How much paint do I need?
By the Tapepal teamUpdated 4 min read
Quick answer
Multiply the length of all the walls by their height, take off doors and windows, then multiply by the number of coats. A gallon of wall paint covers about 350 to 400 sq ft per coat. Check your can.
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Work it out in four steps
- Walk around the roomAdd up the length of every wall. A 13 × 11 ft room is 48 ft around.
- Multiply by the height48 ft × 8 ft = 384 sq ft of wall.
- Take off doors and windowsA door is about 21 sq ft, a window about 15 sq ft. That leaves 348 sq ft.
- Multiply by coats and divide348 sq ft × 2 coats = 696 sq ft. At 400 sq ft per gallon, that is 1.8 gallons, rounded up, so buy 2 one-gallon cans.
Quick sizes
| Room floor | Wall area (8 ft high) | Paint, 2 coats |
|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | 320 sq ft | 1.6 gal |
| 13 × 11 ft | 384 sq ft | 2.0 gal |
| 14 × 12 ft | 416 sq ft | 2.1 gal |
These are before doors and windows, at 400 sq ft per gallon with gallons rounded up, so they leave a little extra for touch-ups.
Skip the math.Scan the room with Tapepal and get the gallons, with doors and windows taken off.Get Tapepal
Ceilings and trim
A ceiling has the same area as the floor: length × width. Baseboards and door trim take far less paint, usually a quart for a room.
Free toolSquare footageGet the wall or floor area of any room shape.Or scan the room
Questions
How many coats do I need?
Usually two. Going from a dark color to a light one can take three.
Do I need primer?
New drywall and bare wood need a primer first. Painted walls in good condition usually do not.
How much for the ceiling?
Multiply the floor length by the width. A 13 × 11 ft ceiling is 143 sq ft, about 0.8 gal for two coats.
