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Drywall Calculator

The drywall calculator determines the number of drywall panels you need to install in a room.

Leave at zero to use the dimensions above.
Four walls of a room, both sides of a partition, and so on.
Extra to cover offcuts, breakage and mistakes.
Leave at zero to skip the costing.
Clear
Sheets needed76 to cover it, plus 10% waste, rounded up
Exact requirement6 sheets
Each sheet covers32 sq ft2.9729 m²
Net area to cover192 sq ft17.8374 m²
Joint tape84 ftroughly 12 ft of tape per sheet
Screws224about 32 per sheet at 12 in centres
Joint compound0.98 cu ftabout 0.14 cu ft per sheet for taping and finishing

The method

sheets = area ÷ sheet area, plus waste

Sheets do not divide neatly

A 4 × 8 sheet covers 32 square feet, so a 10 × 12 foot ceiling needs 3.75 sheets — meaning four, with a quarter sheet left over. That rounding, not the waste allowance, is usually the bigger part of what you buy spare.

The waste percentage covers cuts around openings and mistakes. Ten per cent is the usual starting point; go higher for a room with many windows, angles or a stairwell.