Drywall screw size chart (free printable PDF)
What length drywall screw for your board? This chart gives the screw length for each common drywall thickness by the stud behind it — wood or metal — with the thread and gauge to match. The rule under it all: the screw has to bite far enough into the stud, not just clear the board. Download the free printable PDF or print it from the page.
Drywall screw size chart
| Drywall thickness | Wood studscoarse thread | Metal studsfine thread |
|---|---|---|
| ¼"–⅜"Thin / patch / curved work | 1" | 1" |
| ½"Walls | 1¼" | 1" or 1¼" |
| ½"Ceilings | 1⅝" | 1¼" |
| ⅝"Walls | 1⅝" | 1¼" |
| ⅝"Ceilings | 1⅝"–2" | 1¼" |
Thread is the #1 thing people get wrong: coarse thread for wood studs, fine thread for metal studs — match it to whatever the screw drives into. Use a #6 gauge screw for everyday drywall (step up to #8 for thick or multi-layer board); #6/#8 here is the screw gauge — the thickness of the screw itself — not a drill-bit number. Drywall screws have a bugle head that self-countersinks and sits flush without tearing the paper.
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How to read it
Find your drywall thickness on the left, then read across to the stud you’re driving into: the wood-stud column (coarse-thread screws) or the metal-stud column (fine-thread). Ceilings get their own row — they take a longer screw than the same board on a wall. Most homes are ½" board on wood studs, so 1¼" coarse-thread #6 screws cover the bulk of jobs.
This is the print-and-pin companion to the drywall screw size guide, which walks through the why in full prose.
Why length is about the stud, not the board
The number that matters isn’t the drywall thickness — it’s how far the screw reaches into the framing behind it. The accepted rule is that the screw must bite about ⅝" into a wood stud (or roughly ⅜" into a steel stud) past the board. That penetration, not the thickness alone, is what sets the length: length ≈ board thickness + the bite. It’s also why ceilings step up a size — gravity puts a continuous pull on the sheet, so you want more screw in the joist. Treat the lengths above as the practical standards and starting points for typical residential drywall.
Common questions
What size drywall screws for 1/2 drywall?
For ½" drywall on wood studs, use 1¼" coarse-thread screws — long enough to pass through the board and bite about ⅝"–¾" into the stud. On metal studs use 1" or 1¼" fine-thread screws. For a ½" ceiling, step up to 1⅝" on wood studs so it holds against gravity. #6 is the standard drywall-screw gauge.
What size drywall screws for 5/8 drywall?
For ⅝" drywall — the thicker, often fire-rated board — use 1⅝" coarse-thread screws on wood studs, or 1¼" fine-thread screws on metal studs. On a ⅝" ceiling you can run 1⅝" up to 2" for extra bite. The longer screw keeps a full ~1" in the framing behind the thicker sheet.
Coarse or fine thread for drywall?
Coarse thread for wood studs, fine thread for metal studs — this is the point people mix up most. Coarse threads are deep and widely spaced to grab wood; fine threads are shallow and closely spaced to cut and hold in thin steel without stripping. Most homes have wood studs, so coarse is the usual choice.
What size screws for a drywall ceiling?
Ceilings need a longer screw than the same board on a wall, because gravity pulls on the sheet continuously. For a ½" ceiling use 1⅝" on wood studs; for ⅝" ceiling board use 1⅝" up to 2". Fasteners also go a little closer together on ceilings — follow local code for fire-rated assemblies.
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Where these numbers come from
These lengths are cross-referenced from common drywall-fastening sources — a standard, widely used approach, not a substitute for code. They cover typical residential drywall over wood or metal framing. For fire-rated (Type X) assemblies, multi-layer builds, or any code-inspected work, the screw length, gauge and spacing are specified — follow the board manufacturer’s instructions and your local building code, which take precedence over any general chart.
Drywall screw lengths are practical standards for typical residential assemblies over wood or metal studs. Fire-rated, multi-layer and commercial or code-inspected work has its own specified fasteners and spacing — follow the manufacturer's instructions and local building code for those.