors State License Board, Class C-9) to $10,000 in others.
The four primary trade categories used in this directory are:
- Drywall Installation Contractors — firms and sole proprietors performing framing layout, board hanging, and fastening to structural substrates.
- Finishing and Taping Specialists — professionals specializing in joint compound application, tape embedding, and multi-coat finish levels (Level 1 through Level 5, as defined by the Gypsum Association GA-214 finish standard).
- Drywall Supply and Distribution — material distributors, specialty board suppliers, and manufacturers' regional representatives.
- Inspection and Testing Professionals — third-party inspectors operating under International Building Code (IBC) Chapter 17 special inspection frameworks, or state-equivalent programs.
Entries within each category carry a classification tag indicating whether the listed entity holds an active state contractor license, a OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 credential, or a manufacturer-specific certification such as USG's or National Gypsum's installer recognition programs.
What each listing covers
A standard listing entry contains seven structured fields:
- Business name and legal operating entity type (LLC, sole proprietor, corporation)
- Primary trade classification drawn from the four categories above
- State license number and issuing authority, where applicable
- Geographic service area expressed as state, multi-state region, or metro-zone designation
- Project type scope — residential, light commercial, heavy commercial, industrial, or mixed
- Specialty designations — fire-rated assembly installation (UL Listed assemblies), moisture-resistant board work, or Level 5 finish capability
- Contact and verification pathway routed through the Contact page
Listings do not include self-reported performance ratings or unverified customer reviews. All specialty designations are tied to a verifiable external credential: a UL assembly number, a state license record, or a named manufacturer certification program. This structure reflects the distinction between a credentialed directory and a consumer review platform.
Fire-rated assembly work carries a specific listing flag. Gypsum board assemblies achieving 1-hour or 2-hour fire resistance ratings must be installed in strict conformance with the UL Design Number referenced in the permit drawings. The International Fire Code (IFC) and IBC Section 703 both address field verification of these assemblies, and inspectors operating under those codes look for documentation traceable to the listed assembly.
Geographic distribution
Listings span all 50 states, organized under six regional groupings used throughout this directory: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. These groupings do not correspond to any federal administrative boundary — they reflect contractor licensing zone patterns and the density of drywall trade activity by region.
The highest listing density is concentrated in 5 states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois — a pattern consistent with U.S. Census Bureau construction permit data showing those states account for roughly 40% of all residential building permits issued nationally. Listing density in the Mountain West and Upper Plains is lower by volume but covers a proportionally higher share of commercial and agricultural construction relative to residential work.
Multi-state contractors operating across regional boundaries appear under each state in their service area. A Texas-based contractor licensed in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, for example, appears in the Southwest and Southeast regional groupings. Interstate licensing reciprocity agreements, where they exist, are noted in the listing record.
How to read an entry
Each entry opens with the business name, followed immediately by its primary trade classification tag. The state license field appears next — if the state does not require licensure for the trade type, this field displays "No state license required — [State]" to distinguish unlicensed-by-statute entries from entries with missing or lapsed credentials.
The project type scope field uses a contrast structure: residential-only entries are flagged separately from commercial-capable entries because commercial drywall work in jurisdictions adopting the IBC may require special inspection plans, submittal documentation, and compliance with ASTM C840 (Standard Specification for Application and Finishing of Gypsum Board) — requirements that do not apply uniformly to residential work under the IRC.
Specialty designations appear as discrete badges rather than narrative text, allowing rapid cross-comparison between entries. A contractor holding both a fire-rated assembly designation and a Level 5 finish designation is immediately distinguishable from a general installation contractor with neither. For guidance on navigating these designations within the full directory, the How to Use This Drywall Resource page provides a field-by-field walkthrough of the entry format.
Entries flagged with an OSHA credential note reference either OSHA 10-Hour or OSHA 30-Hour Construction Industry outreach training (administered under OSHA's Outreach Training Program, 29 CFR Part 1926). This credential is not a license and does not substitute for state licensing requirements, but its presence in a listing record indicates documented safety training exposure for field personnel.