Drywall for a 13 × 13 ft room
With 8 ft ceilings, the walls are 416 ft² and the ceiling 169 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 | 416 ft² | 15 | 10 | 4.2 gal | 154 ft |
| Walls and ceiling | 585 ft² | 21 | 14 | 5.9 gal | 216 ft |
| Ceiling only | 169 ft² | 6 | 4 | 1.7 gal | 63 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 21 sheets for the walls and ceiling weigh roughly 1,155 lb (0.58 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 52 ft around, which is about 43 studs at 16 inch centers (the corners add a few). Plan on roughly one screw per square foot, which is 672 screws for this order.
A 13 × 13 room: check the joists before you plan the ceiling
A 13 × 13 room comes to 21 sheets of 4 × 8 drywall for walls and ceiling at 8 ft, which is about 1,155 lb, and 15 sheets if you are doing the walls only.
In a square room the ceiling sheets can run either way, so let the framing decide: hang them across the joists, and find out the joist spacing first because wider spacing calls for thicker ceiling board. The 169 sq ft ceiling is about 5.3 sheets of area before waste. Thirteen feet is past a 12 ft sheet in both directions, so 4 × 12 board (14 sheets for the room) still leaves a one-foot strip on every run; plan those strips into the corners furthest from the door.
Want to change anything else? The calculator above is the full Drywall Calculator: edit any number and the results update instantly.
Tools & materials for this project
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Frequently asked questions
How many sheets of drywall for a 13x13 room?
21 sheets of 4 × 8 ft for the walls and ceiling with 8 ft ceilings and 10% waste, or 15 for the walls only. With 4 × 12 ft sheets it is 14 for both.
How much joint compound for a 13x13 room?
About 5.9 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.