If you’re planning on finishing your garage and want it to look its best, then you’ll need to use the right size and thickness of drywall. This blog post will tell you everything you need to know about choosing the right drywall for your garage project.
The ideal Drywall size for a garage that is directly connected with the house and has 8 feet-high walls is 4 by 9 feet. The thickness of the Drywall for the ceiling should be ⅝-inch and ⅝-inch (fire-rated Type X) for the directly connected wall. The rest of the walls can be finished with regular ½-inch Drywall.
Knowing what kind of Drywall you need for your garage is crucial. But the size and thickness are equally as important. Sometimes, you need to adhere to the local building code, which can sometimes bring frustrations, especially if you’ve already made some purchases.
What Size Drywall To Use In Garage?

An ideal drywall panel size is 4 by 9 feet, which is what the garage walls should be if they are 8 feet high. Though, you must select panels that are 4.5 feet wide if your garage walls are 9 feet high.
However, there are multiple drywall sizes ranging from 4 by 8 feet up to 4 by 12-foot sizes. These sizes can also be bought in different types of Drywall, meaning moisture-resistant or fire-resistant, for example. So, ultimately, the size you need will depend on the dimensions of your garage.
What Thickness Drywall To Use In Garage?
If the attached garage is connected between the house and garage, you’ll need type X 5/8 fire-rated drywalls. Other walls won’t require the same type of drywall. You can go for a ½-inch one. When it comes to the ceiling, it should be ⅝-inch thick, but some people might tell you to use ½-inch Drywall, but ⅝-inch is mostly required by the local building codes.
Talking about local building codes, if there are none, you’re technically not obligated to follow them. However, it would be highly advised.
What Thickness Drywall For Detached garage?
It’s a bit different when the garage is detached. In this case, you don’t need fire-resistant drywalls. So, this would also mean you can use ½-inch drywall for the garage’s interior and even exterior walls. However, due to the local building codes, the ceiling would still need to have ⅝-inch thick drywall.
How Much Drywall Do I Need For the Garage?
In this example, we’ll go for a single-car garage with dimensions of 24 feet in length, 16 feet in width, and an ideal height of 8 feet without any slopes or curves, with two doors of 80 inches in height and 32 inches in width, and no windows.
For this particular garage, you’d around 31 drywall panels of the standard size, which is 4 by 9 feet. However, getting an extra panel is recommended just to be on the safe side.
So the total number of regular drywall panels you need will be 32 panels.
How To Measure Drywall Requirement For Garage?
Measuring drywall requirements for a garage is easy, and you don’t need a professional for this. To measure the drywall requirement, first, you must measure the total square foot area where you will install the drywalls.
- To do so, simply multiply the height times the width of each wall and the ceiling area, sum up all the values, and you will have your total square-foot area.
- Then estimate the drywall sheets by dividing the total square foot area you previously calculated, either by 32 or 48. If your garage height is 8 feet, you will be using 4 by 8 feet panels, and you have to divide the total square foot area by 32, but if the height is higher, you will have to use 4 by 12 feet sheets and then divide by 48.
- This will give you the number of sheets required, you can add a ten to fifteen percent wastage and odd cuts to the amount then you will have the total sheets required for your work.
For example, if you have a 2,400 square feet area and are using a 4 by 8 feet sheet, you have to divide 2,400 by 32, and you will get 75 sheets. Take ten percent of 75, which will be; 7.5 sheets, and add it to the number of sheets you got previously.
This will make a total of 82.5 sheets. However, since Drywall sheets are sold in pairs, it will make 83 sheets that you will require for your project.
I have another example of how much Drywall is needed for a 1200-square feet area if you’re interested.
How To Install Drywall In The Garage?
Installing drywall in your garage is quite easy, but before starting, you should ensure that all the previous work is finished in your garage and your garage is ready for drywall installation.
You must also ensure that all the plumbing, electrical, and insulation work has been completed and inspected so that you can start your drywall installation process.
Here is how you can drywall your garage:
- Marking the Wall Studs:
Mark the middle of the ends of each stud on the ceiling and the floor to identify the placement of the individual wall studs. When you begin hanging the drywall, it will be simple to locate the markers if you position them in these locations. Once the drywall is in position, you may use a chalk line to draw lines along each wall stud and finish screwing them down. Don’t forget to use the filler screws.
- Installing the Drywalls:
On the floor, spread out some drywall scraps. Pick a corner and start the installation of the drywall panels. The drywall should be butted into the corner after being placed on a scrap of material. A wall stud should be in the middle with the other end in place. Drywall panels can be either installed horizontally, vertically, or backward in some cases. Many experts place the sheets horizontally to eliminate seams along the middle of the wall.
- Attaching the Drywall to the Garage:
To keep the drywall panels in place in the fall, install the drywall initially with a few drywall screws or nails. This will make sure that your drywall panel has gotten its hold. Once this is done, then you can thoroughly attach your drywall panel. To finish hanging your drywall panels, you must start from the corner of the room and firmly press the drywall panels into the wall studs. Put the screws or nails at intervals of six inches, and once you do this, your drywall panel will be firmly attached to the wall.
- Finishing the Drywall Installation to the Garage:
Once the first sheet is in place, proceed to attach the other drywall panels to the garage, working your way around the lower half of the wall, ensuring that each sheet is snugly pressed against the already installed sheets before them.
If you are installing the drywall ceiling, then you should do that first, then move towards the walls. Always ensure that the upper half portion of the wall is already completed before starting the lower half. Start at a corner, whether left or right, and then make your way to the other end of the room. This is how you fit all the sheets and get a perfect drywall look.
- Completing the Drywall Joints:
If you’ve left some gap between your Drywall for your joints, applying a thin layer of old joint compound to the drywall joints with the help of a 6-inch tape knife wouldn’t be a problem. On top of the compound, apply drywall tape or mesh. Clear any air bubbles before applying the drywall tape to the joint compound and smoothen it out as much as possible to give it a fine look.
Quick note: I would strongly advise reading this article first if you’re planning on caulking Drywall joints because you might change your mind.
The tape will be pressed into the joint compound by sliding the taping knife over it. Add another layer of joint compound over the tape and cover the tape completely. It should be noted that you can Drywall without tape as well. If you wish to know more, check out this article.
Leave the joint compound to dry for the whole night, and after it has completely dried out, you can start the sanding process. Sand the surface until you are left with a smooth surface that is flat and bump-free. This step is important as it will provide a smooth surface for you to paint and finish the complete look of the drywall in your garage. Then you should remove as much as possible Drywall dust as it might be considered a health hazard, but also before applying primer and/or paint. To finish, you can also caulk the Drywall corners if you feel like it, which would give a smooth and finished look.
Can I Use Any Drywall For The Garage?
No, you cannot because usually, the type of drywall you need to use for your garage is decided by the local building codes of your area. In most cases, ½-inch drywalls are acceptable for all walls that are not attached to the house, and the walls between the house and garage plus the ceiling walls should be ⅝-inch thick drywall sheets or a type X fire code drywall.
However, if you are designing a garage that needs soundproof or is prone to mold and moisture build-up, you will require a soundproof wall or mold and moisture resistance. In such a case, you can use ⅝-inch soundproofing drywall for sound reduction purposes, and for mold or moisture resistance, you can use green or purple sheetrock drywall.
Nonetheless, deciding on drywall depends on the building code requirements, the type of condition your garage is in, and your budget.
Garage Drywall Installation Cost
If you have a 20-inch by 24 inches, two-car garage space, your garage drywall installation can cost anywhere from $2,400 to $10,200, whereas, for a one-car garage, it can be $1,200 to $5,100, depending on the garage size. On average, you might need $40 to $75 per square foot based on the quality of the product used makes, around $300 for drywall, $3 for joint tape, $30 for screws, and $30 for mud, which should be premixed with all-purpose joint compound, $10 for drywall sander and $5 for sanding sponge.
FAQs:
What Is The Best Drywall To Use In A Garage?
If your garage is not prone to moisture or mold build-up and is detached, then ½-inch standard drywall is best, with ⅝-inch drywall for the ceiling. However, if it’s attached to the house or has mold or moisture build-up, then you should install a ⅝-inch Type X drywall to the wall between the house and garage, and for moisture and mold resistance, a green or purple drywall is best. However, this is after you’ve checked if there is any building code you must abide by.
Do I Need Mold Resistant Drywall In Garage?
Not really, unless your garage is not climate controlled, has temperature swings, or does not have heat. There is no stated rule in the building codes where you need to install mold-resistant drywall in your garage. However, under conditions stated previously and if your garage is prone to mold build-up, then you should install drywalls that are mold resistant.
Does A Detached Garage Need 5/8 Drywall?
According to building codes, if your garage is far enough from your residence, then you won’t need ⅝-inch drywalls for the whole garage and will only need to install ⅝-inch drywall for the ceiling and ½-inch drywall for interior and exterior walls of the garage.