Home Improvement Interior Remodel Walls & Ceilings Drywall

Guide to Drywall Thickness, Length, and Width

Illustration showing standard drywall sizes

The Spruce / Ellen Lindner

Drywall comes in standard sizes that include common thicknesses, lengths, and widths. These predictable features allow you to plan your projects and hang drywall with complete accuracy. Most important is drywall thickness. Building codes have some requirements when it comes to the thickness of drywall panels. Read on to learn more about standard and specialty drywall sizes to get your project started.

Choosing the Right Drywall Size

Selecting the right drywall size is based on two things: code and location. In addition, there are many types of drywall formulated for specific areas of a home, such as Type X, soundproofing, mold-resistant, paperless moisture-resistant, and purple drywall, for example. Here are some common pointers but if you're still unsure which type or size of drywall you need, it's always best to contact a professional contractor.

  • Standard 1/2-inch drywall thickness is the most common type of drywall for interior residential walls.
  • Ultralight drywall is rapidly becoming a popular choice for interior residential walls and even ceilings. It still retains a 1/2-inch thickness but it's 12 to 18 pounds lighter than standard drywall panels.
  • Standard 5/8-inch drywall is heavier and typically used for ceilings to prevent sagging.
  • Standard 5/8-inch drywall is also best for soundproofing and fire resistance and is often used in garages.
  • You'll need the right screws for the thickness you choose. For standard 1/2-inch-thick drywall panels, you will use 1 1/4 or 1 3/8-inch drywall screws. For 5/8-inch-thick drywall panels, use 1 3/8 or 1 5/8-inch screws. 

Drywall Length and Width

The length and width of drywall sheets are usually in multiples of 4 feet—most commonly, 4-foot by 8-foot, 4-foot by 12-foot, or 4-foot by 16-foot sheets. While drywall's lengths are variable, its width generally remains 4 feet.

Building codes often have specific requirements for the thickness of drywall sheets but not for the width and length. These are determined by the needs of the architect, builder, and client. 

4-Foot by 8-Foot Drywall

The most common size of drywall is 4 feet wide and 8 feet long.

Since 1/2-inch thick sheets of 4- by 8-foot drywall tip the scales at 57 pounds, this size tends to be the biggest sheet that most do-it-yourselfers can carry and lift into place.

The 4-foot by 8-foot size allows for either vertical or horizontal installation. Typically 4 by 8-foot panels come attached in pairs—two sheets face to face, with paper strips binding the two sheets. Most people find it extremely difficult to carry these sandwiched panels by themselves, and they can be difficult to cut. For solo transport, you can pull off the binding paper to separate the panels.

4-Foot by 12- or 16-Foot Drywall

For tall or long walls, drywall in 12-foot and 16-foot lengths is available.

One advantage of these longer sheets is that you can use a single vertical sheet to meet higher ceilings, creating a smooth surface that is completely unbroken from floor to ceiling.

When installed horizontally on a wall, 16-foot-long drywall produces fewer butt joints than 8-foot-long sheets. If you are intending to work with 16-foot lengths of drywall, you need to have several people on hand to help you with the installation.

2-Foot by 2-Foot Drywall

The 2-foot by 2-foot square of drywall is not a stock sheet size. However, cut-down pieces of drywall are often available at most home centers and especially at smaller local hardware stores. These small sheets can be useful for patching jobs or wall-boarding small nooks and alcoves. 

Alternative Sizes of Drywall

When wall panels come in lengths and widths other than these multiples of 4 feet, they are usually not drywall panels but are instead cement board or a drywall alternative, such as DRIcor Smartwall. 

While not common on the consumer market, 4 1/2-foot-wide drywall sheets can be special-ordered. They are not stocked in home improvement centers and are rarely used except by professionals. 

Drywall Thickness

Common drywall thicknesses are 1/4-inch, 1/2-inch, and 5/8-inch. The thickness required for each application is dictated by the building code. 

1/4-Inch-Thick Drywall

Not a common thickness, 1/4-inch-thick drywall is used as a skimming (or double-wall) material for placing over an existing surface or for bending drywall.

While not a typical application, drywall sheets that are 1/4-inch thick are valuable when you need to install drywall on slightly curved surfaces. If the drywall is not quite meeting the curve, you can slightly dampen the drywall to make it more flexible.

Tip

A textured ceiling can be covered over with 1/4-inch sheets rather than going through the mess and work of removing the texture.

1/2-Inch-Thick Drywall

Standard 1/2-inch-thick drywall or 1/2-inch-thick ultralight drywall is used on interior walls and ceilings because both types of drywall panels are relatively easy to carry and hang. Consider 1/2-inch drywall to be the default thickness of drywall for most wall applications.

5/8-Inch-Thick Drywall

These panels are commonly used for ceilings or for walls that require a prescribed fire-resistant rating.

When installed on ceilings, 5/8-inch-thick panels are less susceptible to sagging between the joists than 1/2-inch panels. Adding popcorn texture or another type of heavy surfacing material can add to the weight problem, making 5/8-inch drywall a better choice for ceilings.

Tip

Some applications call for or allow multiple layers of drywall. In townhouses, for example, the shared walls between units may require double layers of 1/2-inch wallboard to create a very fire-resistant and sound-resistant wall. In ordinary residential construction, doubling up drywall thickness can reduce sound transmission and make for sturdier walls. 

3/4-Inch-Thick Drywall

A 3/4-inch thick drywall panel does exist but it is not standard in homes. It is used on steel-framed walls for fireproofing. Walls must be able to support 3/4-inch drywall since 4-foot by 10-foot sheets weigh about 112 pounds.

Fire-Rated 5/8-Inch Thick Drywall

Two forms of 5/8-inch drywall sheets are used for walls and ceilings in certain areas that may experience fire: Type X drywall (mainly for walls) and Type C drywall (mainly for ceilings).

5/8-Inch-Thick Type X Drywall

Thicker drywall may be required by code for any surface covered with a texture or skim coat where studs or joists are spaced 24 inches on-center rather than 16 inches. Though Type X drywall can be used on ceilings or walls, it is primarily installed on walls.

This thicker drywall is often called Type X or fire-resistant drywall. Common walls between residential living spaces and attached garages, for example, require a fire-resistant construction, as do furnace rooms. This fire resistance can also be achieved by installing multiple layers of thinner drywall panels. 

The difference between conventional 5/8-inch-thick drywall and Type X 5/8-inch drywall is the presence of proprietary additives (mainly glass fibers) that enhance its fire resistance.

5/8-Inch-Thick Type C Drywall

Type C drywall is similar to Type X drywall: both are fire-rated and contain a high quantity of glass fibers.

The difference between Type C and Type X drywall is that Type C drywall has more glass fibers than Type X and also has vermiculite. Vermiculite is added to help prevent the panels from shrinking. Vermiculite expands when subjected to fire.

Type C drywall is more often used on ceilings than Type X, which is more for walls.

FAQ
  • What is the thickness of drywall you use for interior walls?

    The thickness of drywall that is normally used on interior walls is 1/2-inch drywall.

  • What drywall is used on ceilings?

    The standard drywall thickness to use on ceilings is 5/8-inch drywall.

  • What are some other common names for drywall?

    Drywall has many different names that you might recognize, including Sheetrock, gypsum board, plasterboard, and wallboard.