How Much Drywall for 900 Square Feet?
Drywall sheets
31 sheets
900 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 cover900 sq ft
- Sheet size4 x 8 ft, 32 sq ft
- Waste allowance10 %
Drywall sheets31 sheets
| Area with 10% waste | 990 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Sheets at 32 sq ft | 31 |
| Joint compound, 4.5 gal buckets | 3 |
| Joint tape | 377 lf |
| Screws | 992 (about 4 lb) |
| Corner bead, rough guess | 60 lf |
The material list this produces
| Drywall sheets | 31 |
|---|---|
| Joint compound, 4.5 gal buckets | 3 |
| Joint tape, linear ft | 377 |
| Drywall screws, lb | 4 |
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 | 31 sheets |
| 4 x 10 ft | 25 sheets |
| 4 x 12 ft | 21 sheets |
What else matters here
Thirty one sheets and three buckets. At this size the order is a day's hanging for two people, and the order it goes up in is what decides how the finishing goes.
Ceilings first, always. The wall sheets then push up under the ceiling board and hold its edge, which is the difference between a tight corner and a gap you fill with compound. Run the ceiling sheets perpendicular to the joists so each one crosses several of them.
Then the walls, horizontally, top row first. The top row goes tight to the ceiling and the bottom row gets pushed up tight against it with a foot lifter, which puts the whole gap at the floor where the baseboard covers it. A half inch gap at the bottom is correct and expected. A half inch gap at the ceiling is a repair.
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, covering 990 square feet of board.
Do you hang the ceiling or the walls first?
Ceiling first. The top row of wall board then supports the ceiling edge, which closes the corner tight instead of leaving a gap to fill.
Which way should ceiling drywall run?
Perpendicular to the joists, so each sheet crosses several of them and the joints land on framing rather than following it.
The drywall calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.