Shiplap is a wall of horizontal (or sometimes vertical) boards with a small, even gap between them, almost always painted. Most of the shiplap walls we install cost $2,000–5,500 and take about 3 days on site, including painting. Send a photo of your wall and we’ll give you a price range the same day.
What shiplap is and who it suits
Shiplap boards overlap or interlock so each row sits tight to the next, leaving a consistent shadow line. The result is a calm, linear texture that adds interest without competing with furniture or art. It’s one of the most flexible accent wall styles: the board width, the gap and the paint color decide whether it looks coastal, farmhouse, transitional or modern.
Shiplap suits:
- living rooms, behind a sofa or TV;
- bedrooms, behind the bed;
- coastal homes and anyone who wants a relaxed look;
- entries, mudrooms and laundry rooms, where a painted board wall is durable and easy to wipe;
- rental properties, where painted shiplap is easy to touch up between guests.
Shiplap styles
Horizontal painted shiplap
The most common version. In Winter Park we built a painted horizontal shiplap accent wall for about $4,900 in three days. In Citrus Ridge we installed a shiplap wall for about $4,000.
Vertical shiplap
Boards run floor to ceiling, which draws the eye up and makes a standard 8–9 ft ceiling feel taller.
Dark painted shiplap
Charcoal, navy, black or deep green shiplap gives a strong, modern backdrop, especially behind a bed or TV.
Partial-height shiplap
Shiplap on the lower part of a wall with a cap rail, like wainscoting. See our wainscoting and molding page for more traditional lower-wall options.
Shiplap ceilings
The same boards can run across a ceiling. See our decorative ceilings page.
Materials
- Paint-grade shiplap boards, usually primed MDF or primed wood, which stay straight and take paint well.
- Solid pine for a rustic look with visible knots, painted or stained.
- Trim at corners, the ceiling and the baseboard.
- Caulk and filler for nail holes and inside corners.
- Paint, typically satin or semi-gloss for washable walls.
Design choices
The look of a shiplap wall depends on a handful of decisions:
- Board width. Wider boards look more relaxed and rustic; narrower boards look tighter and more modern. Boards of one width give a calm wall; mixed widths look more casual.
- Reveal. The gap between boards can be barely visible or a clear shadow line. A deeper reveal shows up more on light-colored walls.
- Direction. Horizontal boards make a wall feel wider. Vertical boards make a ceiling feel higher.
- Color. White and off-white are traditional. Dark colors and muted greens and blues look current and hide the joints less, so the texture shows more.
- Edges. Shiplap can stop at the corner with a trim piece, wrap around an outside corner, or meet a ceiling with a small crown. Each looks different, and we agree on it before installation.
Care and repairs
Painted shiplap is easy to live with. Wipe it with a damp cloth, and touch up scuffs with the same paint. If a board is ever damaged, a single board can usually be replaced without redoing the wall. Dust can collect in the reveals on horizontal shiplap; a quick pass with a vacuum brush takes care of it.
Shiplap and other features
Shiplap combines well with a TV mounted on the wall, floating shelves or a painted mantel. If you want any of these on the shiplap wall, plan blocking and cable paths first. For full TV and fireplace builds, see our TV media walls page.
What drives the price
- Wall size and height. More rows, more boards, more time.
- Material. Paint-grade versus stain-grade or solid pine.
- Openings. Windows, doors, outlets and vents each need careful scribing and trim.
- Board orientation and width. Narrow boards and vertical layouts take longer.
- Finishing. Painted on site after installation versus primed only.
- Wall condition. Very uneven walls need shimming so rows stay straight.
For a sense of scale: our Winter Park wall at about $4,900 and our Citrus Ridge wall at about $4,000 were both full painted walls. A shorter wall with few openings would come in lower in the range.
Our process
- Send a photo of the wall and rough size.
- Price range the same day. Evenings and weekends, the same business day.
- On-site measurement at a time that works for you. No trip fees anywhere in Central Florida.
- Design, final quote and 50% deposit. We agree on board width, gap, direction and color.
- Build. Most shiplap walls take about 3 days.
- Walkthrough and final 50%.
- 1-year workmanship warranty.
Technical details
Rows are laid out so the top and bottom boards come out at similar widths and the lines stay level across the whole wall, even if the floor or ceiling isn’t. Boards are nailed into the studs, nail holes filled, inside corners caulked, then the wall is painted. Outlets and switches are extended to sit flush with the boards. All electrical work — outlets, hardwired fireplaces, integrated lighting — is performed by a licensed Florida electrician. If a TV will hang on the wall, tell us first so cable paths go in before the boards.
Clear about 3–4 ft in front of the wall and take down art. We protect floors and furniture, vacuum daily, and take our offcuts and packaging away.
