Exact material estimates for every home & DIY project.

Drywall Calculator

A drywall calculator does the whole hang-and-finish list, not just the sheets. Enter your room dimensions (or total area) and it returns how many sheets of drywall you need, plus the screws to hang them and the joint compound and tape to finish them.

Your measurements

Result
0

Most calculators stop at the sheet count, which leaves you guessing on the supplies. This one estimates all four so a single trip covers the job — and the sheets aside, the screws, mud and tape all ship to your door.

How it is calculated

Area = the wall perimeter times height, plus the ceiling, then divided by the sheet area (32 sq ft for 4 × 8, 48 for 4 × 12) with 10% waste. Screws are estimated at ~32 per sheet, joint compound at ~1 gallon per 100 sq ft for taping and two coats, and tape at ~40 ft per 100 sq ft.

Steps

  1. Enter the room length, width and ceiling height (it tiles walls + ceiling), or enter a total area.
  2. Pick your sheet size — 4 × 8 ft is standard, 4 × 12 ft means fewer seams.
  3. Read the sheet count (10% waste included).
  4. Use the screws, compound and tape figures to buy the finishing supplies.
  5. Step up to 5/8 in board on ceilings and where fire rating applies.

Worked example

A 15 × 12 ft room with 8 ft ceilings is about 612 sq ft of wall and ceiling. With 4 × 8 ft sheets that's 22 sheets, roughly 700 screws, 7 gallons of compound and about 245 ft of tape.

Common questions

How many drywall sheets do I need?
Total wall + ceiling area divided by the sheet size (32 or 48 sq ft), plus 10% waste. The calculator rounds up.
How many screws per sheet of drywall?
About 32 for walls on 16-inch framing; ceilings and fire-rated assemblies use more. The calculator uses ~32 per sheet.
How much joint compound and tape?
Roughly a gallon of ready-mix per 100 sq ft for tape plus two coats, and about 40 ft of tape per 100 sq ft. Both are in the result.
4 × 8 or 4 × 12 sheets?
Longer 4 × 12 sheets mean fewer butt seams to finish but are heavier and harder to handle in tight rooms.

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