Drywall for a 10 × 14 ft room
With 8 ft ceilings, the walls are 384 ft² and the ceiling 140 ft². Sheet counts include 10% waste; supplies are rules of thumb.
| What you hang | Area | 4×8 sheets | 4×12 sheets | Joint compound | Joint tape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walls only | 384 ft² | 14 | 9 | 3.8 gal | 142 ft |
| Walls and ceiling | 524 ft² | 19 | 13 | 5.2 gal | 194 ft |
| Ceiling only | 140 ft² | 5 | 4 | 1.4 gal | 52 ft |
Hanging tips
Hang the ceiling first, then the walls, running sheets horizontally. Stagger the joints, use about one screw per square foot, and tape and mud every seam in three coats. Use moisture-resistant board in bathrooms and fire-rated (5/8 in Type X) in garages and next to furnaces. See the drywall calculator to adjust for your ceilings.
Hauling, studs and screws
A ½ inch 4 × 8 sheet weighs about 55 lb, so the 19 sheets for the walls and ceiling weigh roughly 1,045 lb (0.52 tons). Most pickups can take a few sheets flat, but a full order is a delivery, or several trips. Carry them on edge, and use a helper.
The walls are 48 ft around, which is about 40 studs at 16 inch centers (the corners add a few). Plan on roughly one screw per square foot, which is 608 screws for this order.
A 10 × 14 room: the ceiling is the hard part
A 10 × 14 room needs 19 sheets of 4 × 8 drywall for the walls and ceiling at 8 ft, which is about 1,045 lb of board. The walls alone are 14 sheets.
A 140 sq ft ceiling is too much to hold up by hand while someone else drives screws. Rent a drywall lift for the day or build two T-braces from scrap lumber to prop each sheet. On the 14 ft walls, stagger the butt joints between the upper and lower courses by at least one stud bay so a crack cannot run the full height.
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Tools & materials for this project
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Frequently asked questions
How many sheets of drywall for a 10x14 room?
19 sheets of 4 × 8 ft for the walls and ceiling with 8 ft ceilings and 10% waste, or 14 for the walls only. With 4 × 12 ft sheets it is 13 for both.
How much joint compound for a 10x14 room?
About 5.2 gallons for the walls and ceiling as a rule of thumb (1 gallon per 100 ft²), so buy 2 boxes of 4.5 gallons.
Do I subtract windows and doors for drywall?
Not usually. The cut-outs are offset by the waste allowance, and you need the cutoffs for filling around openings.
Related sizes and guides
Estimates only. Results assume standard materials and simple shapes. Supplier products vary, and the final call on quantity, structure and safety is yours. Check your local code and your supplier's guidance before ordering.