How to Calculate How Much Paint You Will Need

Calculating the paint needed to cover walls and ceilings consists of basic arithmetic.

Adding a fresh coat of paint to the interior or exterior of a structure can breathe new life into the space. Acquiring the right amount of paint to do the job is an important step toward saving time and money. If you do not buy the right amount of paint for your project you may have to take another trip to the hardware store. If you buy too much and it's custom mixed, you probably won't be able to return it.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Paper
• Pen or pencil
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Measure the length of a wall along its base with a tape measure and write the measurement down next to the word "Base" on a piece of paper for easy reference.

2. Extend the tape measure from the floor to the ceiling along the same wall and write down the measurement next to the word "Height" for easy reference.

3. Multiply the base and height measurements using a calculator. If your base is 10 feet and your height is 8 feet, then you will arrive at 80 square feet which is the total area of the wall. Write down this number next to the phrase "Square Footage" for easy reference.

4. Measure the height and width of doors or windows present in the wall. Multiply these measurements and subtract the total square footage of all doors and windows from the square footage of the wall. For instance, if the doors and windows have a square footage of 26, subtract this from 80 and you are left with 54 square feet.

5. Repeat the above steps for every wall you plan to paint, and add all of the wall measurements together. As a rule of thumb, a gallon of paint will cover between 300 and 400 square feet. Take your measurements with you to the paint dealer. Check the label of the particular paint you are considering for the manufacturer's estimate of coverage for that paint.

References

• Curbly.com: How much paint do I need?