Drywall & render calculator
Calculate plasterboard sheets, screws and jointing compound needed from room dimensions - a board layout diagram shows the sheets tiled across a wall to scale, and a bill of materials does the ordering maths for you.
The Rooms tab's room list and board layout diagram, the Materials tab's bill of materials, and the Guide tab's board type reference.
Rooms tab - room list and board layout diagram
Materials tab - bill of materials
Guide tab - board type reference
A running-bond board layout diagram shows plasterboard sheets tiled across a wall, joints staggered between rows - a genuine picture of the boarding, not just a number.
Add a room for every space - length, width, height, doors, windows and an optional ceiling - and the totals combine automatically across every room you add.
Boards, screws and jointing compound bags, all combined across every room - ready to hand to your supplier or drop into an order.
Standard, long and small sheet sizes, each with its own coverage area baked in - switch per room, no lookup required.
A standard door and window allowance is deducted from wall area automatically per opening, so the totals you see are closer to what you'll actually board.
Copy a plain-text summary or export it as a standalone HTML file. Light/dark theme remembers your choice, and rotating sample rooms let you explore the app.
British Gypsum's free online self-help tools, including its plaster coverage calculator, are well known to UK drylining contractors. They're tied to British Gypsum's own product range - here's how a manufacturer-neutral, offline desktop tool compares.
| Feature | Plasterboard Calculator | British Gypsum self-help calculators |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | One-off purchase after a free trial | Free (web tool) |
| Works fully offline | ✓ | ✕ |
| To-scale board layout diagram | ✓ | ✕ |
| Manufacturer-neutral board sizing, not tied to one brand | ✓ | ✕ |
| Room-by-room list with a running job bill of materials | ✓ | ✕ |
| Doors and windows deducted automatically | ✓ | ~ |
| Desktop app, no account required | ✓ | ✕ |
| Plaster skim coverage as well as boards | ✕ | ✓ |
Comparison based on British Gypsum's publicly listed self-help tools as of August 2026 (british-gypsum.com) - features change over time, so check british-gypsum.com for current details. British Gypsum is a trademark of its respective owner; this comparison is for informational purposes and isn't sponsored by or affiliated with British Gypsum.
Plasterboard Calculator is a Windows desktop app, free to try from the Microsoft Store.
Yes - Plasterboard Calculator uses the same shared Metre2 account as Vector, Forma and every other Keystone app. Sign in once and it works everywhere.
Wall area deducts a standard door (1.5m²) and window (1.44m²) allowance per opening you enter - for non-standard openings, adjust the door/window counts to approximate the total area to deduct.
Board counts include a 10% wastage allowance and use standard fixing rates for screws and jointing compound. It's a rough ordering guide, not a fixing specification - always confirm with your plasterboard supplier.