Drywall & Metal Stud Calculator
Sheets, studs, track, screws, tape and joint filler for one wall.
How it works
Board area is the wall less openings, multiplied by the boarded sides and layers. The waste allowance is added before dividing by one sheet and rounding up. Studs are spaced along the wall with an end stud at each side; each opening adds two jamb studs.
Track covers the floor and ceiling runs. Screw, tape and joint-compound quantities use representative system rates and include the same allowance. Headers, cripple studs, corners, fire-rated details and backing for heavy fixtures still have to follow the selected wall-system specification.
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How the Drywall & Metal Stud Calculator works
A drywall calculator estimates the complete material set for one straight partition or wall lining: sheets, vertical studs, floor and ceiling track, screws, joint tape and joint filler. It accounts for openings, one- or two-sided boarding and multiple layers.
Sheets are counted across every side and layer
Doors and windows are subtracted from gross wall area first. The remainder is multiplied by boarded sides and layers, then the cutting allowance is added. Only then is the area divided by one sheet and rounded up.
Choose a sheet close to wall height to reduce horizontal joints and offcuts. KNAUF lists 1200 mm-wide sheets at common lengths of 2000, 2500 and 3000 mm, so the metric page uses stocked metric panels rather than relabelled US sizes.
Framing follows wall length, not board area
Studs are laid out along the wall at 600 or 400 mm centres, with an end stud at both sides. Each entered opening adds two jamb studs. On a 6 m wall at 600 mm centres that is 11 base studs; one doorway raises the estimate to 13.
Track runs along the floor and ceiling, so its clean length is twice the wall length. Door and window headers, cripple studs, corners and backing depend on geometry and load; a single combined opening area cannot define them honestly.
Fasteners and joint finishing use separate rates
For a single-layer two-sided C111 partition, KNAUF publishes 29 screws, 1.5 m of reinforcing tape and 0.6 kg of joint filler per square metre of wall. The calculator normalises those figures to one square metre of board face, so one-sided lining is handled consistently.
Tape and joint filler apply to the outer finished layer only; screws apply to every layer. Fire-rated, acoustic and other multi-layer assemblies can specify different fasteners and spacing, so the selected system detail always overrides this general estimate.
FAQ
How many drywall sheets cover a 6 × 2.5 m wall?expand_more
After subtracting a 1.9 m² doorway, 13.1 m² of wall remains. Both sides require 26.2 m² of board, or 28.82 m² with ten percent waste. Divide by a 1200 × 2500 mm sheet and round up: 10 sheets.
How much framing does that partition need?expand_more
At 600 mm centres over 6 m, allow 11 base studs plus two jamb studs for the doorway, making 13. Floor and ceiling track with waste totals 13.2 linear metres, or 5 pieces at 3 m each.
What changes with two layers of drywall?expand_more
Sheets and screws nearly double: the example needs 20 sheets instead of 10. Studs and track do not double, while tape and filler are estimated on the outer layer only; confirm the exact multi-layer fastening schedule in the specified assembly.