Level 5 Drywall Finish in Austin, TX

Level 5 is the highest drywall finish there is, and it is our specialty. Every other level finishes the joints and leaves the board face bare between them. Level 5 puts a thin skim coat across the entire surface, so the wall is one continuous material instead of taped seams with paper in between.

You need it wherever light will cross the wall or the paint will hold a sheen. A long hallway with a window at the end, a great room with tall glass, anything painted in eggshell or gloss, and any wall lit from close above by a spot or a cove — those are the walls that give away a Level 4 finish the day the sun moves.

What's included

A skim coat over the entire surface, not just the joints
For critical lighting — long walls, tall glass, spots and coves
For gloss, semi-gloss and eggshell, where sheen shows everything
Sanded flat across the whole wall rather than along the seams
Quoted per wall, so you are not paying Level 5 for a garage

The reason most companies do not offer it is that it is slow and it cannot be rushed. The joints are finished as they would be for Level 4 first, then the skim goes on over everything, then it is sanded flat across the whole wall rather than just along the seams. Any step taken early shows up as a difference in sheen once the paint is on, which is the one defect you cannot sand out afterwards.

It is worth asking for on some walls and a waste of money on others. A garage does not need it. A hallway with a west window does. We will tell you which of your walls actually warrant it rather than quoting the whole house at the highest level.

How we work

Look at the light

We walk the room and look at where the windows and the fixtures are, because that is what decides which walls need Level 5 and which do not.

Finish the joints first

The tape and the coats are built and sanded to a full standard before any skim goes on. Level 5 is added on top of good work, not instead of it.

Skim the whole surface

A thin coat goes across everything, so the joints and the board face are the same material and take paint identically.

Sand flat and check

Sanded across the whole wall, then checked with a light held against the surface at an angle — the same way the room will show it later.

Common questions

What is the difference between Level 4 and Level 5?

Level 4 finishes the joints and leaves the board face bare between them. Level 5 skims the whole surface, so the wall is one material. Under raking light or gloss paint, that difference is visible from across the room.

Do I need Level 5 everywhere?

No, and we will say so. It is worth it where light crosses the wall or the paint has sheen. A garage, a closet or a bedroom with soft lighting does not need it, and quoting your whole house at Level 5 would not be honest.

Can Level 5 be added to walls that are already finished?

Yes, as long as what is underneath is sound. We check the existing joints first — skimming over a joint that is cracking would just put a smooth surface on a moving wall.