Drywall Calculator - Sheets, Tape & Joint Compound for One Room

The Drywall Material Calculator determines every major supply you need to finish a rectangular room. Enter the room's size, pick your board dimensions, and subtract window or door openings - the tool returns precise totals for ceiling and wall boards plus all finishing materials.

Note: There is no allowance for waste calculated in the results
Need to calculate insulation, poly, and sealant for exterior walls? 
     Use the Exterior Wall Insulation, Poly Roll & Sealant Calculator - estimates material quantities for framed walls with window and door openings.
Need to know how many gallons of paint to buy? 
     Try the Wall Paint Calculator - Imperial - includes coverage area, wall openings, and coats.
Looking to install a suspended ceiling in a basement or office? 
     The Suspended Ceiling Material Calculator covers everything from tile size to support anchors.

Drywall One Room

Room Length ft in
Room Width ft in
Wall Height ft in
Board Sizelength: ft
width: ft
Wall Opening's Square Footage ft²

Results:

Ceiling Square Footage ft²
Walls Square Footage ft²
# of Boards Needed for Ceiling #
# of Boards Needed for Walls #
Lenght of Tape Needed ft
Number of Screws #
Ready-Mixed Joint Compounds lbs
Lightweight All Purpose Joint Compound gal

Calculator

  1. the length of the room in feet and or inches
  2. the width of the room in feet and or inches
  3. the wall height in feet and or inches
  4. the size of the board you are using. (Preset @ 8' x 4' but can be changed.)
  5. combined square footage of wall and ceiling openings in square feet

Results

  1. square footage of the ceiling
  2. square footage of all the walls
  3. number of boards needed for the ceiling
  4. number of boards needed for the walls
  5. necessary length of tape for the joints
  6. amount of screws needed
  7. ready mixed joint compounds
  8. lightweight all-purpose joint compound

  • To get a reasonable estimate for the boards needed and reduce the number of joints, measure a wall for the board of the best fitting size. If you have a 10' long wall with a height of 8', you should use two 4'x10' boards. If that same wall has a 9' height, then look at using two boards with a width of 4'6" (54") and thus eliminating one additional joint lengthwise.
  • The square footage of openings allows you to subtract areas that do not need boarding. Only subtract large openings and ignore the smaller ones.
  • Wall and ceiling results are kept separate as often; the ceiling will require a different board thickness.
  • The amount of tape needed is calculated from the number of joints that need taping.
  • The amount of screws needed is based on an average of 1 screw per square foot of wall area and 1.25 per square foot of ceiling area.
  • Ready-mixed joint compounds are the standard compounds and come ready-made in three types. One is specially designed for covering the tape, and one for topping, or you can use an all-purpose one. The calculation for these compounds is based on 64 lbs per 450 square feet of board.
  • The lightweight all-purpose joint compound does it all from start to finish and is easier to work with. The calculation is based on 5 gallons for 450 square feet of board.

These quick totals help contractors price a job, and DIYers create an accurate shopping list - no manual take-offs or spreadsheet formulas required.

Interior Finishing

Board and Tape
Ceiling Tiles
Flooring
Insulation
Paint and Wallpaper
Spindles
Tiles
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