Drywall is light for its size and comes out in awkward pieces, so most people overestimate how much container they need. Plaster is the opposite. It looks like the same job and weighs five times as much, and it is the tear-out most likely to run past the tonnage allowance.
The calculator measures the walls and ceiling from the room size, so you do not need to count sheets. If you already know the square footage, type it in instead.
What drywall and plaster weigh
These are the exact figures the calculator uses. The last column is how much room the debris takes once it is broken up and tossed in, which is always more than the flat sheets took on the wall.
| Material | Lbs per sq ft | One 4×8 sheet | 1,000 sq ft weighs | Cubic yards, loose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2" drywall (standard) | 1.6 | 51 lbs | 1,600 lbs (0.8 tons) | 3.4 |
| 1/2" lightweight drywall | 1.3 | 42 lbs | 1,300 lbs (0.65 tons) | 2.8 |
| 5/8" drywall or Type X (fire-rated) | 2.2 | 70 lbs | 2,200 lbs (1.1 tons) | 4.7 |
| Plaster on wood lath (older homes) | 8 | — | 8,000 lbs (4 tons) | 5.7 |
What size dumpster for drywall
Worked from the same numbers for three common jobs. A 10-yard holds far more drywall by space than most people expect. What usually decides the size is weight: past about 1,250 square feet of half-inch board you are over the 10-yard's 1-ton allowance, and it is worth comparing the overage with the next size up. The calculator does that comparison for you.
| Job | 1/2" drywall | Plaster on wood lath |
|---|---|---|
| One 12×14 bedroom, walls and ceiling | 934 lbs · 2.0 yd³ 10-Yard (20% full) | 4,672 lbs · 3.3 yd³ 10-Yard (33% full), 2.34 tons |
| Kitchen gut, about 1,000 sq ft of surface | 1,600 lbs · 3.4 yd³ 10-Yard (34% full) | 8,000 lbs · 5.7 yd³ 10-Yard (57% full), 4 tons |
| Whole first floor, about 2,500 sq ft | 4,000 lbs · 8.6 yd³ 10-Yard (tight, 86%), 2 tons | 20,000 lbs · 14.3 yd³ Call us to plan the hauls, 10 tons |
Plaster is a different job
Plaster on wood lath runs about 8 pounds a square foot, lath included. A single 12 by 14 bedroom, walls and ceiling, is over two tons. That is why plaster jobs are sized by weight, not by how full the container looks.
Old plaster, joint compound and textured ceilings can contain asbestos. If the house is older and you are not sure, have it tested before any of it goes in the container. What that means for your job.
Where the numbers come from
Drywall weights are manufacturer and industry figures: 1.6 pounds a square foot for standard half-inch, 2.2 for five-eighths and Type X, and about 1.3 for lightweight half-inch. Plaster on wood lath is the 8 pounds a square foot in the ASCE 7 table of minimum design dead loads, the reference structural engineers use. The space broken drywall takes up comes from the U.S. EPA's volume-to-weight conversion factors, which put demolition gypsum at 467 pounds per cubic yard.
Questions about this tool
How much does a sheet of drywall weigh?
A 4 by 8 sheet of standard half-inch drywall weighs about 51 pounds. Five-eighths and Type X run about 70 pounds a sheet, and lightweight half-inch about 42.
How much does plaster and lath weigh?
About 8 pounds per square foot of wall or ceiling, lath included. The walls and ceiling of a 12 by 14 room come to roughly 4,672 pounds.
What size dumpster do I need for drywall?
Most single-room and kitchen jobs fit a 10-yard by space. Weight is what usually decides it: past about 1,250 square feet of half-inch board you are over the 10-yard’s 1-ton allowance, so compare the overage with the next size up. The calculator does that for you.
Can drywall and plaster go in the container?
Yes. Both go in with regular renovation debris. The exception is anything that might contain asbestos, which older plaster, joint compound and textured ceilings sometimes do. If you are not sure, have it tested first.