Exterior house paint calculator
Enter the house’s outside dimensions, or its living area and number of stories, then the siding type. Rough siding and stucco take far more paint per square foot than smooth vinyl or fiber cement.
Enter your measurements
More options: Pitch · Doors · Coverage …
- Exterior paint needed
- 8.46 gal (32 L)
- Cans of the size you chose
- 2 cans · 5-gallon pail
- Wall area to paint (one coat)
- 1,481 sq ft
- Paint per coat
- 4.23 gal
- Coverage used
- 350 sq ft/gal
- Of which gables
- 250 sq ft
- House outline used
- 47.4 ft × 31.6 ft, 9 ft to the eaves
1,500 sq ft ÷ 1 story = 1,500 sq ft footprint → 47.4 ft × 31.6 ft (1.5 : 1 rectangle)
Walls: 2 × (47.4 ft + 31.6 ft) × 9 ft = 1,423 sq ft + 2 gables 250 sq ft
− 2 doors and 10 windows = 1,481 sq ft
1,481 sq ft × 2 coats ÷ 350 sq ft/gal = 8.46 gal → 2 cans (8 gallons + 2 quarts)
- Using a planning coverage for this siding. The figure on your paint’s data sheet is better; type it under More options.
- Floor-area mode assumes a plain rectangle 1.5 times as long as it is wide. L-shaped houses, bump-outs and porches add wall; measure them for a firmer number.
- Vinyl siding: use a color no darker than the original. Paint makers such as Diamond Vogel warn that a darker color absorbs more heat and can make vinyl warp or buckle; some brands sell “vinyl-safe” color ranges for this.
- For a pre-1978 or unknown-age house, wash at low pressure, mist and hand-scrape onto plastic sheeting laid on the ground (EPA’s rule for contractors calls for 10 ft beyond the work), and don’t dry power-sand. See lead paint safety.
- Trim, fascia, soffits, shutters and doors are not included; they usually take a different color and sheen.
Quick answers for common sizes
| Example | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much paint for a 1,500 sq ft house exterior | 8.46 gal: 2 × 5-gal pails |
| How much paint for a 2,000 sq ft house exterior | 12.6 gal: 3 × 5-gal pails |
| How much paint for a 1,000 sq ft house exterior | 6.67 gal: buy 7 gallons |
Exterior paint for this house by siding
| Siding | Exterior paint needed | Cans of the size you chose |
|---|---|---|
| smooth siding | 8.46 gal | 2 cans |
| textured lap siding | 9.87 gal | 2 cans |
| rough wood siding | 11.8 gal | 3 cans |
| stucco or masonry | 14.8 gal | 3 cans |
| stucco, elastomeric coating | 29.6 gal | 6 cans |
Measuring the outside walls is best. If you only know the square footage, the floor-area mode turns it into a simple rectangular house: the result is a starting point, not a quote. Every assumption is listed in the working under the result. New to this? Paint words explained.
How the exterior paint calculator works
walls = perimeter × height to the eaves gables = number × ½ × house width × rise (rise = width ÷ 2 × pitch ÷ 12) paint = (walls + gables − doors − windows) × coats ÷ coverage
From floor area, the footprint is the living area divided by the number of stories, shaped as a rectangle 1.5 times as long as it is wide. A 1,500 sq ft ranch becomes a 47 × 32 ft box. Doors come off at 21 sq ft each and windows at 15 sq ft.
Siding changes everything
| Siding | Planning figure | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl, aluminum, smooth fiber cement | 350 sq ft/gal | Sherwin-Williams A-100 Exterior Latex: 350–400 sq ft/gal on aluminum, vinyl and wood siding. |
| Wood clapboard, textured lap | 300 sq ft/gal | Inside Behr Premium Plus Exterior’s 250–400 range, which depends on porosity and method. |
| Rough-sawn cedar, shakes, T1-11 | 250 sq ft/gal | Low end of the Behr range; WoodScapes solid stain gives 200–400. |
| Stucco, brick, block | 200 sq ft/gal | Low end of the Loxon masonry primer’s 200–300; about 80 on porous, rough stucco. |
| Stucco with an elastomeric coating | 100 sq ft/gal | Low end of Sherwin-Williams ConFlex XL Smooth: 100–125 per coat at 13–16 mils wet. |
Worked examples
- How much paint for a 1,000 sq ft house exterior: a small ranch, about 7 gallons.
- How much paint for a 1,500 sq ft house exterior: a single-story house on smooth siding.
- How much paint for a 2,000 sq ft house exterior: two stories, and what changes on stucco.
Tips for painting a house
- Check the temperature limits on the can. The A-100 data sheet allows application down to 35°F and asks for surfaces at least 5°F above the dew point, with no rain expected for a few hours; many paints need 50°F.
- Bare wood, chalky paint and masonry need primer first. Budget it with the primer calculator.
- Paint from the top down and work in the shade, following the sun around the house.
- Buy enough for the whole house at once and box it in a 5-gallon bucket, so every wall is the same batch.
- Working off ladders is the real risk on an exterior job. Use the ladder at the angle its label shows and keep three points of contact.
The full job, from washing to the last coat on the trim, is in painting a house exterior.
What you’ll need
- Airless paint sprayerPremium price
Speeds up siding, fences and big empty rooms. Expect to use more paint than the label figure, which leaves out spray loss.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Electric pressure washerMid-range price
Cleans siding, decks and fences before painting. Let wood dry thoroughly before you coat it.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Carbide paint scraperBudget price
Removes loose and flaking paint. On houses built before 1978, follow lead-safe practices first.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Roller covers, 3/8 in and 1/2 in napBudget price
Shorter nap for smooth walls and trim-adjacent work, longer nap for textured ceilings and rough siding. A fresh cover per color saves cleanup.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - 5-gallon bucket and roller gridBudget price
Once a job needs more than two gallons, boxing the paint in a bucket keeps the color consistent and a grid replaces the tray.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How many gallons of paint do I need for a 2,000 sq ft house exterior?
About 12–13 gallons for two coats on smooth siding for a two-story house, more on rough wood or stucco. See how much paint for a 2,000 sq ft house exterior.
How many 5-gallon buckets of paint for a house?
A single-story 1,500 sq ft house on smooth siding takes about 8.5 gallons for two coats, so two pails. Two stories or rough siding can need three or four.
Does stucco take more paint?
Much more. Sherwin-Williams’ Loxon masonry primer lists 200–300 sq ft per gallon, and only about 80 on porous, rough stucco, against 350–400 for smooth siding. The calculator plans stucco at 200.
Should I include the trim in the exterior paint?
No. Fascia, soffits, window and door trim are usually a different color and a glossier sheen. Work them out with the trim paint calculator.
How do I account for a garage door?
Add it as several doors (a 16 × 7 ft door is about 112 sq ft, or five or six 21 sq ft doors) if you aren’t painting it the siding color, or paint it separately: how much paint for a garage door.
Related guides
Sources
- Sherwin-Williams, A-100 Exterior Latex Flat (A06 series), product data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 350–400 sq ft per gallon at 4 mils wet; for aluminum, vinyl and wood siding, shakes, masonry; two coats.
- Behr, Premium Plus Exterior Satin Paint (No. 9050), technical data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 250–400 sq ft per gallon depending on application method and substrate porosity.
- Sherwin-Williams, Loxon Concrete & Masonry Primer/Sealer (A24W8300), product data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 200–300 sq ft per gallon; about 80 sq ft per gallon on porous, rough stucco.
- Sherwin-Williams, ConFlex XL Smooth High Build Acrylic Coating (CF11W0051), product data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Elastomeric coating for stucco, concrete and CMU: 100–125 sq ft per gallon per coat in a two-coat system (13–16 mils wet); 50–60 sq ft for a one-coat spray system.
- Sherwin-Williams, WoodScapes Exterior Acrylic Solid Color Stain (A15-50 series), product data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 200–400 sq ft per gallon at 4–8 mils wet; two coats.
- Diamond Vogel, Technical bulletin: Painting vinyl siding (47119-DV) (opens in a new tab) — Don’t paint vinyl siding darker than its original color: a darker color absorbs more heat and can make it warp or buckle. Two coats of acrylic latex.
- US EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rules (opens in a new tab) — Covers homes, child care facilities and kindergartens built before 1978; firms and renovators must be certified.
- US EPA, Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: Do-It-Yourselfers (opens in a new tab) — Assume pre-1978 paint has lead unless tested; contain the area, mist before sanding, HEPA vacuum, N-100 respirator, wet cleanup.
- 40 CFR 745.85, Work practice standards (via Cornell LII) (opens in a new tab) — Exterior work: plastic sheeting on the ground extending 10 ft beyond the work. Prohibited: open-flame burning or torching; high-speed machines without shrouds and HEPA vacuum attachments; heat guns at 1,100°F or more.