Common question
How much paint for a room?
Gallons come from the wall area, the coats you plan, and how far one gallon spreads. Doors and windows reduce the area. A ceiling adds area only if you include it.
The gallon count is an estimate from the coverage you enter. Check it against the can you actually buy. A textured wall or a large color change can use more paint than a smooth-wall yield.
About 2 gallons for this room.
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How we calculated this
Wall area is the perimeter times the height. Ceiling area is added when you include it. Door and window area is subtracted. Gallons are the paintable area times coats, divided by coverage, then rounded up to the next whole gallon.
What does this mean?
Buy 2 gallons. The exact amount is 1.78 gallons for 312 square feet.
Your assumptions
Edit assumptions- Room
- 12.0 × 10.0 ft
- Wall height
- 8.0 ft
- Coverage
- 350 sq ft / gallon / coat
- Ceiling
- Not included
This calculator provides an estimate for planning. Material yield, waste, prices, and local requirements may vary.
How the estimate is calculated
Wall area is the perimeter times the height: two times length plus width, times height. Ceiling area is length times width when you include it. Opening area is subtracted.
Exact gallons are that paintable area times the number of coats, divided by coverage. The buy quantity rounds up to the next whole gallon.
Open the Paint Calculator · How this calculator works · How much paint for a room
Questions
What coverage should I enter?
Use the square feet per gallon printed on the can. About 350 square feet per gallon per coat is only a starting figure for smooth walls.
Should I include the ceiling?
Include it when you are painting it with the same product. Leave it off when the ceiling is a different paint or you are not painting it.
Does this price the paint?
No. It estimates gallons from the room and the coverage you enter.
Why round up?
You cannot buy a fraction of the last gallon in this estimate, and running short mid-coat is the worse outcome.