Level of finish

Definition

The contracted quality standard for taped gypsum board, from a bare fire-taped joint to a skim coat.

Why It Matters

The five levels are defined by the trade's own standards body, and the level named in a contract is a labor-hour multiplier. A shop bidding one level while its crews habitually deliver the one above gives away the difference on every job, and nothing in the profit and loss says so. Read the level named in the last ten subcontracts against what the punch lists actually asked for, because the gap between those two is where the margin went.