Per Square Foot: How Much Paint To Buy

Rough surfaces like stucco, brick, or deep-textured drywall have more surface area than flat walls. They "soak up" paint, often requiring 20% to 30% more product.

If you are painting a standard small bathroom or a single accent wall, a quart might suffice. However, for most average-sized rooms, you should expect to use at least two gallons for a standard two-coat finish. How to Calculate Your Space To get an accurate estimate, follow these three steps: how much paint to buy per square foot

If you are painting a light color over a very dark wall, you will likely need a coat of primer plus two (or even three) coats of paint to achieve full opacity. Rough surfaces like stucco, brick, or deep-textured drywall

I can run the math for you and suggest if you’ll need a . However, for most average-sized rooms, you should expect

To avoid overbuying, subtract about 20 square feet for each standard door and 15 square feet for each window.

Never buy the exact amount down to the last drop. Aim to have about a quart of paint left over once the job is finished. This ensures you have enough for touch-ups later when furniture scuffs a wall or a picture frame is moved. If you’d like a more precise estimate, let me know: The of the room (length, width, and height) The current wall color and the new color you’ve chosen The wall texture (smooth, knockdown, brick, etc.)

Most professional results require two coats . Double your final square footage before dividing by 400 to find the number of gallons needed. Variables That Change the Math