Paint guide
How much paint do I need?
The reliable starting point is wall area, not floor area. Measure the room perimeter, multiply by wall height, subtract openings, then multiply by coats.
Basic formula
Paintable wall area = 2 x (length + width) x wall height - doors and windows. Then multiply by the number of coats.
Most interior paints cover roughly 300-400 square feet per gallon on smooth walls. Textured walls, porous patches, dark color changes, and low-quality rollers can reduce coverage.
Example
A 12 ft by 10 ft room with 8 ft walls has 352 square feet of wall surface before openings. If doors and windows total 45 square feet, paintable area is 307 square feet. With two coats, buy coverage for 614 square feet.
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What to round up for
- Fresh drywall or patched walls.
- Deep colors going over light colors, or light colors going over deep colors.
- High texture, brick, rough plaster, or popcorn surfaces.
- Rooms where you may need future touch-ups.