Painters
Paint Calculator
Calculate how many gallons of paint you need for any room, accounting for doors, windows, and coats.
Wall area: 486 sq ft gross − 70 sq ft (doors/windows) = 416 sq ft net. 2 coats at 350 sq ft/gallon = 3 gallons for walls, 2 gallons for ceiling. Round up to whole gallons when buying.
Common Questions
How much paint do I need for a 12x12 room?
A 12x12 room with 8 foot ceilings has about 384 square feet of wall space gross. After subtracting doors and windows, plan on roughly 330 square feet net. At 2 coats with 350 square feet per gallon coverage, you need about 2 gallons for the walls.
How many square feet does a gallon of paint cover?
Most interior paints cover 350 to 400 square feet per gallon with one coat. Flat and matte finishes cover the most. Dark colors, new drywall, and drastic color changes may need an extra coat.
Do I subtract doors and windows when calculating paint?
Yes, subtract about 20 square feet per door and 15 square feet per window from your total wall area. This calculator handles that automatically.
How many coats of paint does a room need?
Most repaint jobs need 2 coats for good coverage. New drywall or going from a dark color to a light one may need 3 coats. Touching up a small area in the same color usually only needs 1 coat.
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