Drywall Mud and Tape Calculator
Enter the board area to get the joint compound in pails, the joint tape in rolls and the screws, from three rates you can see and change, rounded up once at each thing you buy.
A ready-made setup of the Drywall Calculator.
Estimates for planning, not professional advice. Read the full notice.
Example: a bedroom's walls and ceiling
2 4.5 gal cans
- Joint compound 5.84 gal
- Joint tape 216.08 ft
- Screws 730 screws
Estimate for planning, from what you entered and the product data shown. Check product labels and your supplier before you buy.
Your project
Enter a size to see your total.
Each product is rounded up once for the whole project, so the total can be less than the items bought alone added together. A line counted from a cut layout (sheets, boards or tiles laid out piece by piece) is counted for each item and added.
Shopping list
| Item | Size | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Joint compound pails | 4.5 gal can | 2 |
| Joint tape rolls | 250 ft roll | 1 |
| Drywall screws | screws | 730 |
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Worked example: a bedroom's walls and ceiling
Show the working
- Compound: the board area over a thousand, times the rate 584 ft² ÷ 1,000 ft² per thousand × 10 gal = 5.84 gal
- Pails: divide by the pail and round up once 5.84 gal ÷ 4.5 gal = 2 pails
- Tape: the board area over a thousand, times the rate 584 ft² ÷ 1,000 ft² per thousand × 370 ft = 216.08 ft
- Rolls: divide by the roll and round up once 216.08 ft ÷ 250 ft = 1 rolls
Assumptions
The figures behind the example. Sourced figures link to their source below; a default is a starting value to check against your label or supplier.
| Assumption | Value | Details and changes |
|---|---|---|
| Joint compound per 1,000 ft² of board | 10 gal | |
| Default An example to start from, not a maker figure. Check your label or supplier. It is a field above the result. | ||
| Joint tape per 1,000 ft² of board | 370 ft | |
| Default An example to start from, not a maker figure. Check your label or supplier. It is a field above the result. | ||
| Board area per screw | 0.8 ft² | |
| Default An example to start from, not a maker figure. Check your label or supplier. It is a field above the result. | ||
| Pail size | No default | |
| Default Choose the pail on your label from the list above the result. Check your label or supplier. | ||
| Tape roll length | No default | |
| Default Choose the roll on your label from the list above the result. Check your label or supplier. | ||
Feet and inches, like 12' 6"
Pails and rolls by board area
Joint compound pails of two sizes and 250 ft tape rolls for board areas, at the example rates
| Board area | Compound, 3.5 gal pails | Compound, 4.5 gal pails | Tape, 250 ft rolls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 ft² | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 400 ft² | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 600 ft² | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1000 ft² | 3 | 3 | 2 |
The rates are the page's examples, not maker figures. Change them in the fields above and the pails and rolls follow.
Questions
How many gallons of joint compound does my board area need?
Multiply the board area, in thousands of square feet, by the gallons per thousand square feet in the field above. The rate starts at an example, so replace it with the coverage on your own label.
How many pails do I buy?
Divide the gallons by the size of the pail you choose and round up once. A different pail size changes the pails, not the gallons.
How many rolls of tape do I need?
The tape needed is the board area in thousands of square feet times the feet per thousand square feet, divided by the length of the roll you choose and rounded up once.