Drywall calculator
Enter the room size to get the number of drywall sheets, plus the joint compound, tape and screws to finish them. Then price the job with your sheet price and labor rate, and put it on an estimate.
Last updated · By Yasir Arfat
Drywall calculator
Count drywall sheets for a room from its size, then the joint compound, tape and screws to finish it.
- Area to cover
- 533 sq ft
- Drywall sheets
- 19
- Joint compound
- 5.0 gal (2 × 4.5 gal buckets)
- Joint tape
- 198 ft
- Drywall screws
- about 608
Allows 21 sq ft per door and 15 sq ft per window. Compound and tape use about 9.4 gal of ready-mix and 370 ft of tape per 1,000 sq ft; screws about 1 per sq ft of board.
Drywall cost calculator
Price a drywall job: sheets and finishing materials, plus labor to hang, tape and finish.
- Sheets
- 19
- Materials
- $383.95
- Labor
- $932.75
- Job total
- $1,316.70
- Per sq ft
- $2.47
Use your own sheet price and labor rate: both vary by region, board type (moisture, fire-rated) and finish level. Add markup on materials if you buy them.
Put the price on a drywall estimate →How to calculate drywall
- Wall area: add up the length of every wall (the room's perimeter) and multiply by the wall height. A 14×12 ft room with 8 ft walls has 52 ft × 8 ft = 416 sq ft of wall.
- Take off openings: about 21 sq ft per door and 15 sq ft per window. Many pros skip this on small windows and keep the extra as waste.
- Add the ceiling: length × width, 168 sq ft for the same room.
- Add waste: 10% for simple rooms, 15% for lots of corners, angles or cut-outs.
- Divide by the sheet size: 32 sq ft for 4×8, 40 for 4×10, 48 for 4×12. Round up.
How many drywall sheets for common room sizes
| Room | Walls + ceiling | 4×8 sheets | 4×12 sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | 369 sq ft | 13 | 9 |
| 12 × 12 ft | 477 sq ft | 17 | 11 |
| 14 × 12 ft | 533 sq ft | 19 | 13 |
| 16 × 14 ft | 653 sq ft | 23 | 15 |
| 20 × 16 ft | 845 sq ft | 30 | 20 |
Assumes 8 ft walls, one door, two windows and 10% waste. Use the calculator for your exact room.
Finishing materials
- Joint compound: about 9.4 gallons of ready-mix per 1,000 sq ft for three coats, so a 4.5-gallon bucket finishes roughly 450-500 sq ft.
- Tape: about 370 ft of paper tape per 1,000 sq ft. Use mesh tape for patches and paper tape for inside corners.
- Screws: roughly one per square foot of board: 1-1/4 in coarse-thread screws for 1/2 in drywall on wood studs.
- Corner bead: measure every outside corner and buy 8 or 10 ft lengths to match.
Pricing a drywall job
Contractors usually price drywall per square foot of board hung and finished, or per sheet. Start from your real costs: materials from the calculator above, and labor from your crew's hours. The labor cost calculator turns crew hours and wages into a labor cost and a price to quote, and the markup calculator adds your margin on materials. Then list labor and materials on a construction estimate and send the contractor invoice when the job is done.
Questions about drywall
How do I calculate how much drywall I need?
Measure the perimeter of the room and multiply by the wall height to get the wall area. Subtract about 21 sq ft per door and 15 sq ft per window, add the ceiling (length × width) if you are covering it, then add 10% for waste. Divide by the sheet area: 32 sq ft for a 4×8 sheet, 48 sq ft for 4×12.
How many sheets of drywall do I need for a 12x12 room?
With 8 ft walls, one door and two windows, a 12×12 room has about 333 sq ft of wall and 144 sq ft of ceiling. With 10% waste that is 17 sheets of 4×8 drywall, or 11 sheets of 4×12.
Should I use 4x8 or 4x12 drywall sheets?
Longer sheets mean fewer joints to tape and a flatter finish, so pros often use 4×12 on walls and ceilings. 4×8 sheets are lighter, fit in more vehicles and are easier for one person to handle in small rooms.
How much joint compound and tape do I need?
A common rule is about 9.4 gallons of ready-mixed joint compound and 370 ft of paper tape per 1,000 sq ft of drywall, for a standard three-coat finish. A 4.5-gallon bucket covers roughly 450-500 sq ft.
How much does drywall cost per square foot?
Installed drywall commonly runs a few dollars per square foot for hanging, taping and finishing, with materials a smaller share than labor. Prices vary by region, board type and finish level, so use the cost calculator with your own sheet price and labor rate.
How do I quote a drywall job?
Measure the area, count sheets with waste, price materials (board, mud, tape, screws, corner bead) and add labor per sq ft or per hour for hanging and finishing. Add your markup, then list labor and materials on an estimate so the customer sees what they are paying for.
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