ContractorHandbook

How Much Drywall for 900 Square Feet?

Drywall sheets

31 sheets

900 square feet of board, 4 by 8 sheets, ten percent waste.

It does not stop at a number.

When the figures look right, the drywall material list downloads as a real PDF with your business details on it, built inside your own browser. Nothing you type is uploaded anywhere.

waste10%wall and ceiling area, sq ftone sheet, 4 by 8 is 32 sq ft, 4 by 12 is 48area with waste / sheet size = sheets
Sheet size decides everything downstream. Longer sheets mean fewer sheets and fewer butt joints to tape, which is why the compound, tape and screw counts on the page all move when you change it.

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 cover900 sq ft
  • Sheet size4 x 8 ft, 32 sq ft
  • Waste allowance10 %

Drywall sheets31 sheets

Area with 10% waste990 sq ft
Sheets at 32 sq ft31
Joint compound, 4.5 gal buckets3
Joint tape377 lf
Screws992 (about 4 lb)
Corner bead, rough guess60 lf

The material list this produces

Drywall sheets31
Joint compound, 4.5 gal buckets3
Joint tape, linear ft377
Drywall screws, lb4

Sheet size compared

Longer sheets mean fewer butt joints and less taping. Same area, three sheet sizes.

Sheet sizeDrywall sheets
4 x 8 ft31 sheets
4 x 10 ft25 sheets
4 x 12 ft21 sheets

What else matters here

Thirty one sheets and three buckets.

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 900 square feet?

Thirty one sheets of 4 by 8 with a ten percent waste allowance.

Different numbers?

The drywall calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.

Other common sizes

15 more sizes are answered on the drywall calculator page