Drywall for a 9 × 10 ft room
With 8 ft ceilings, the walls are 304 ft² and the ceiling 90 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 | 304 ft² | 11 | 7 | 3.0 gal | 112 ft |
| Walls and ceiling | 394 ft² | 14 | 10 | 3.9 gal | 146 ft |
| Ceiling only | 90 ft² | 4 | 3 | 0.9 gal | 33 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 14 sheets for the walls and ceiling weigh roughly 770 lb (0.39 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 38 ft around, which is about 33 studs at 16 inch centers (the corners add a few). Plan on roughly one screw per square foot, which is 448 screws for this order.
A 9 × 10 room: plan where the 9 ft walls break
A 9 × 10 room needs 14 sheets of 4 × 8 drywall for walls and ceiling at an 8 ft ceiling height, and 11 if the ceiling stays as it is.
Nine feet is one foot more than a sheet, so each 9 ft wall gets a butt joint or a narrow filler strip. Put that joint above a door or under a window where most of it is cut away, not in the middle of the wall at eye level. Buying 4 × 12 sheets instead (10 for the whole room) spans those walls in one piece, if you can get them into the room.
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Tools & materials for this project
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Frequently asked questions
How many sheets of drywall for a 9x10 room?
14 sheets of 4 × 8 ft for the walls and ceiling with 8 ft ceilings and 10% waste, or 11 for the walls only. With 4 × 12 ft sheets it is 10 for both.
How much joint compound for a 9x10 room?
About 3.9 gallons for the walls and ceiling as a rule of thumb (1 gallon per 100 ft²), so one 4.5 gallon box is enough.
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.