🧱 Drywall & Plasterboard Calculator
Enter the wall or ceiling area and your sheet size, add a waste allowance, and get the number of drywall sheets to buy.
Sheets to buy
3
incl. 12% waste
Before waste
1.9
32 sq ft/sheet
Joint compound (approx)
3 lb
Sheets = area ÷ sheet area, + waste (~10–15%). Compound estimate is approximate — check product coverage. 🔒 In your browser.
How the drywall & plasterboard calculator works
The tool divides the total area by the area of one sheet, then adds a waste percentage for cuts and offcuts. A standard sheet is 4 × 8 ft (32 sq ft ≈ 2.97 m²), though 4 × 12 ft and 1.2 × 2.4 m sheets are also common — enter your sheet size.
Allow about 10–15% waste for cuts around doors, windows and corners. Buy a spare sheet or two — a single damaged board mid-job is annoying, and offcuts are handy for patches.
Frequently asked questions
How many sheets of drywall do I need?
Divide the wall and ceiling area by the area of one sheet, then add ~10–15% for waste. For 60 m² with 2.97 m² sheets: 60 ÷ 2.97 ≈ 21 sheets, plus waste ≈ 23–24.
What size is a standard drywall sheet?
In the US, 4 × 8 ft (32 sq ft); 4 × 12 ft is common for pros. In the UK/EU, plasterboard is often 1.2 × 2.4 m (2.88 m²). Enter your sheet size.
How much waste should I allow?
About 10% for simple rooms, up to 15% for rooms with many openings, angles or short walls where offcuts can’t be reused.
Do I count the ceiling?
Yes if you’re boarding it — add the ceiling area (length × width) to the wall area before dividing by the sheet size.
How much joint compound and tape do I need?
As a rough guide, about 0.5 kg of compound and 1 m of tape per m² of drywall, but this varies with the number of joints and coats.