Drywall Calculator
Know how many sheets of drywall to buy. A 12 x 10 ft room with 8 ft walls and a ceiling needs 15 sheets of 4×8 board.
How many sheets of drywall do you need
Add up the wall area (perimeter x height) and the ceiling (length x width), subtract openings (about 21 sq ft for a door and 15 sq ft for a window), add waste and divide by the area of one sheet.
For a 12 x 10 ft room with 8 ft walls: walls = 352 sq ft, ceiling = 120 sq ft, minus 51 sq ft of openings = 421 sq ft. With 10% waste that is 15 sheets of 4×8 board, costing about $210.00.
Other materials
- Joint compound: about one 4.5 gallon bucket per 400 sq ft
- Screws: about 1 per sq ft (roughly 32 per 4×8 sheet)
- Paper or mesh tape: about 0.37 feet per sq ft
Use 4×12 sheets on tall walls to reduce joints. For tiling the room afterward, try the tile calculator.
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Frequently asked questions
How many sheets of drywall for a 12×12 room?
About 15 sheets of 4×8 board for walls and ceiling, with waste.
What size drywall sheet should I buy?
4×8 is easiest to carry. 4×12 sheets mean fewer seams on 9 or 10 ft walls and ceilings.
How much joint compound do I need?
About one 4.5 gallon bucket per 400 square feet of finished drywall.
How thick should drywall be?
1/2 inch for walls, 5/8 inch for ceilings and fire-rated assemblies.
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