How do I handle wall heights?

Measure per room from the reflected ceiling and structural sheets; slab-to-deck walls and ceiling-height partitions coexist on the same floor.

Estimate in SF, then convert to sheet counts by board size when ordering.

Takeoff Guides

Drywall Takeoff Guide

Short answer

A drywall takeoff measures square feet of board by wall type and layer count, linear feet of track and studs, and the accessory items — corner bead, joint treatment, insulation — each separated by the wall-type legend.

Drywall quantities are driven by the wall-type legend: the same plan line can mean one layer of 5/8" on each side or two layers plus a rating. Every wall gets measured by length and height, then multiplied by the layer count its type calls for.

Rated, shaftwall, moisture-resistant, and abuse-resistant boards all price differently — keep the types separate from the first click.

What to measure

Wall lengths by wall type, both sides.
Wall heights per room — ceiling plan, not a blanket assumption.
Layer count per wall type from the legend.
Openings to deduct — doors, windows, per your convention.
Shaftwall and rated assemblies kept separate.
Corner bead, expansion joints, control joints.
Insulation and sound attenuation where scheduled.

Drywall takeoff units

Item	Unit	How measured
Gypsum board	SF	Wall LF × height × layers per side
Metal track	LF	Top + bottom track = 2 × wall LF
Metal studs	EA or LF	Wall LF × spacing, plus jambs/openings
Corner bead	LF	Outside corner count × height
Insulation in walls	SF	Wall area where shown
Joint treatment / finish level	SF	Board area, by finish level

The wall-type legend runs the takeoff

Partition types carry the whole spec — stud gauge, layer count, rating. Measure length per type on the plans and let the legend do the multiplication. Where a wall changes type mid-run, break the measurement at the change.

Heights and layers are where quantities go wrong

Wall height is not ceiling height — it is slab to structure or deck wherever the assembly demands it, and it varies room to room. Layers multiply SF fast: a two-layer rated wall is twice the board of a single-layer partition for the same drawn line.