House Painting Calculator: How Much Paint Do You Need For Different Rooms?

Calculating the exact amount of paint you need is an essential step in house painting. If you buy too much, your budget could be seriously affected, and if you buy too little, you will run out before finishing the job, and you could end up with different shades on the walls. Therefore, you have to do the maths before heading for the store, and when you are asked about the details, you have to know the answers by the book.

Luckily, after reading this article, you will become an expert in house painting, at least in terms of the amount of paint required. To make life easier for you, we will calculate the amount of paint for different types of rooms, using the standard sizes for small, medium, and large rooms in the US. Furthermore, we will add variables such as the size of the room (rectangle or square), as well as the number of windows, and doors.

House painting calculator for the living room

Small living room (rectangle, 12x18x9 ft, 1 door, 2 windows, 2 coats): 3 gallons;

Medium living room  (rectangle, 16x20x9 ft, 1 door, 2 windows, 2 coats): 4 gallons;

Large living room  (rectangle, 22x28x9 ft, 1 door, 2 windows, 2 coats): 5 gallons;

House painting calculator for the master bedroom

Small bedroom  (square, 14x14x9 ft, 1 door, 2 windows, including ceiling paint, 2 coats): 5 gallons;

Medium bedroom  (square, 18x18x9 ft, 1 door, 2 windows, including ceiling paint, 2 coats): 6 gallons;

Large bedroom  (square, 24x24x9 ft, 1 door, 2 windows, including ceiling paint, 2 coats): 9 gallons;

House Painting Calculator For The Kitchen

Small kitchen (rectangle, 5x10x9 ft, 1 window, 1 door, 1 coat): 1 gallon;

Medium kitchen (rectangle, 10x16x9 ft, 1 window, 1 door, 1 coat): 2 gallons;

Large kitchen (rectangle, 12x20x9 ft, 1 window, 1 door, 1 coat): 2 gallons;

House Painting Calculator For The Bathroom

Small bathroom (rectangle, 6x9x9 ft, 1 door, 1 coat): 1 gallon;

Medium bathroom (rectangle, 8x12x9 ft, 1 door, 1 coat): 1 gallon;

Large bathroom (rectangle, 10x16x9 ft, 1 door, 1 coat): 2 gallons.

While calculating these house painting amounts, we considered that the standard door accounts for 20 square feet, while an average window accounts for 15 square feet. Furthermore, we calculated ceiling paint separately since ceilings are typically painted in a different color. However, these calculations are only intended to give a rough estimate, with the precise paint needs varying according to many factors, including the application method. In general, one gallon of paint covers approximately 350 square feet.

House painting seems highly intuitive, but it’s easier said than done. Therefore, before starting you need to know a few tips and tricks. First of all, always finish one wall before starting the other, to obtain a seamless look. Secondly, mix the “same color” cans of paint in one large bucket since the shades can differ slightly from can to can. Last but not least, inspect the walls with a flashlight after finishing, to make sure you didn’t miss any spots.