This is a great question. The time it takes will depend upon the experience of the installer and how well the walls and ceilings were framed in the first place. As with all articles on this site, I am looking at this from the standpoint of a DIY person. A professional would obviously be much quicker and the cost to install would also be much higher.
So how long does it take to hang drywall? It takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes to hang one 4X8 sheet of drywall. This time is based upon having two people installing the sheet of drywall. A larger sheet will take longer as there are more screws and potentially more electrical boxes to cut holes for.
It really is hard to pinpoint exactly how long it takes to install a sheet of drywall accurately every time. There will always be something different about each sheet that could make it easier or harder to install. Along with the installation of the boards, there is the time it takes to mud and then sand the mud afterwards. I will go over timing for both of those jobs below to help give you a better sense of how long your project will take.
How Much Drywall Can One Man Hang in 8 Hours?
Better yet, how much drywall can two men hang in 4 hours? Most people won’t attempt to hang drywall themselves. Of course there are the exceptions, like myself, who just prefer to not bother anyone or ask favors.
In my answer above, I state that it takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes for two men/people to hang a 4X8 sheet of drywall. This is assuming there are no issues when installing and there are minimal cuts to make.
I feel that if it is just one person working then it will take anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes to hang one 4X8 sheet. This means that in 8 hours one man could potentially hang as much as 24 sheets of drywall. I don’t know if this sounds like a lot to you or not, but in my experience, I would be completely thrilled to hang that many sheets in a day’s work by myself.
So now, let’s look at two men/people hanging drywall for 4 hours. Based on my initial estimates of two men taking 10 to 15 minutes per sheet, they could hang approximately 24 sheets in 4 hours if they don’t run into any issues. Stretch this out to 8 hours and now these guys might be able to install up to 48 sheets. That is a lot of drywall.
Issues that Can Slow Down a Drywalling Job
I keep saying it will take 10 to 15 minutes, assuming there are no issues. Here is what kind of issues I am thinking of that could and, in my experience, do come up.
- You cut the length or width of the drywall either too long or too short. It happens and not a big deal unless you have the heavy gyproc hoisted above your head. Then it’s a pain in the butt. You have to drop the piece down, re-measure and re-cut.
- If you cut the openings for power outlets and light switch boxes a bit off, you need to trim those holes up so the drywall fits. Then you are left with too much of a gap around the electrical box but no worries you can fix that when you do the mudding.
- You find that the studs are not lining up where you need them to, so you can screw the drywall to them. Maybe the framing is not as straight and accurately measured as it should be. I have come across some walls where I have to add a bit of backing so the drywall can be secured properly.
- If you are using very long sheets let’s say 12’ sheets, there is always the possibility of the sheet cracking. When this happens, it destroys the integrity of the board along where the break is. Especially if the break goes right through back to front. If you were able to catch it before the drywall broke right through and the paper surface is not split, then you can still use that piece.
Hours to Drywall a Room?
So most DIY’ers will not do a whole house on their first attempt but rather a room like a bathroom or bedroom. If this is you, you are probably wondering how long it will take to drywall a room.
For example’s sake, let’s assume the room is 8’ squared and the ceilings are 8’ high. So that is 10 sheets of 4X8 for the ceiling and walls of the room. Now you must consider any closets or bulkheads on the ceiling. Closets always take quite a while because of the small pieces and the space there is to work in. Instead of figuring out drywall for the closet, let’s estimate that it will take at least an hour to finish and add that on the 10 sheets previously mentioned.
So with all of this information, an 8’x8’ room will take about 3.5 to 4 hours to drywall.
This is assuming you don’t run into any issues. I think, however, that this information is good to have so you can estimate your time or someone else’s appropriately.
How long does it take to install drywall in a house?
Because I don’t know how big the house is or how many closets or difficult locations there are to work with, I am suggesting you use my general guideline for timing as 15 minutes per 4X8 sheet to install for every two people there are on the job. Add an hour for each closet and you should have a good estimate.
How long does mudding take?
Mudding is the beginning of the end for your drywall job. If you are not experienced mudding drywall you are in for a treat. Make sure to check out my article on How to Mud Drywall Properly before you get started. This is a really messy job when you are just learning. Making sure your drywall mud is the perfect consistency is key in minimizing how much of a mess you make.
For how long it takes to mud, let’s use the 4X8 sheet example.
Assuming there will be drywall tape and mud around all four edges and then mud on the screw heads in the middle of the sheet, it shouldn’t take you any more than 10 minutes per sheet for each coat of mud.
There are usually three coats of mud applied, this includes the coat that includes drywall tape. Then you need to sand the mud to a flat finish which is the last step before painting. Sanding takes about 5 minutes per sheet, unless you have a real big mess to contend with.
So in total, each 4X8 sheet will take about 35 minutes of mudding and sanding work to finish. Of course some people will do this a bit quicker and some much longer. Takes these numbers as they are intended, which are estimates based on my experience and you will be able to plan your time accordingly.
How Long Does Drywall Take to Dry?
The short answer is 24 hours. It good dry quicker for smaller jobs using thinner coats and as you get more experience you will learn how to achieve that.
When doing a large job, I leave the mudding to dry for 24 hours and 99% of the time that is long enough. However, if you are working in a humid region or the home is just humid itself, then it could take longer. You can speed up the drying process by putting a fan in the room to circulate air.
Warning and Tip;
Do not use a dehumidifier. As good as an idea as this sounds, if the mud dries to quickly then it will crack. This means more work filling cracks now on your new mudding job.
How Long Does it Take to Repair Drywall?
This is going to be a tough question to answer here. I feel this might deserve its own article where I take you through the process of fixing things like door handles causing holes etc. What I can tell you though is that repairing a hole or crack in drywall is not as tough as you might think. You just have to get started.
For a time frame, just remember you need to first fix the location with a piece of drywall. Make sure it is secure then you have to apply drywall tape and mud. The mud will be 2 to 3 coats in total. You could start fixing a hole on a Friday night and possibly have it finished and painted by Sunday night.
Conclusion
In conclusion; I really want you to know that even though my estimates are approximately 10 to 15 minutes for two people to install a sheet of drywall, it will probably take longer until you get a good system going and are comfortable with the work. Sometimes you just get into a good flow going, if everything lines up properly but most of the time, it just doesn’t work that way.
Just remember, one stage at a time and before you know it, you have a drywall job completed.
Good luck!
