Worked contractor estimate
A three-room drywall bid, from measurements to proposal.
This example follows the fictional Maple Duplex job used in our sample client proposal. It shows how 1,984 square feet of installed drywall becomes a material order and a $4,825.07 bid. The company, client, address, quantities, and prices illustrate a workflow; they are not a local price recommendation.
At a glance
Scope: Supply, hang, tape, and finish walls and ceilings in a living room, bedroom, and office to Level 4, ready for primer by others.
Takeoff: 1,984 sq ft installed · 47 sheets of 4 × 12 board with 12% waste · 5 pails of compound · 2 rolls of tape · 6 boxes of screws · 12 sticks of bead.
Client total: $4,825.07, including the illustrative material tax.
1. Measure each room and subtract openings
Measure walls and ceilings separately, then subtract doors and windows you do not plan to board. The example uses the room dimensions and final installed areas shown in the proposal PDF. The opening-deduction figures below are the difference between gross wall-plus-ceiling area and the proposal’s installed area; they illustrate how that result can be reconstructed. Verify actual opening sizes on site.
| Room | Dimensions | Gross walls + ceiling | Opening deductions | Installed area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living room | 24 × 18 × 8 ft | 1,104 sq ft | 90 sq ft | 1,014 sq ft |
| Bedroom | 14 × 12 × 8 ft | 584 sq ft | 53 sq ft | 531 sq ft |
| Office | 12 × 10 × 8 ft | 472 sq ft | 33 sq ft | 439 sq ft |
| Total | 3 rooms | 2,160 sq ft | 176 sq ft | 1,984 sq ft |
Gross area = 2 × (length + width) × height + length × width. Installed area = gross area − openings.
Keep the opening schedule in the internal estimate. A proposal may show only room dimensions and installed area, but the crew still needs to know which doors and windows were counted.
2. Convert installed area into an order
At 12% waste, the board allowance is 1,984 × 1.12 = 2,222.08 sq ft. A 4 × 12 sheet covers 48 sq ft, so 2,222.08 ÷ 48 = 46.29 sheets. Round up to 47 sheets. That is a planning count, not a cut plan; check sheet direction, seams, access, and available lengths before ordering.
| Material | Basis | Planning amount | Order quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 12 drywall board | Installed area + 12% waste | 2,222.08 sq ft | 47 sheets |
| Joint tape | 37 linear ft / 100 installed sq ft | 734.1 linear ft | 2 × 500-ft rolls |
| Joint compound | 1 gal / 100 installed sq ft | 19.8 gal | 5 × 4.5-gal pails |
| Drywall screws | 0.27 lb / 100 installed sq ft | 5.36 lb | 6 × 1-lb boxes |
| Corner bead | Measured outside corners | 96 linear ft | 12 × 8-ft sticks |
Tape, compound, and screw allowances use BoardCount’s published planning assumptions and the installed area, not the board area after waste. Bead length is a separate measured input. Product coverage, framing, finish level, and local packaging can change the order.
3. Price the work and check the arithmetic
For this sample, the estimator enters $1,226.00 in materials and $3,000.00 in labor. A 12% markup is applied to their $4,226.00 subtotal: $507.12. The 7.5% illustrative tax applies to materials only: $91.95. These are entered sample values, not prices inferred from the material counts or a supplier quote.
| Line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Materials and supplies | Estimator-entered cost | $1,226.00 |
| Labor | Estimator-entered cost | $3,000.00 |
| Markup | 12% × ($1,226 + $3,000) | $507.12 |
| Sales tax on materials | 7.5% × $1,226 | $91.95 |
| Total proposal | $4,226 + $507.12 + $91.95 | $4,825.07 |
The client PDF groups the $3,000 labor and $507.12 markup into a $3,507.12 “Labor and installation” line. That keeps the internal markup private while preserving the same total. Your own tax treatment, labor rate, overhead, and desired margin should be checked against your actual business and local requirements.
4. Send a proposal that defines the job
The finished sample includes the room schedule, Level 4 scope, included materials and cleanup, exclusions, a 50% scheduling deposit, validity date, change-order language, and acceptance lines. Painting, texture, insulation, framing repairs, demolition, permits, and concealed conditions are excluded. The proposal tells the client what the price buys; the internal worksheet holds the cost assumptions.
Before you use this on a real job
Confirm field dimensions, opening sizes, board type and layout, finish expectations, supplier prices, labor hours, tax rules, and contract terms. This page demonstrates the calculation and proposal structure; it does not replace a site visit, supplier quote, or required local contract language.