DRYWALL TAKEOFF BUILDER
Drywall.
Stupid simple.
Build wall and ceiling board areas, keep assemblies separate, and finish with one clean material list.
INPUT · 01
What are you taking off?
OUTPUT · 02
Supplier material list
Enter wall or ceiling quantities above to build the material summary.
PDF / Print Details (Optional)Add project information to your printout.
These fields are optional and do not affect the calculation.
Walls use linear feet x height. Ceilings use entered square footage or length x width. BidSimp multiplies by the selected layers, applies your waste percentage, and rounds sheet quantities up. Wall openings and ceiling cutouts are not deducted by this calculator.
DRYWALL ESTIMATING GUIDE
How the drywall sheet calculator works
BidSimp calculates gypsum board for wall faces and ceiling areas while keeping different assemblies separate. Each wall side can have its own height, layer count, board type, thickness, and sheet size, which is useful when one partition has different finishes or requirements on opposite sides.
Side A and Side B are calculated independently, including layers, waste, and sheet rounding.
Choose the ceiling board assembly and add as many ceiling areas as the project needs.
Board type, thickness, and sheet size must match before quantities are combined.
Drywall quantity formulas used by BidSimp
- Wall face area
- Wall linear feet × the height entered for that side.
- Board area
- Wall face or ceiling area × the selected number of layers.
- Area with waste
- Board area × (1 + waste percentage).
- Sheet quantity
- Adjusted board area ÷ square feet per selected sheet, rounded up to a whole sheet.
Sheet area comes from the selected size: a 4' × 8' sheet contains 32 SF, a 4' × 10' sheet contains 40 SF, and a 4' × 12' sheet contains 48 SF. Custom sheet dimensions use the width and length you enter.
Rounding happens by assembly: each wall face and each ceiling area is rounded to whole sheets before matching board is consolidated. This is more realistic than rounding one project-wide square-foot total, but it can produce a slightly higher total when several small areas use the same board.
WORKED EXAMPLE
100 LF wall, 10' high, one layer each side
- Each wall face is 100 LF × 10' = 1,000 SF.
- With one layer and 10% waste, each side carries 1,000 × 1.10 = 1,100 SF.
- A 4' × 10' sheet covers 40 SF, so 1,100 ÷ 40 = 27.5 and each side rounds to 28 sheets.
- The two faces total 56 sheets. Combining the raw adjusted areas first would give 55, but BidSimp preserves the separate face rounding.
If Side B stops lower, uses two layers, or requires a different board, change only that side. The supplier summary will keep nonmatching board selections separate.
What this drywall calculator does not infer
Wall openings and ceiling cutouts are not automatically deducted. The calculator also does not optimize board orientation, seam staggering, rip reuse, top and bottom cuts, shaftliner systems, curved work, backing, trim, fasteners, finishing materials, or labor. Those decisions depend on the drawings, wall type, installation method, available sheet lengths, and field conditions.
Not deducting openings can be a reasonable estimating approach on some projects because the surrounding cuts and waste may consume much of the theoretical deduction. On projects with large storefronts, extensive openings, or repeated full-height voids, adjust the takeoff deliberately rather than assuming the gross wall area is appropriate.
Common drywall takeoff mistakes
- Forgetting a second layer, a different board on one face, or a height change above a ceiling.
- Treating every 5/8" board as interchangeable without checking Type X, Type C, abuse resistance, moisture resistance, or the tested assembly.
- Using one sheet length everywhere without considering stocking access, horizontal versus vertical installation, and joint layout.
- Deducting every opening exactly but carrying no additional cut waste.
- Combining ceilings, soffits, shafts, and walls that actually require different products.
Verify before purchasing
- Partition types, rated assemblies, board layers, thicknesses, products, and permitted substitutions.
- Wall heights, deck conditions, deflection details, ceilings, soffits, bulkheads, and shaft conditions.
- Available sheet sizes, delivery restrictions, stocking plan, lift access, and floor loading.
- Openings, access panels, control joints, expansion joints, trim, fasteners, adhesives, and finishing level.
- Waste, attic stock, damage replacement, and who carries unloading or distribution.
Estimate responsibly. BidSimp does not validate whether every board type, thickness, sheet size, or combination is available or appropriate for a particular assembly. Verify products, quantities, tested assemblies, specifications, field conditions, and project documents before purchasing materials, bidding, or performing work. Terms & Disclaimer