GlenCalc

Drywall mud and tape calculator

Enter the area of drywall hung. Rules of thumb per 1,000 sq ft of board give the finishing materials; adjust them for your product.

About 138 lb of ready-mixed all-purpose compound for a typical three-coat finish.

About 32 for a 4 × 8 sheet on walls at 16 in centers; more on ceilings.

A 4.5 gallon bucket of all-purpose is about 61.7 lb.

Your answer

Buckets of compound3
Rolls of 500 ft tape1
Compound166 lb
Screws1,200

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How we worked it out

Updated as you change the numbers.

  1. Compound = 1,200 ÷ 1,000 × 138 lb. Tape = 1,200 ÷ 1,000 × 370 ft. Screws = sheets × 32.

Method and assumptions

Finishing materials scale with board area. The defaults follow common industry guidance for a level 4 finish; setting-type and lightweight compounds cover differently, so adjust per the product sheet.

Questions

How much joint compound for 1,200 sq ft of drywall?

About 166 lb: three 4.5 gallon buckets.

Sources

Method and figures checked on . Every worked answer on this page is covered by an automated test. Found a mistake? Tell us.

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