Drywall Installation Cost Calculator
Installed cost to hang, tape and finish to a level 4 (paint-ready) finish. Level 5 skim coat, ⅝″ fire-rated board, high ceilings and small jobs cost more per square foot.
Order 19 sheets — use 4 × 12 sheets on long walls to cut the number of butt joints.
- Wall + ceiling area
- 528 ft²
- Waste / cuts 10%
- + 53 ft²
- Coverage to buy
- 581 ft²
- Metric
- 49.1 m²
- 4 × 8 ft sheets (32 ft²)
- 19
- 4 × 12 ft sheets (48 ft²)
- 13
- Approx. weight
- 1,026 lb
- Joint compound, 4.5 gal bucket
- 2 buckets
- Paper tape, 250 ft roll
- 1 rolls
- Drywall screws 1¼″, lb
- 2 lb
- Corner bead, 8 ft
- 2 pcs
- Drywall, ½″ × 4×819 sheets
- Joint compound, 4.5 gal2 buckets
- Paper tape, 250 ft1 rolls
- Drywall screws, 1¼″2 lb
Quantities follow the ticket. Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you; they never change a number.
Get 3 quotes for this drywall job
The estimate above is a national range. A local drywall & interior contractor who sees your site can give you a firm price, and comparing 3 bids is the single biggest lever on what you pay. Tell us where the job is and we will match you with up to 3 contractors who serve your ZIP.
- Your quantities and this estimate go with the request, so you are not starting over.
- No account, no app. Contractors call or text you directly.
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How to calculate drywall by hand
Area = 2 × (L + W) × H + L × W (ceiling) · Sheets = area × (1 + waste) ÷ 32
Worked example
- Walls: 2 × (12 + 12) × 8 = 384 ft² · Ceiling: 12 × 12 = 144 ft² → 528 ft².
- Waste 10%: 528 × 1.10 = 581 ft².
- Sheets: 581 ÷ 32 = 18.2 → 19 sheets of 4 × 8 (or 13 of 4 × 12).
- Finishing: 2 buckets of compound, 1 roll of tape, 2 lb of screws, 2 corner beads.
- 4 × 8 sheet
- 32 ft² · ½″ = 54 lb
- 4 × 12 sheet
- 48 ft² · ½″ = 82 lb
- Joint compound
- ≈ 1 gal per 100 ft²
- Screws
- ≈ 1 lb per 300 ft² (16″ o.c.)
How we price this
The low, typical and high columns are the 20th, 50th and 80th percentile of published us national averages for ½″ drywall, 4 × 8, delivery and labor. They are estimates for budgeting, not quotes — enter your own supplier and crew prices above to replace them. Ranges are re-checked monthly; see the methodology page for how every number on this site is derived.
- HomeAdvisor cost guides — drywall installation $/ft² hung and finished
- Home Depot / Lowe’s drywall pricing — per-sheet, compound and tape prices
Questions crews ask
How much does drywall installation cost per square foot?
$2–$4 per ft² installed and finished (material about $0.50 of that) — $1,000–$2,100 for a 12 × 12 room with ceiling. Crews often quote per sheet: $60–$100 hung and finished.
How much does it cost to drywall a whole house?
$10,000–$30,000 for a 2,000 ft² house (roughly 6,000–8,000 ft² of board), depending on ceiling heights, finish level and region. Garages and basements are at the low end per square foot because the rooms are big and square.
Is it cheaper to hang drywall yourself?
Hanging, yes — a sheet costs $12–$22 and two people can hang a room in an afternoon. Finishing is where amateurs lose: a pro taper does in one pass what takes a first-timer three, and the result shows under paint. Many DIYers hang and hire the finish.