Drywall Calculator

Area to board, m²

Sheet width, m

Sheet length, m

Layers

Stud spacing, m

Result

Sheet area, m²3
Sheets13
Framing, m68.8
Screws1,050
Jointing compound, kg42
Scrim tape, m52.5

Not just the boards

Board count including cutting waste, metres of framing, screws, jointing compound and scrim tape.

You always need more boards than a straight division suggests: about ten percent goes to cutting, because a standard 1.2 by 2.5 m sheet rarely fits a room without a remainder.

What gets forgotten is everything else. At 600 mm centres, framing runs to roughly 1.3 linear metres per square metre once uprights and tracks are counted, screws to about thirty, and jointing compound for seams and screw heads to over a kilogram.

What this calculator shows

Board count for your sheet size and number of layers
Linear metres of framing at your chosen spacing
Screws, jointing compound and scrim tape

What to keep in mind

Ten percent is allowed for cutting, which suits a simple room. Add five more where there are many openings and niches.
The compound figure covers seams and fixings only, not a skim coat over the whole surface.

FAQs

What framing spacing should I use?

600 mm for walls and ceilings to be painted, 400 mm where shelves will hang or tile will go on. Wider than 600 and the board flexes.

When do I need two layers?

In partitions for acoustic performance, under heavy finishes and where fire resistance is required. The second layer always goes on with staggered joints.

How many screws per board?

About 60 to 70, at 250 mm centres along edges and 300 mm in the field. That is roughly thirty per square metre.

Which board goes in a bathroom?

Moisture-resistant board. It is not waterproof, though — inside a shower enclosure, cement board or tile backer is the right choice.

Worked example

Single-layer wall lining

Input: 35 m², 1.2 × 2.5 m boards, one layer, 0.6 m centres

Output: 13 boards, 69 m of framing, 1,050 screws

Note: Thirteen boards against a bare 11.7 is exactly that ten percent. Buy a couple of extra framing lengths — short offcuts are seldom usable.

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Drywall Calculator

Result

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