How Much Drywall for 1,600 Square Feet?
Drywall sheets
55 sheets
1,600 square feet of board, 4 by 8 sheets, ten percent waste.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Total area to cover1600 sq ft
- Sheet size4 x 8 ft, 32 sq ft
- Waste allowance10 %
Drywall sheets55 sheets
| Area with 10% waste | 1,760 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Sheets at 32 sq ft | 55 |
| Joint compound, 4.5 gal buckets | 4 |
| Joint tape | 669 lf |
| Screws | 1,760 (about 6 lb) |
| Corner bead, rough guess | 106 lf |
The material list this produces
| Drywall sheets | 55 |
|---|---|
| Joint compound, 4.5 gal buckets | 4 |
| Joint tape, linear ft | 669 |
| Drywall screws, lb | 6 |
Sheet size compared
Longer sheets mean fewer butt joints and less taping. Same area, three sheet sizes.
| Sheet size | Drywall sheets |
|---|---|
| 4 x 8 ft | 55 sheets |
| 4 x 10 ft | 44 sheets |
| 4 x 12 ft | 37 sheets |
What else matters here
Fifty five sheets. A two person crew hangs that in a day on open work and considerably slower in a cut up house, and then the finishing takes the rest of the week.
That split surprises people planning their own schedule. Hanging is fast and finishing is slow, because finishing is three coats and each coat has to dry. Tape and bed one day, second coat the next, third coat the day after, then sand. Four days minimum with good drying conditions and longer in a cold basement in February.
Which is why a dehumidifier and some heat are real line items on a winter job rather than a comfort. Compound dries by evaporation and a room at fifty degrees with no air movement can leave a coat wet overnight, which does not just cost a day, it invites the next coat to go on over something that is still shrinking.
What this calculator assumes
- Joint compound is figured at one 4.5 gallon bucket per 475 sq ft of board for a full three coat finish. A level 5 finish uses more.
- Tape is figured at 380 linear feet per 1000 sq ft of board, screws at 32 per sheet for 16 inch on center framing.
- Longer sheets mean fewer butt joints, which is less taping and a flatter wall. Use 12 footers where they will fit through the door.
Questions people ask
How many sheets of drywall for 1,600 square feet?
Fifty five sheets of 4 by 8 with a ten percent waste allowance, covering 1,760 square feet of board.
How long does drywall finishing take?
Three coats with drying time between each, so four days at a minimum in good conditions, and longer in a cold or damp space.
How many sheets can one person hang in a day?
It depends entirely on the layout. Open ceilings and long walls go fast, a cut up house with closets and soffits goes slowly, and finishing is the longer half either way.
The drywall calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.