Drywall · 20×20 room
How much drywall do I need for a 20×20 room?
36 sheets
A 20×20 room is 400 square feet. With 8 ft ceilings, you need about 36 sheets of drywall. That uses standard defaults (ceiling height 8, sheet size 4 × 8 ft (32 SF), waste 10%); adjust them below.
Full material list for a 20×20 room
- Sheets (with waste)
- 36 sheets
- Drywall area
- 1,040 SF (walls 640 + ceiling 400)
- Joint compound
- 3 boxes
- Joint tape
- 385 ft
- Screws (approx.)
- 1,040
By ceiling height
| Ceiling height | Sheets (with waste) |
|---|---|
| 8 ft ceilings | 36 sheets |
| 9 ft ceilings | 39 sheets |
| 10 ft ceilings | 42 sheets |
Adjust for your room
Inputs
Estimated materials
- Sheets (with waste)
- 36 sheets
- Drywall area
- 1,040 SF (walls 640 + ceiling 400)
- Joint compound
- 3 boxes
- Joint tape
- 385 ft
- Screws (approx.)
- 1,040
Openings are not deducted — the offcuts usually go to waste anyway. Compound ≈ 1 box per 500 SF, tape ≈ 370 ft per 1,000 SF, screws ≈ 1 per SF. Estimate — verify before ordering.
Frequently asked
- How many square feet is a 20×20 room?
- 20 ft × 20 ft = 400 square feet of floor area, and 80 linear feet of wall perimeter.
- How much drywall do I need for a 20×20 room?
- A 20×20 room is 400 square feet. With 8 ft ceilings, you need about 36 sheets of drywall.
- How do you calculate drywall for a room?
- Wall area is the room perimeter times ceiling height; add length × width for the ceiling. Add 10% waste and divide by the sheet size — 32 SF for a 4×8, 48 SF for a 4×12.
- Should I subtract doors and windows?
- Most hangers don't subtract standard doors and windows — the cut-outs become waste. Subtract only very large openings like garage doors or window walls.
Other materials for a 20×20 room
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