Drywall Calculator

Sheets of 4x8, 4x10 or 4x12 drywall for walls and ceilings, plus screws, tape and joint compound.

Hanging and taping drywall in a room under renovation A drywall lift raises a 4 ft sheet against the wall studs, a screw gun drives screws down each stud line, then a taping knife coats the horizontal seam. The ceiling is already boarded and taped, a stack of sheets, a pail of joint compound and a T-square sit on the subfloor. 1/2" 4x8 JOINTCOMPOUND 1-1/4"

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Hanging and finishing reference

4′4′16″ O.C.4′8′ SHEETSTUDS 16″ O.C. BEHINDSHEETS HORIZONTAL, LONG EDGESBUTT JOINTS ON A STUD, STAGGEREDTAPED SEAM, FEATHERED WIDESCREWS 16″ O.C. WALLS, 12″ CEILINGSECTION AT TAPERED SEAM · N.T.S.COAT 1 + TAPE · 6″COAT 2 · 8–10″COAT 3 · 12–14″½″ BOARD, TAPERED EDGES
Typical layout and seam. Fire-rated and wet-area assemblies: follow local code and the board maker.

Board by use

Walls, studs 16″ o.c.
½″ regular
Ceilings
⅝″ or ½″ sag-resistant
Garage, fire-rated
⅝″ Type X (check code)
Baths, laundry
moisture-resistant
Tiled shower walls
cement board
Curves, overlays
¼″ flexible

Fastening

Screws, walls
16″ o.c.
Screws, ceilings
12″ o.c.
From panel edges
⅜″ min.
Screw for ½″ board
1¼″ coarse
Screw for ⅝″ board
1⅝″ coarse
Into wood framing
⅝″ min.
Head depth
dimpled, paper intact

Finishing

Coats
tape + 2 coats
Coat widths
6″ / 10″ / 12–14″
Premixed, drying
≈ 24 h / coat
Setting type
20–90 min (bag)
Level 4
flat, eggshell paint
Level 5
skim, gloss, raking light
Before paint
drywall primer

Hanging order

First
ceiling
Ceiling sheets
across the joists
Walls
top row first, horizontal
Butt joints
on framing, staggered
Near openings
no seam on jamb lines
Gap at floor
≈ ½″

Safety A ½″ 4x12 sheet weighs about 70–80 lb: hang ceilings with a lift or a helper. Wear a dust mask (N95) and eye protection when sanding.

Full notes
  • A 4x8 sheet covers 32 sq ft, a 4x10 covers 40 and a 4x12 covers 48. Longer sheets mean fewer seams but are harder to carry.
  • Use 1/2 inch for walls, 5/8 inch for ceilings (less sag) and for fire-rated assemblies. Use moisture-resistant board in bathrooms.
  • Add 10% for waste and cutouts.
  • Rule of thumb: about 1 screw per sq ft, 9-10 gallons of compound and 370 ft of tape per 1,000 sq ft of board.

Planning a bigger project?

Paint CalculatorHow many gallons of paint and primer a room needs from its size, ceiling height, doors, windows and coats, rounded to what you actually buy.Tile CalculatorTiles, boxes, grout and thinset for a floor, shower or backsplash, with waste set by layout (straight, diagonal or herringbone).Project: Refresh a BathroomAll the calculators for this job in order.

Common room sizes

Drag to change the size
12 × 14 ft168 ft²
12 × 14 ft room19 sheets
5 × 8 ft15 × 20 ft

Drag the corner of the shape or the slider. Grid squares are 2 ft. Tap a result to load it into the calculator.