15×12 room, 8 ft ceiling
- Total area ≈ 768 sq ft
- Sheets ≈ 26.4 (≈ 29 with buffer)
construction calculator
Drywall Calculator
Estimate total drywall area and sheet counts for finished rooms.
Results
- Total drywall area (sq ft)
- 576.00
- 4×8 sheets (incl. 10% extra)
- 19.80
How to use this calculator
- Enter room length, width, and ceiling height.
- Enter total door and window area to subtract.
- We calculate wall + ceiling area, add 10% waste, and divide by 32 sq ft per 4×8 sheet.
Inputs explained
- Room length/width
- Room footprint in feet.
- Ceiling height
- Finished ceiling height in feet.
- Door/window area
- Total square footage of openings to subtract from wall area.
How it works
Wall area = 2 × (L + W) × height minus door/window openings. Add ceiling area to cover the lid.
Total sheets = total area ÷ 32 (for 4×8 sheets) with 10% extra included.
Formula
Total area = 2(L+W)H − openings + (L × W)
When to use it
- Estimating drywall sheets for a new room or renovation.
- Including ceiling coverage in one quick calculation.
- Budgeting materials with a built-in waste factor.
Tips & cautions
- If using 4×12 sheets, adjust coverage to 48 sq ft and recalc manually.
- Increase waste for lots of corners, soffits, or complex layouts.
- Calculate closets or bump-outs separately and add to totals.
- Assumes rectangular rooms; complex shapes need segmentation.
- Fixed 10% waste baked into sheet output—adjust manually if you need more/less.
- Single-layer coverage; double layers require multiplying totals accordingly.
Worked examples
Add closet bump-out
- Measure closet walls separately and add to the totals.
Deep dive
This drywall calculator sums wall and ceiling area, subtracts openings, and adds 10% waste to estimate 4×8 sheet counts. Enter room dimensions and openings to size your drywall order.
Adjust waste or sheet size as needed for complex layouts or 4×12 sheets, and add layers if your assembly requires multiple passes.
FAQs
- Can I use 4×12 sheets?
- Yes—adjust sheet coverage to 48 sq ft if you prefer longer sheets to reduce seams.
- Does this include double layers?
- No. Multiply totals by the number of layers required for fire-rated assemblies.
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