How to Estimate Paint for Your Room
Painting a room is one of the most cost-effective ways to transform your living space, but buying the wrong amount of paint can be frustrating. Buy too little, and you're running back to the store mid-project. Buy too much, and you're wasting money.
Our Free Paint Coverage Calculator eliminates the guesswork. By simply entering the length, width, and height of your room, our tool calculates the total wall surface area and divides it by standard paint coverage rates to give you an accurate estimate.
Understanding the Math
We use a standard industry formula to determine your needs:
- Wall Area Calculation: We calculate the perimeter of your room (Length + Width) × 2, and multiply it by the Height.
- Coverage Rate: Standard wall paint typically covers about 350-400 square feet per gallon (or about 10-12 square meters per liter).
Tips for Perfect Coverage
Always plan for two coats of paint for the best finish and true color depth. If you are painting over a dark color with a light one, you might even need a primer coat first. We recommend buying slightly more than the calculator suggests to account for touch-ups and spills.