An apparatus for a present depth adapter (10) having a flared body that is narrow at the bottom (68) with a wider top portion (46) and a central recess or throughbore (50) extending therethrough. The present invention (10) comes in a variety of sizes wherein the depth from top to bottom is slightly less than the thickness of common sheetrock (18) used in the industry. The shaft of the screw or nail is inserted through the top of the recess (50) until the head rests thereagainst. The screw or nail is installed and cannot be driven any further once the bottom (68) of the preset depth adapter makes contact with the stud (16) regardless of whether the stud is wood or steel. This results in each screw or nail being countersunk to the proper depth and prevents the hardware from being driven too far into the sheetrock (18) and compromising the fastening integrity thereof. The flared shape of the present invention (10) forms a plug that assures an absolute bond to the sheetrock (18).