How many sheets of drywall for a 12x12 room?
Check it with your own numbers
Open the Drywall Calculator with these values
| Total wall length | 48 ft |
| Wall height | 8 ft |
| Ceiling area (optional) | 144 ft² |
| Sheet size | 4 × 8 ft |
| Waste | 10 % |
| Drywall sheets | 19 |
| Screws (approx.) | 608 |
| Joint compound | 5 gal |
| Joint tape | 196 ft |
The area
Four 12 ft walls make 48 ft of wall. At 8 ft tall that is 384 ft². Add the 144 ft² ceiling and you are covering 528 ft². With 10% for cutoffs, divide by 32 ft² per sheet and round up: 19 sheets of 4x8.
We did not subtract doors and windows. Cutouts rarely save a full sheet, and the scraps cover closet returns and small patches.
Materials list
- Screws: about 608 at 1-1/4 inch, roughly a 5 lb box
- Joint compound: about 5 gallons of premixed all-purpose
- Paper tape: about 196 ft, which is one 250 ft roll
- Corner bead for every outside corner (closet openings, window returns)
Consider 12 ft sheets
This is the room size where 4x12 sheets shine. Each 12 ft wall takes exactly two sheets hung horizontally with no butt joints at all. Butt joints are the hardest seams to hide, so fewer means a better finish. Switch the sheet size to 4x12 in the calculator to see the count. The catch: a 4x12 sheet of 1/2-inch board weighs about 80 lb and will not fit up most staircases.
Ceiling board
Use 1/2-inch sag-resistant ceiling board or 5/8-inch on joists at 24 inches on center. Regular 1/2-inch can sag between framing. Hang the ceiling first so the wall sheets hold up its edges.
Rent a lift
Hanging 144 ft² of ceiling alone is miserable. A drywall lift rents for about the cost of a nice lunch and turns it into a one-person job.
Moisture areas
If this 12x12 room is a laundry or has a bathroom wall, use moisture-resistant board on the wet side.
For other sizes, use the full Drywall Calculator or browse all answers.