HowMuchIt / Drywall
How much drywall do I need?
Add up the walls and the ceiling, divide by what one sheet covers, and add about ten percent for cuts. The calculator also gives the tape and joint compound, from the makers' figures.
Work out your drywall
| Item | How much |
|---|---|
| Sheets | (walls + ceiling) / 32 or 48, plus about 10 percent |
| Joint tape | about 350 to 370 ft per 1,000 sq ft |
| All-purpose compound | about 120 to 140 lb per 1,000 sq ft |
| Screws | at most 12 in apart on ceilings, 16 in on walls |
Measure, then pick the sheet
Each wall is its length times its height; the ceiling is the room's length times its width. A 4 by 8 sheet covers 32 square feet, a 4 by 12 covers 48 and leaves fewer seams on long walls, if you can carry it in. Half-inch drywall is the usual choice for interior walls; 5/8 inch resists sagging, which is why it often goes on ceilings. Hang the ceiling first, then the walls.
Screws, tape and mud
Drive screws no more than 12 inches apart on ceilings and 16 inches on walls. For the joints, the makers' figures are about 350 to 370 feet of tape and about 120 to 140 pounds of ready-mixed all-purpose compound for every 1,000 square feet of drywall.
Questions people ask
How many sheets for a 12 x 10 room?
Walls of 8 feet plus the ceiling make 472 sq ft: about 17 sheets of 4 by 8 with ten percent extra.
What thickness for walls?
1/2 inch is the most common; 5/8 for ceilings that must not sag.
How far apart should drywall screws be?
12 inches on ceilings, 16 on walls, at most.
Good to know
- A 4 x 8 ft sheet covers 32 sq ft and a 4 x 12 ft sheet covers 48 sq ft; divide the total area by the sheet area to get the number of sheets.1,2
- Total area = every wall (length x height) plus the ceiling.1,2
- Add about 10 percent to the sheet count for waste and cutting (one maker allows 10 to 15 percent).1,3,4
- Hang the ceiling first, then the walls.4,5
- Space screws no more than 12 in apart on ceilings and 16 in apart on walls.4,5
- 1/2 in drywall is the most common choice for interior walls.1,2,6
- 5/8 in drywall resists sagging, which is why it is often chosen for ceilings.1,2,6
- Joint tape: plan on about 350 to 370 ft of tape per 1,000 sq ft of drywall.5,7
- Ready-mixed all-purpose joint compound: plan on about 120 to 140 lb per 1,000 sq ft of drywall (two 61 lb pails in one maker's guide, 138 lb in another).5,7
How we checked this page
Checked on October 27, 2026. We kept a fact only when two independent publishers agree, and each one is numbered to its sources below. Where sources give different numbers, we keep only what they share. We never write a price. This page was written with an AI assistant and checked against the sources below.
Sources
- Drywall Buying Guide, Lowe's
- How To Hang Drywall, This Old House
- Drywall Calculator, Georgia-Pacific (Build GP)
- Drywall Installation (doc 111362), National Gypsum Company
- SHEETROCK Brand Gypsum Panels installation and finish guide, USG
- Types of Drywall, The Home Depot
- Estimating Drywall Nails (WallWorks Guide), Georgia-Pacific Gypsum