How much paint do I need?
Measure the room, put the numbers in, and this works out the gallons.
Figured at 350 square feet to the gallon, which is where most wall paint lands. A rough wall, a deep color going over a light one, or bare drywall will all drink more.
What this number does not tell you
What the paint costs is the small part. On a room we quote, it’s usually under a fifth of the number. The rest is the work. Moving and covering what’s in the room, filling and sanding, caulking where the trim meets the wall. Then cutting in every edge by hand, two coats, and putting the room back.
So this is useful for two things. Buying paint if you’re doing it yourself, and knowing roughly what’s in the bucket when somebody quotes you.
If you want the other number, what a job runs around here, and the free estimate that gives you the real one.
A few things worth knowing
Why two coats?
One coat almost never covers evenly, even over the same color. Two is what a finished wall takes, and any quote worth comparing says how many are in it.
Does the finish change how much I need?
Barely. Flat, eggshell and satin all cover about the same. What the finish changes is how the wall wears and how much it shows, which matters more in a hallway than in a bedroom.
What about the trim and doors?
Trim is bought by the quart more often than the gallon, and it’s slow work rather than a lot of paint. A door takes about a third of a quart a side.
Should I buy extra?
Keep what’s left over rather than buying more. A labelled can in the basement is worth having the first time somebody puts a chair through the drywall.
More from Unique Painting KC
- Interior painting
- Exterior painting
- Kitchen cabinet painting
- Wood rot repair
- New siding and windows
- Ceilings and texture
- Doors and windows
- Handrails and banisters
- Picking interior colors
- What a job costs
- How much paint do I need?
- See your house in a new color
- The gallery
- What customers say
- Get a free estimate
Rather not do it yourself?
Tell us which rooms and send over a few photos if you have them. Somebody will come out to walk them with you and work through pricing. The estimate is free!