The Finishing Levels System
The drywall industry uses a standard system of finish levels from 0 to 5. Each level specifies what work is done:
Level 0: No finish. Drywall hung but nothing else. Temporary construction or areas getting other coverings.
Level 1: Tape embedded, no finishing. Used where fire rating is needed but appearance doesn't matter.
Level 2: Tape and one coat over tape. Areas receiving heavy textures that hide imperfections.
Level 3: Two coats over tape, sanded. Walls receiving medium to heavy textures.
Level 4: Three coats over tape, sanded. Standard finish for painted surfaces with eggshell, satin, or flat paint.
Level 5: Level 4 plus skim coat over entire surface. For critical lighting or gloss paints.
What Makes Level 5 Different
Standard finishing treats joints, screws, and corners. The rest of the drywall surface is just paper facing that gets painted.
The paper and the joint compound have different textures and absorb paint differently. Under most conditions, you can't tell. But under certain lighting, especially glancing light or with gloss paints, the difference shows. Joints appear slightly shinier or duller than surrounding paper.
Level 5 solves this by skim coating the entire surface. Every square inch gets a thin layer of compound. Now the whole surface is the same material with the same texture and paint absorption. No visible difference between joints and field.
When Level 5 Is Required
Certain conditions make Level 5 worthwhile or necessary:
Critical lighting: Large windows creating low-angle light across walls. Skylights. Recessed lighting that rakes across surfaces. Any situation where imperfections cast shadows.
Gloss or semi-gloss paint: Higher sheen reveals surface texture differences. The shinier the paint, the more visible imperfections become.
Dark colors: Dark paints show imperfections more than light colors. The same wall that looks fine in white might show every seam in deep blue.
High-end commercial: Lobbies, galleries, executive offices where appearance matters. The cost is justified by expectations.
Personal preference: Some people just want the smoothest possible surface. If that's important to you, Level 5 delivers.
When Level 5 Is Overkill
Most residential applications don't need Level 5:
Standard interior rooms with normal lighting and flat or eggshell paint are fine at Level 4.
Textured surfaces don't benefit from skim coating underneath the texture.
Bedrooms, hallways, and other secondary spaces rarely have the critical lighting that exposes Level 4 imperfections.
Budget-conscious projects. Level 5 adds significant labor cost. The money might be better spent elsewhere.
Achieving Level 5
The process is standard three-coat finishing, then skim coating everything.
Complete Level 4: Tape, three coats, sanded smooth. This needs to be done right because skim coat won't hide major imperfections.
Skim coat the surface: Apply a thin layer of compound over the entire wall surface. This is the same skim coating technique used for covering texture or renewing damaged walls.
Sand smooth: Light sanding to remove any ridges or imperfections in the skim coat.
Optional second skim: Some situations benefit from a second skim coat for ultimate smoothness.
Prime: The primed surface should now be uniform everywhere.
Labor and Cost Considerations
Level 5 dramatically increases finishing time. Skim coating is essentially doing the entire wall surface, not just treating joints.
Professional finishers typically charge double or more for Level 5 compared to Level 4. The material cost is also higher since you're using compound on every square inch.
For DIYers, the labor investment is significant. Skim coating takes practice to do well. Plan for multiple learning experiences before achieving truly smooth results.
The question is whether the result justifies the investment. In that high-end kitchen, with large windows and gloss paint on dark walls, Level 5 was the right call. In a bedroom with small windows and flat paint, Level 4 would be indistinguishable.