Rooms
Labor
How the numbers are worked out
Wall area = room perimeter × ceiling height; ceiling area = length × width (if you hang it). Net area = walls + ceiling for both rooms, minus doors and windows. Sheets to order = net area × (1 + waste %) ÷ sheet area, rounded up. Material is priced per sheet; hanging and finishing is priced on the net area you actually cover. Texture, patches and haul-away are separate lines. If the total is below your minimum job charge, a minimum charge adjustment brings it up to the minimum.
Example with the defaults: a 14 × 12 ft room with 8 ft walls has 2 × (14 + 12) × 8 = 416 sq ft of wall and 168 sq ft of ceiling, 584 sq ft in total. After deducting 40 sq ft of openings, the net area is 544 sq ft. With 10% waste that is 598.4 sq ft, or 19 sheets of 4 × 8. Material 19 × $14 is $266 and hanging and finishing 544 × $2.25 is $1,224, so the job comes to $1,490.00 before tax. Rates are examples; use your own.
Tips for drywall estimates
- Quote hanging and finishing separately from texture, and say the finish level (for example level 4 for paint-ready walls).
- Ceilings are slower than walls. If your rate differs, run the calculator twice or add a ceiling surcharge line in the estimate.
- Price patches and repairs per patch, not per square foot; a small hole costs almost as much to visit as a large one.
- Check your rates cover your costs and target margin with the job price calculator and fine-tune waste with the material waste calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many sheets of drywall do I need?
Add up the wall area (perimeter times ceiling height) and the ceiling area (length times width) if you are hanging the ceiling, subtract doors and windows, add a waste allowance, then divide by the area of one sheet: 32 sq ft for a 4x8 sheet, 48 sq ft for a 4x12. Round up to whole sheets.
How much waste should I allow for drywall?
Roughly 10 percent is a common allowance for ordinary rooms; rooms with many cuts, angles or stairwells can need 15 percent or more. Longer sheets mean fewer seams but are harder to carry. The 10 percent default here is an example, not a rule.
How do drywall contractors price a job?
Most quote a price per square foot for hanging and finishing (taping and mudding), sometimes per sheet, plus material, and separate lines for texture, patches and repairs, ceiling work and haul-away. Prices vary by region and finish level, so the defaults here are examples, not market prices.
Can I send this as an estimate?
Yes. Click Turn into an estimate. Sheets, hang and finish, texture, patches and haul-away become line items in the free Estimate & Invoice Maker, where you add your logo and customer details and download a PDF. Your business details from earlier drafts are kept.
Estimates for planning only. Rates shown are examples, not market prices; use your own.
Related: Free drywall estimate template · Painting estimate calculator · Job price calculator