BuildRight

Paint Calculator

Wall area × number of coats, divided by your paint's coverage rate.

Coverage varies by paint and surface

Coverage claims on the can (usually 350-400 sq ft/gallon) assume a smooth, primed surface — textured walls, unprimed drywall, or dark-to-light color changes all reduce actual coverage, sometimes significantly.

Two coats is standard for a reason

A single coat rarely gives even, opaque coverage, especially over a different existing color — budgeting for two coats from the start avoids a mid-project paint store run.

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BuildRight

Paint Calculator

Wall area × number of coats, divided by your paint's coverage rate.

Wall area (sq ft)

Coverage per gallon (sq ft)

Number of coats

Gallons needed

2.286 gal

Standard paint covers about 350-400 sq ft per gallon — check your specific can's label.

What you entered

Wall area (sq ft): 400Coverage per gallon (sq ft): 350Number of coats: 2

1
Total area to cover (accounting for coats)
400 × 2= 800 sq ft
2
Divide by coverage per gallon
800 ÷ 350= 2.2857 gallons

Result

Gallons needed: 2.286 gal

400 sq ft with 2 coats needs about 2.2857142857142856 gallons of paint.

Coverage varies by paint and surface

Two coats is standard for a reason

A single coat rarely gives even, opaque coverage, especially over a different existing color — budgeting for two coats from the start avoids a mid-project paint store run.