Cost guide · Drywall
How many sheets of drywall for a 12x12 room?
17 sheets of 4 × 8 drywall cover the walls and ceiling of a 12 × 12 room with 8 ft walls, one door and one window, including 10% waste. Walls only, it is 12 sheets. Finishing takes 2 buckets of joint compound, 1 roll of tape and 1 box of screws. Materials come to about $339.00.
Prices Ballpark U.S. home-center figures, not quotes. Default price list reviewed . Enter local prices in the calculator for a tighter number.
Materials takeoff
How many sheets of drywall for a 12x12 room? · https://estimahome.com/guides/drywall-sheets-12x12-room/
Room length: 12 ftRoom width: 12 ftWall height: 8 ftHang the ceiling: YesDoors: 1 eaWindows: 1 ea
- Wall area
- 348 sq ft
- Ceiling
- 144 sq ft
- Total area
- 492 sq ft
- Compound
- 4.6 gal
| No. | Item | Qty | Unit | Unit cost | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drywall, 4 × 8 ft, 1/2 in | 17 | sheet | $16.00 | $272.00 |
| 2 | Joint compound, 4.5 gal | 2 | ea | $20.00 | $40.00 |
| 3 | Paper tape, 250 ft | 1 | roll | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| 4 | Drywall screws (544 pcs) | 1 | box | $22.00 | $22.00 |
- Subtotal
- $339.00
- Likely range
- $288.15 – $389.85
- Ceilings and walls over 8 ft often go faster with 4 × 12 sheets (fewer seams).
- Not included: corner bead, sanding supplies, moisture-resistant board for wet areas.
Buy these materials
- 17 4 × 8 drywall sheetsAmazon search for 4 × 8 drywall sheets (opens in new tab)
- 2 buckets of joint compoundAmazon search for buckets of joint compound (opens in new tab)
- 1 roll of drywall tapeAmazon search for rolls of drywall tape (opens in new tab)
- 1 box of drywall screwsAmazon search for boxes of drywall screws (opens in new tab)
Links open a store search for each item. Check sizes and grades against your plan.
Open the drywall calculator with these inputsChange any measurement, assumption or price and the takeoff updates.
How the numbers work
- Walls: 2 × (12 + 12) × 8 = 384 sq ft, less 1 door (21 sq ft) and 1 window (15 sq ft) = 348 sq ft.
- Ceiling: 12 × 12 = 144 sq ft. Total 492 sq ft.
- Sheets: 492 × 1.1 ÷ 32 sq ft = 16.91, rounded up to 17.
- Compound: 492 ÷ 1,000 × 9.4 gal = 4.62 gal, so 2 buckets of 4.5 gal.
- Tape: 182 ft, 1 roll. Screws: 17 × 32 = 544, 1 box.
- Cost: 17 × $16.00 + 2 × $20.00 + 1 × $5.00 + 1 × $22.00 = $339.00.
Comparison
| Room | Walls only | Walls + ceiling | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | 10 | 14 | $271.00 |
| 12 × 12 ft | 12 | 17 | $339.00 |
| 12 × 14 ft | 14 | 19 | $371.00 |
| 14 × 16 ft | 16 | 23 | $435.00 |
Each row is a separate run of the Drywall Calculator at default prices. The highlighted row is the project above.
What changes the cost
- Sheet size
- 4 × 12 sheets mean fewer butt joints to tape, and this room drops to 12 sheets. They are heavy and need two people; 4 × 8 is easier alone and on ceilings.
- Board type
- The $16.00 default is standard 1/2 in board. Moisture-resistant board for baths, 5/8 in Type X where code calls for fire separation, and lightweight board all cost more per sheet.
- Waste factor
- 10% covers cutouts and offcuts. Rooms with many openings, soffits or angled ceilings run higher.
- What is not counted
- Corner bead, sanding sponges or screens, primer, and any framing repairs. Plan one stick of corner bead per outside corner.
- Labor versus DIY
- These are register prices for doing the work yourself. A contractor's bid adds labor, equipment, overhead, permit fees where they apply, and markup on materials, so it will run well above this figure. Get two or three written bids against the same plan and compare the material lists line by line. Hanging is quick to learn. Taping and finishing is where pros earn their money: three coats with drying time between them means several trips over several days.
- Regional prices
- Default prices are ballpark U.S. home-center figures. Expect them to differ by region, season, brand and grade. Enter your store's prices in the calculator and every quantity on this page reprices.
Questions
How many sheets of drywall for a 12x12 ceiling?
The ceiling is 144 sq ft: 5 sheets of 4 × 8 with 10% waste, or 4 sheets of 4 × 12.
How much joint compound for a 12x12 room?
About 4.62 gal for walls and ceiling over three coats, so 2 buckets of 4.5 gal.
Do I subtract doors and windows?
For a closer count, yes. Many hangers subtract only large openings, since small window cutouts are rarely reusable. These figures subtract both and add 10% waste.
Figures computed with the Drywall Calculator and the default price list (/api/prices.json, reviewed October 20, 2026). Quantities are rounded up to what stores sell. Updated 2026-10-20.