How much does it cost to drywall a room yourself?
About $360 in materials for a 12 x 12 ft room with 8 ft walls, walls and ceiling, against roughly $990 to $1,740 to hire it out.
Estimate only, computed from the drywall calculator's default inputs and prices. Your sizes and local prices will change it.
Do it yourself (materials)
$360
Hire it out
$990 to $1,740
Worked example: a 12 x 12 ft room with 8 ft walls, walls and ceiling
| Item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| 17 sheets of drywall (13 wall, 4 ceiling) | $300 |
| 1 buckets of joint compound | $20 |
| 1 rolls of paper tape | $6 |
| 3 lb of drywall screws | $27 |
| Total | $360 |
Assumptions
- About 496 sq ft to cover after 1 door and 1 window
- 4x8 sheets on the walls, 4x12 on the ceiling, 10% waste
- The calculator's default prices per sheet and per bucket; sandpaper and tools not included
- Hired-out range is $2 to $3.50 per sq ft hung and finished, the calculator's default
What changes the price
- Ceilings are the hard part of DIY drywall. A rented drywall lift costs far less than a dropped sheet.
- Finishing, not hanging, is where most of the hired price goes. Three thin coats sanded between beat one heavy coat.
- Moisture-resistant board for bathrooms and Type X where code calls for it cost more per sheet. Change the thickness in the calculator.
Price your own project
Enter your measurements and local prices in the free drywall calculator for a full materials list and cost.
Open the drywall calculatorAlso useful: Drywall trim calculator
FAQ
How much does it cost to drywall a room yourself?
About $360 in materials for a 12 x 12 ft room with 8 ft walls, walls and ceiling, against roughly $990 to $1,740 to hire it out. These are estimates from the drywall calculator's default prices; enter your own sizes and prices there for your project.
How much do you save if you drywall a room yourself?
On this example, doing it yourself saves roughly $640 to $1,380, before tools you would need to buy or rent.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the same math the drywall calculator runs, fed its default inputs and unit prices. They are rough US averages, not quotes, and local prices vary.
More DIY cost estimates: cost to install gutters yourself, cost to paint a room yourself, cost to tile a floor yourself, cost to build a deck yourself, cost to build a fence yourself.