What should I ask about a drywall contractor’s crews and whether they are paid by the sheet?

Ask for a list of crews, with the lead hand of each and the work each crew is best at. Hangers, tapers and finishers are often separate trades. Find out which crews work for the company full time and which are paid only when work is on offer. Strong teams with long tenure matter more than the headcount.

Pay by the sheet rewards speed. Ask how the company deals with poor work: does the crew return to fix it unpaid? Look at callback records and ask builders about quality. Check what happens to pay in slow months, since crews paid by the sheet may leave for another contractor when work thins out.

Ask how each worker is classified and how the books treat them. A misclassified worker can become a problem for a new owner, so this belongs with your lawyer and accountant. Finally, ask which crew leaders would stay, and whether any of them have their own customers they could take elsewhere. Ask to see a few weeks of payroll and sheet counts side by side. The pattern will show who earns well, who is stretched and whether pay by the sheet is nudging crews towards the easiest walls and leaving awkward ones to someone else.

Key takeaways

• Get a crew list showing the lead hand and tenure of each team.
• Ask how bad work is fixed and who pays for it.
• Have your lawyer review how workers are classified.