Paint Cost Calculator

Paint coverage varies by product — most standard interior paints cover roughly 350-400 sq ft per gallon, but textured surfaces, porous drywall, or premium thick-coverage paints can differ significantly, so using your specific can's label figure gives a much more accurate estimate.

Each coat of paint covers the same wall area again, so two coats over a 400 sq ft wall require paint for 800 sq ft of total coverage — this is the most common reason people underestimate how much paint to buy, since two coats is the standard recommendation for even color coverage.

Paint is typically sold in gallon and quart increments, so rounding up to the nearest quarter gallon (rather than showing an exact decimal like 2.17 gallons) gives a more directly purchasable amount, while still rounding up rather than down to avoid running short mid-job.

No — enter your net paintable wall area (gross wall area minus windows/doors) for an accurate estimate; the calculator doesn't automatically subtract openings since their sizes vary too much room to room to assume a default.