Making Cutouts in Drywall

When installing drywall, you will need to make cutouts to fit over and around electrical boxes, windows, doors and perhaps other obstacles. Making cutouts that are clean and tight will make your finished job look like it was done by a pro. But this can be tricky work, so take your time and expect to make a few mistakes.

1. Take careful measurements from the floor, a stud or another fixed point to the edges of the obstacle.

2. Transfer the measurements to the drywall sheet. A drywall T-square is particularly handy for this.

3. With a keyhole saw, which has a pointed end, carefully poke through the drywall and proceed to make the cutout. Cut about 1/8-inch outside of the lines to create a cutout just a bit larger than the obstacle. If you find it difficult to safely poke through the drywall with the keyhole saw, drill starter holes in two diagonal corners inside the cutout lines, then make the cuts.

4. If you’re like the rest of us, you will on occasion cut a hole in the wrong place. If it’s a small piece of drywall you’re working with, you may just want to start over. But if it’s a full sheet, don’t despair. Cut a new hole, preferably in the right location this time, and then use the cut out piece to repair the boo-boo hole when you start finishing.

5. Cut small holes for pipes with a hole saw in your electric drill.

6. To save from measuring and marking drywall to fit around windows and doors, consider installing the sheet across the opening, then cutting it out with a drywall saw.