20x24 Room Drywall: 41 Sheets of 4x8 (Walls + Ceiling)

Ceiling	Wall sq ft	Total sq ft	4x8 sheets	4x12 sheets
8'	704	1,184	41	28
9'	792	1,272	44	30
10'	880	1,360	47	32
12'	1,056	1,536	53	36

Ceiling

Wall sq ft

Total sq ft

4x8 sheets

4x12 sheets

704

1,184

792

1,272

10'

880

1,360

12'

1,056

1,536

Item	Walls only	Walls + ceiling
4x8 sheets	25	41
Screws (1-1/4")	704	1,184
Paper tape	261 ft	439 ft
All-purpose mud (4.5 gal)	2	3

Item

Walls only

Walls + ceiling

4x8 sheets

Screws (1-1/4")

704

1,184

Paper tape

261 ft

439 ft

All-purpose mud (4.5 gal)

How the math works

Perimeter: 2 × (20 + 24) = 88 ft
Wall area: 88 × 8 ft = 704 sq ft
Ceiling: 20 × 24 = 480 sq ft
Total × 1.10 waste = 1,302.4 sq ft
4x8 sheets: ÷ 32 = 41; 4x12 sheets: ÷ 48 = 28

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 20x24 room?

41 sheets of 4x8 for walls and ceiling with 8' walls (25 for walls only), including 10% waste.

How many 4x12 drywall sheets for a 20x24 room?

28 sheets of 4x12 for walls and ceiling — fewer seams to tape than 41 4x8s.

How much mud and tape for a 20x24 room?

About 439 ft of paper tape and 3 × 4.5-gallon buckets of all-purpose compound for three coats.

How many drywall screws for a 20x24 room?

Roughly 1,184 1-1/4" screws (about one per sq ft at 16" OC framing) — a 5 lb box is plenty.

20x24 Room Drywall Calculator

Quick answer

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20x24 room by ceiling height (walls + ceiling)

Finishing materials for 20x24