How much plasterboard do I need?
Walls or a ceiling, any board size — work out the area, add a bit for cuts and the odd snapped sheet, and get the number of boards to buy. Order short and the last corner waits on a shop run; order big and you've a spare. Free, no sign-up.
A guide, not a guarantee. Measure the widest points and use the extra-area box for additional walls. We don't deduct small openings — the offcuts around a window or door rarely reuse, so it's safer to count them in. Boards are heavy and awkward; a handy 0.9 × 1.8 m board is easier to carry and lift overhead for a ceiling. Screws, scrim tape, jointing compound, adhesive (for dot-and-dab) and corner beads are all extra. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Area, board size, and whole sheets.
Start with the area. Length times width (or width times height for a wall) gives the area in square metres. For several walls, work out each and add them with the extra-area box. We don't subtract windows and doors — the offcuts around an opening rarely reuse cleanly, so counting them in gives a safer figure.
Divide by one board. A standard UK plasterboard is 1.2 × 2.4 m, covering 2.88 m². Pick your board size, or choose "custom" and enter the coverage. We divide the area-plus-wastage by one board and round up.
Why 10%, and when to go higher. Ten percent covers the cuts at edges and around sockets, switches and pipes, plus the odd board that snaps when you're handling it. Go to 15% in a small or cut-up room where offcuts are harder to use across the next wall.
Board choice matters. Big 1.2 × 2.4 m boards mean fewer joints to tape and fill, but they're heavy and need two people — especially overhead. A 0.9 × 1.8 m "handy" board is easier to lift solo and onto a ceiling, at the cost of more joints. For a bathroom or kitchen, moisture-resistant board is worth the extra.
What this leaves out. Drywall screws or nails, jointing scrim tape, jointing/finishing compound, adhesive for dot-and-dab, edge and corner beads, and any insulation behind the board are all separate.
Keep every room's details in one place.
Stead remembers your rooms and their sizes, the work you did and when — so the next project starts with the numbers already to hand.