Drywall for a 12 × 13 ft room
With 8 ft ceilings, the walls are 400 ft² and the ceiling 156 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 | 400 ft² | 14 | 10 | 4.0 gal | 148 ft |
| Walls and ceiling | 556 ft² | 20 | 13 | 5.6 gal | 206 ft |
| Ceiling only | 156 ft² | 6 | 4 | 1.6 gal | 58 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 20 sheets for the walls and ceiling weigh roughly 1,100 lb (0.55 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 50 ft around, which is about 42 studs at 16 inch centers (the corners add a few). Plan on roughly one screw per square foot, which is 640 screws for this order.
A 12 × 13 room: a bedroom-sized order worth having delivered
A 12 × 13 room comes to 20 sheets of 4 × 8 drywall for walls and ceiling at an 8 ft height. That is about 1,100 lb, far more than a car should carry.
Ask the supplier about delivery into the room, since carrying this many sheets through a house is where corners get crushed. Stack them flat on scrap lumber, not leaning against a wall where they bow. For the 156 sq ft ceiling, 4 × 12 sheets run along the 12 ft direction cut the number of joints, and the whole room in that size is 13 sheets.
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Tools & materials for this project
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Frequently asked questions
How many sheets of drywall for a 12x13 room?
20 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 12x13 room?
About 5.6 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.