Drywall Screw Spacing and Pattern Guide

Hanging drywall correctly provides a solid foundation for the rest of your construction project, and proper drywall screw spacing is just as important. In general, drywall screws should be spaced a maximum of 16 inches apart on wall fields and 8 inches on wall edges. On ceilings, space the fasteners 12 inches apart on the fields and 7 to 8 inches apart on the edges. Keep the fasteners around 3/8 inches from the ends and edges of the drywall panels.

Number of Screws Per Sheet of Drywall

Use about 32 drywall screws per sheet of 4-foot by 8-foot drywall installed horizontally on a wall. This total is comprised of four screws on the five middle studs and six screws on each of the two sides.

How to Calculate

The easy way to calculate how many drywall screws to buy is to buy one screw per square foot of drywall installed.

A more accurate way to calculate this (in case you are using half sheets or extra-large sheets) is to divide the wall square footage by 32 to arrive at the number of full sheets required. Then, multiply the number of sheets by 32 (the number of screws needed per sheet).

Screw Spacing for Drywall Wall Edges

Space the screws about 8 inches apart on the edges of drywall panels.

With drywall edges, the aim is to create a continuous seam so that you can effectively tape and mud the edge. In this case, continuous means reducing lippage between the panels. When one panel protrudes farther than its neighbor, the finishing process becomes difficult to do correctly when the panel joints are butted together. 

The solution is to tightly space screws along the edges, however, spacing screws too closely on the edges can cause the edges to crumble. Finishing with drywall compound can fix the occasional chipped or gouged edge.

Screw Spacing for Drywall Wall Fields

Space the screws about 16 inches apart in the field, or inner part, of drywall panels.

The field is considered a more stable area. Both the International Residential Code (IRC) and USG, the manufacturer of Sheetrock, note that the recommended maximum field screw spacing for wall drywall is 16 inches. Some builders like to space fasteners tighter than that, so they go down to 12 inches.

Screw Spacing for Drywall Ceiling Edges

Space the screws about 7 to 8 inches apart on the edges of drywall ceiling panels.

Horizontal (ceiling) placement creates far more stress on drywall and on drywall screws than vertical (wall) placement. The entire weight of the sheet is now carried by upside-down screws. 

Industry professionals often recommend 8-inch edge placement, which is the same as for wall edges. Others like to reduce that number to 7 inches.

Screw Spacing for Drywall Ceiling Fields

Space the screws about 12 inches apart on the field, or inner section, of drywall ceiling panels.

Both IRC and USG recommend that ceiling field spacing should be no greater than 12 inches apart. Drywall ceiling field spacing is closer than wall field spacing because of the weight-bearing that occurs from the drywall. Horizontal placement adds more stress on drywall and screws than vertical placement.

Best Drywall Screw Patterns

Screw distances, for the most part, determine the pattern.

• Edge screws: For edge screws, you may wish to try to set up your distances so that screws on adjoining panels are staggered on a shared stud. This reduces the possibility of having two crumbled drywall edges in the same spot.
• Field screws: Always make sure that screws are spaced equally down a line. Field screws do not benefit by being staggered. It is your choice as to whether you stagger them or keep them running even with each other. Some drywall installers and contractors believe staggered field screws help better distribute weight loads. Other pros think that lining up field screws in rows is structurally better because it mimics the effect of having a framing member in that position.

Using Adhesive When Installing Drywall

Construction adhesive can be used on studs and joists in conjunction with (but not as a replacement for) drywall screws. Running a bead of glue on the stud or joist before screwing on the panel exponentially increases the strength between the panels and framing members.

Generally, when using screws and glue, screws can be placed at twice the distance as with screws only. This is not recommended for do-it-yourselfers because, unless you are experienced with drywall, there is a high likelihood that you may need to readjust a sheet or even reinstall it. Once the glue is binding the panel to the joist or stud, it is impossible to remove without damaging the drywall, requiring total replacement.