Enter the room or the square feet coming down, the board thickness and any framing. You get the weight, the loose cubic yards and the smallest dumpster that holds it. A 4 by 8 sheet of 1/2 in board weighs about 51 lb, and a 5/8 in sheet about 70.1
Rules of thumb
Walls and ceiling at 8 ft, one layer of board, from the same math as the calculator.14
| Job | Board area | 1/2 in board | 5/8 in board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom, 8 by 5 ft | 248 sq ft | 400 lb, 0.8 cu yd: a 10 yard | 550 lb, 1.2 cu yd: a 10 yard |
| Bedroom, 12 by 12 ft | 528 sq ft | 840 lb, 1.8 cu yd: a 10 yard | 1,160 lb, 2.5 cu yd: a 10 yard |
| Kitchen, 15 by 12 ft | 612 sq ft | 980 lb, 2.1 cu yd: a 10 yard | 1,350 lb, 2.9 cu yd: a 10 yard |
| Basement, 30 by 25 ft, with 2x4 studs | 1,630 sq ft | 1.8 tons, 11.3 cu yd: a 15 yard | 2.3 tons, 13.4 cu yd: a 20 yard |
| 2,000 sq ft of wall and 1,000 of ceiling | 3,000 sq ft | 2.4 tons, 10.3 cu yd: a 20 yard | 3.3 tons, 14.1 cu yd: a 20 yard, 4 tons in writing |
| Board | lb per sq ft | One 4 by 8 sheet | Sheets per loose cu yd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 in regular | 1.6 | 51 lb | About 9 |
| 5/8 in Type X | 2.2 | 70 lb | About 6.6 |
Broken drywall runs about 467 lb per loose cubic yard,4 so a 10 yard filled to the top is about 2.3 tons, just past the 2 tons a typical 10 yard quote includes.5 On a big gut job, drywall can hit weight and space at about the same time.
Assumptions
Weight comes from the board makers' nominal weights, space from EPA's loose weight for demolition gypsum. Standard board is heavier than lightweight board, so the estimate errs high on most jobs.
| Item | We use | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 in board | 1.6 lb per sq ft | Gold Bond 1/2 in Regular: 1.6 lb nominal.1 Lightweight 1/2 in board is lighter: Gold Bond High Strength LITE, 1.3 to 1.4 lb.2 |
| 5/8 in board | 2.2 lb per sq ft | Gold Bond Fire-Shield 5/8 in Type X and USG Sheetrock Firecode X 5/8 in: 2.2 lb nominal.13 Fire-Shield C 5/8 in: 2.3 lb. Lightweight 5/8 in Type X: 1.9 lb.2 |
| Loose volume, board | 467 lb per cu yd | EPA, painted or demolition gypsum and clean gypsum board alike.4 |
| Framing | 1.1 lb per sq ft of wall for 2x4, 1.7 for 2x6 | Boise Cascade, solid sawn studs at 16 in on center.6 Loose volume from EPA's clean dimensional lumber, 169 lb per cubic yard.4 |
| Room size | Four full walls, ceiling optional | Doors and windows are not taken out. Subtract them with the square feet option if you want a tighter number. |
| Typical tons included | 2 tons on a 10 or 15 yard, 3 on a 20 or 30 | Median on quotes across our provider network.5 The hauler sets its own limit, and it varies by hauler and market. |
Boise Cascade's dead-load table lists heavier design figures for gypsum board, 2.2 lb for 1/2 in and 2.75 lb for 5/8 in.6 Those are for sizing beams, so we use the board makers' nominal weights for debris. Not counted: insulation, plaster, tile, cabinets and other demolition mixed in.
Using the estimate
Send the rooms or square feet, the board and the dates with the address. Request a roll-off quote and the tons included come back in writing.
Cabinets, flooring and fixtures share the box. Run them through the debris weight calculator or size the whole job with the dumpster size guide.
Gypsum soaks up water, and the scale weighs it. Cover an open box before rain.
Some markets have gypsum recyclers. Ask when you order, and see what can go in a dumpster.
Call with the address, the square feet and the dates. We come back with the container, the tons included and a price from local providers in the markets we serve.
Questions
A 4 by 8 sheet of standard 1/2 in board weighs about 51 pounds, at 1.6 pounds per square foot. A 5/8 in Type X sheet weighs about 70 pounds, at 2.2. Lightweight boards weigh less.
About 467 pounds per loose cubic yard, by EPA's figure for demolition gypsum. That is about 9 sheets of 1/2 in board per cubic yard.
A single room fits a 10 yard with room to spare. A basement or a whole floor usually needs a 15 or 20 yard, and a full 10 yard of drywall is about 2.3 tons, so check the tons included as well as the size.
No. Room size counts four full walls, so it runs a little high. Use the square feet option to enter the exact area.
Only if they are coming out. Pick 2x4 or 2x6 framing and the calculator adds about 1.1 or 1.7 pounds per square foot of wall.
Call sales at (888) 588-2607 or request a quote with the address, the square feet and the dates.
Related guides
Sources