12x16 Room Drywall: 22 Sheets of 4x8 (Walls + Ceiling)

Ceiling	Wall sq ft	Total sq ft	4x8 sheets	4x12 sheets
8'	448	640	22	15
9'	504	696	24	16
10'	560	752	26	18
12'	672	864	30	20

Ceiling

Wall sq ft

Total sq ft

4x8 sheets

4x12 sheets

448

640

504

696

10'

560

752

12'

672

864

Item	Walls only	Walls + ceiling
4x8 sheets	16	22
Screws (1-1/4")	448	640
Paper tape	166 ft	237 ft
All-purpose mud (4.5 gal)	1	2

Item

Walls only

Walls + ceiling

4x8 sheets

Screws (1-1/4")

448

640

Paper tape

166 ft

237 ft

All-purpose mud (4.5 gal)

How the math works

Perimeter: 2 × (12 + 16) = 56 ft
Wall area: 56 × 8 ft = 448 sq ft
Ceiling: 12 × 16 = 192 sq ft
Total × 1.10 waste = 704.0 sq ft
4x8 sheets: ÷ 32 = 22; 4x12 sheets: ÷ 48 = 15

Don’t subtract doors and windows on small rooms — the cut-offs rarely get reused. On big rooms subtract openings over 50 sq ft.

Trade pro tips

Hang the ceiling first, then walls top row first so the factory edge meets the ceiling.
Use 1/2" on walls; 5/8" or 1/2" ceiling board on ceilings framed 24" OC.
Stagger end joints and keep them off door and window corners.

Frequently asked questions

How many sheets of drywall for a 12x16 room?

22 sheets of 4x8 for walls and ceiling with 8' walls (16 for walls only), including 10% waste.

How many 4x12 drywall sheets for a 12x16 room?

15 sheets of 4x12 for walls and ceiling — fewer seams to tape than 22 4x8s.

How much mud and tape for a 12x16 room?

About 237 ft of paper tape and 2 × 4.5-gallon buckets of all-purpose compound for three coats.

How many drywall screws for a 12x16 room?

Roughly 640 1-1/4" screws (about one per sq ft at 16" OC framing) — a 5 lb box is plenty.

12x16 Room Drywall Calculator

Quick answer

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12x16 room by ceiling height (walls + ceiling)

Finishing materials for 12x16