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Contractors & trades / Drywall Calculator

Drywall Calculator

Count the drywall sheets, mud and tape for a room, then work out the install cost: a price to quote with labor and markup, and what that comes to per square foot.

Enter a number from 0 to 10000

Add up every wall to be covered. A 12 × 10 ft room is 44 ft.

Enter a number from 0 to 100

Enter a number from 0 to 100000

Room length × width. 0 if you're not hanging the ceiling.

Enter a number from 0 to 100000

Many pros leave small openings in as waste allowance. A 3 ft × 6 ft 8 in door is 20 sq ft.

%

Enter a number from 0 to 100%

10% is typical; 15% for rooms with lots of corners and cut-outs.

$

Enter a number from 0 to 500

For the sheet size picked above.

Enter a number from 0 to 5000

USG lists about 9–10 gallons of ready-mixed compound per 1,000 sq ft of board, so one 4.5-gal pail covers roughly 450–500 sq ft.

$

Enter a number from 0 to 500

On: the answer is the price to quote. Off: the material list only.

Enter a number from 0 to 10000

$

Enter a number from 0 to 1000

$

Enter a number from 0 to 1000

Use instead of hours or on top of them. 0 to skip.

%

Enter a number from 0 to 500%

Covers overhead and profit. A 25% markup is a 20% margin.

Price to quote
$1,191.60
17 sheetsDrywall sheets
$2.52per sq ft installed
1 bucketmud
$0job price $1,191.60
  • Materials
  • Labor
  • Profit
Area to cover · walls + ceiling472 sq ft
With waste · +10%519.2 sq ft
Sheets (4 × 8 ft) · × $15.00 = $255.0017
Joint compound · × $18.00 = $18.001 bucket
Joint tape175 ft
Materials$273.00
Labor · 16 h × $45.00$720.00
Markup · 20.0% on cost = 16.7% margin$198.60
Price to quote$1,191.60
Price per sq ft · $1,191.60 ÷ 472 sq ft$2.52

Screws, corner bead and primer are not included. Add them to the material cost or allow for them in your markup.

Turn this into a quote

A one-page PDF for your customer, filled in from the numbers above. Your markup isn't shown.

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How the drywall calculation works

  1. Add up walls and ceiling

    Wall length × height plus the ceiling. A 12 × 10 ft room with 8 ft walls is 352 sq ft of wall and 120 sq ft of ceiling, 472 sq ft in total.

  2. Add waste and divide by the sheet size

    472 sq ft plus 10% waste is 519.2 sq ft. At 32 sq ft per 4 × 8 sheet that is 16.2, so you buy 17 sheets.

  3. Estimate mud and tape from the board area

    USG lists about 9–10 gallons of ready-mixed compound and about 370 ft of paper tape per 1,000 sq ft of board. At 480 sq ft per 4.5-gal bucket, 472 sq ft needs one bucket and about 175 ft of tape.

  4. Add labor and markup for the quote

    Enter your hours and rate, or a price per sq ft for hanging and finishing, then a markup to cover overhead and profit.

  5. Check the installed cost per square foot

    Divide the price by the board area. $1,191.60 for 472 sq ft is $2.52 per sq ft installed, materials included. Compare it with what you or local installers charge per sq ft.

Worked example. A 12 × 10 ft room with 8 ft walls and the ceiling is 472 sq ft. With 10% waste you need 17 sheets of 4 × 8 at $15 ($255), one bucket of mud ($18) and about 175 ft of tape. Materials come to $273. Add 16 hours at $45 ($720) and a 20% markup ($198.60) and the price to quote is $1,191.60, or $2.52 per sq ft installed.

Drywall FAQ

How many sheets of drywall do I need?

Divide the wall and ceiling area by the sheet size, after adding 10–15% for waste. A 4 × 8 sheet covers 32 sq ft, so 472 sq ft plus 10% needs 17 sheets.

How much drywall mud do I need?

USG lists about 9–10 gallons of ready-mixed all-purpose compound per 1,000 sq ft of board (about 10 gallons for its conventional-weight mix). That is about two 4.5-gal buckets per 1,000 sq ft. A higher finish level, skim coating or heavy texture uses more.

How much drywall tape do I need?

USG lists about 370 ft of paper tape per 1,000 sq ft of drywall. Its rolls come in 75, 250 and 500 ft lengths, so a 472 sq ft room (about 175 ft) needs one 250 ft roll.

How much does drywall installation cost per square foot?

Divide the full price (board, mud, tape, labor and markup) by the square feet of board. The calculator shows it as the price per sq ft installed. It depends most on your labor rate, the finish level and local material prices, so work it out from your own numbers.

Should I quote drywall by the hour or per square foot?

Many installers quote per sq ft of board, often split into hanging and finishing. Enter a labor price per sq ft instead of hours to see the total; enter both to compare.

How do I price a drywall installation job?

Add sheets, mud, tape and fasteners, then labor for hanging and finishing, then your markup. Many contractors quote per sq ft of board; enter that as labor per sq ft to compare it with an hourly estimate.

How much does it cost to drywall a room?

It depends on board and mud prices and your labor. With the default inputs, a 12 × 10 ft room with 8 ft walls and the ceiling (472 sq ft) comes to $273 in materials, $720 in labor and $1,191.60 with a 20% markup. Enter your own prices to get your number.

Is Sheetrock the same as drywall?

Sheetrock is a USG brand name for gypsum drywall panels, so a Sheetrock calculator and a drywall calculator do the same job. The sheet count, mud and tape work the same for any brand of gypsum board.

Should I use 4 × 8 or 4 × 12 sheets?

Longer sheets mean fewer joints to tape and finish, which saves labor, but they are heavier and harder to carry in. 4 × 8 is easier for small rooms, ceilings worked alone and tight stairways.

Do I subtract doors and windows from drywall square footage?

Subtract large openings such as garage doors or big windows. Many installers leave standard doors and windows in, because the offcuts rarely get reused and it works as extra waste allowance.

Sources: USG Sheetrock All Purpose Joint Compound submittal sheet (J1969): coverage and pail size · USG Sheetrock UltraLightweight Joint Compound submittal sheet (J2051): 9–10 gal per 1,000 sq ft · USG Sheetrock Paper Joint Tape submittal sheet (J1736): 370 ft per 1,000 sq ft, roll lengths

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