calcs.homes
calcs.homes
Enter the wall and ceiling area and pick a sheet size, and this drywall calculator returns the number of sheets to buy, a screw estimate, and a material cost.
Estimate only — corners, closets, and around openings raise real sheet counts on cut-up rooms.
We add wall and ceiling area, apply a waste allowance, and divide by the area of one sheet — 32 sq ft for a 4x8, 48 sq ft for a 4x12 — then round up. Longer sheets cut the number of butt joints you have to tape, which is why hangers prefer 12-foot board on long walls even though it is heavier to handle.
The screw estimate assumes roughly one pound of drywall screws per two sheets, which covers a standard 12-inch field pattern on walls and 12-inch on ceilings. Buy 10% more board than the bare area for a plain room, and closer to 15% for a room full of closets, short walls, and openings where offcuts pile up.
Add your wall and ceiling square footage, add about 10% for waste, and divide by 32 for 4x8 sheets or 48 for 4x12 sheets.
4x8 is easier to carry and fit through doorways. 4x12 covers 8-foot walls with one horizontal sheet and far fewer butt joints, so pros use it where access allows.
About 32 for a wall sheet and 36–40 for a ceiling sheet at 12-inch spacing — roughly one pound of screws for every two sheets.