What is the cost to drywall a Toronto garage interior for use as a workshop or hobby space?

Drywalling a garage for workshop or hobby use in Toronto typically runs $3,500–$8,500 for the full drywall scope, depending on garage size, fire separation requirements, insulation, and finish level.

The single most important thing to understand about garage drywall in the GTA is that the wall and ceiling shared between your attached garage and your living space isn't optional — it's a life-safety requirement under the Ontario Building Code. That shared surface must achieve a minimum 45-minute fire resistance rating, which means 5/8-inch Type X drywall on the garage side, with all joints properly taped and finished. This isn't a place to substitute regular 1/2-inch board to save money. The door between the garage and house must also be solid-core or fire-rated with a self-closing mechanism. If your garage is detached, the fire separation requirement doesn't apply, but it's still worth knowing for future reference.

What Drives the Cost

Garage size is the obvious starting point. A standard single-car garage in a Toronto or Scarborough post-war bungalow runs roughly 240–300 square feet of floor space, while a double-car garage in a newer Vaughan or Mississauga home might be 450–600 square feet. Once you account for all four walls and the ceiling, you're looking at 800–1,600 square feet of drywall surface for a typical single or double garage.

Insulation and vapour barrier are almost always part of this project if you want the space to be usable year-round. Toronto winters are brutal on uninsulated garages — temperatures regularly hit -15 to -20°C — and without insulation, your workshop will be unusable from December through March. A 6-mil polyethylene vapour barrier is code-required on the warm side of any insulated exterior wall in Ontario's Climate Zone 6. Insulation and vapour barrier are typically handled before the drywall goes up, and many drywall contractors in the GTA will coordinate this scope or quote it together. Budget an additional $1,500–$3,500 for batt insulation and vapour barrier in a typical garage.

Finish level matters for a workshop more than you might think. A Level 3 finish — tape embedded, one fill coat, one finish coat, no sanding to perfection — is entirely appropriate for a garage workshop. You don't need Level 4 or Level 5 here. Level 3 gives you a clean, paintable surface that holds up well in a utility space. Most GTA contractors will quote garage work at Level 3 as the default.

Realistic Cost Breakdown (GTA 2025–2026)

For a standard single-car attached garage (roughly 900–1,100 sq ft of drywall surface including ceiling):

• 5/8-inch Type X drywall on fire separation wall/ceiling: $400–$700 in materials
• 1/2-inch regular drywall on remaining walls: $300–$500 in materials
• Hanging, taping, and Level 3 finishing (labour): $2,200–$4,500
• Corner bead, compound, tape, fasteners: $150–$300
• Total drywall scope: $3,500–$6,000

For a double-car garage (1,400–1,800 sq ft of drywall surface):

• Total drywall scope: $5,500–$8,500

These figures are for drywall only. Electrical (outlets, lighting), flooring, heating, and any structural work are separate scopes entirely.

GTA-Specific Considerations

Garage conversions and workshop builds almost always require a building permit in Toronto and across the GTA — even if you're not changing the structure, adding insulation, new electrical, and new drywall to a previously unfinished garage triggers the permit requirement in most GTA municipalities. Don't skip this step. An unpermitted garage conversion can create problems when you sell, and more importantly, an uninspected fire separation is a genuine safety risk.

Winter timing is worth thinking about. If your garage isn't heated, joint compound applied in an unheated space in January will freeze before it cures, destroying the bond entirely. Your contractor will need to bring in temporary propane or electric heat to keep the space above 10°C throughout the taping and finishing process. This adds $200–$500 to the project cost in winter months but is non-negotiable for a quality result.

For a workshop space, consider having your electrician rough in additional circuits and outlet boxes before the drywall goes up — retrofitting outlets through finished drywall is expensive and messy.

Need help finding a drywall contractor for your garage project? Toronto Drywall Installers can match you with local professionals for a free estimate. You can also browse drywall contractors in the Toronto Construction Network directory at torontoconstructionnetwork.com/directory?trade=insulation.