Drywall Calculator
Sheets, screws, joint tape and compound for a plasterboard job, from the area and the sheet size.
Results
Sheets to buy
15
Area of one sheet
3.0000
m²
Area counting every layer
40.000
m²
Joint tape length
49.33
m
Screws to buy
800
Compound to buy
24.000
kg
Area bought and not used
5.000
m²
Sheets for one layer
15
What this tool does
Sheets come from dividing one area by another and rounding up — the only question is how much to allow for cuts. Tape is different: it follows the joints, so it depends on which way the sheets run, and the page counts both directions. A second layer doubles everything, which is why it is a field rather than something you have to remember to multiply by hand.
Formula
sheets = ⌈area ÷ sheet area × (1 + waste)⌉ · tape = area ÷ width + area ÷ length · screws = area × density
Variables
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
ar | Area to cover | m² |
sl | Sheet length | m |
sw | Sheet width | m |
wa | Allowance for waste | % |
sd | Screws per square metre | — |
cc | Compound per square metre | kg/m² |
ly | How many layers | — |
NS | Sheets to buy | — |
SA | Area of one sheet | m² |
TA | Area counting every layer | m² |
JT | Joint tape length | m |
SC | Screws to buy | — |
CP | Compound to buy | kg |
WS | Area bought and not used | m² |
PB | Sheets for one layer | — |
Worked example
- Area to cover40 m²
- Sheet length2.5 m
- Sheet width1.2 m
- Allowance for waste10 %
- Screws per square metre20
- Compound per square metre0.6 kg/m²
- How many layers1
- Sheets to buy15
- Area of one sheet3.0000 m²
- Area counting every layer40.000 m²
- Joint tape length49.33 m
- Screws to buy800
- Compound to buy24.000 kg
- Area bought and not used5.000 m²
- Sheets for one layer15
Limitations
- The calculation runs at full precision and only the display is rounded. If you copy an intermediate value and retype it, small differences can appear.
- The result is an estimate based only on the values you type. Real situations often include factors this calculator does not know about.