Paint coverage chart: how much a gallon covers, and gallons per room
Look up how far paint goes without doing the math: what each container covers, what three common paint lines list on their data sheets, and how many gallons the walls and ceiling of a typical room take for two coats.
How much does a gallon of paint cover?
Interior wall paint usually lists 350–400 sq ft per gallon per coat. That figure is measured on a smooth, sealed surface at a set wet film thickness, around 4 mils on the Sherwin-Williams sheets, so treat it as a best case and use the low end for planning. Two coats halve it.
| Container | One coat (350–400 sq ft/gal) | Two coats |
|---|---|---|
| Quart | 88–100 sq ft | 44–50 sq ft |
| Gallon | 350–400 sq ft | 175–200 sq ft |
| 2 gallons | 700–800 sq ft | 350–400 sq ft |
| 5-gallon pail | 1750–2000 sq ft | 875–1000 sq ft |
Each container has its own worked page: how much does a quart of paint cover, how much does a gallon of paint cover and how much does a 5 gallon bucket of paint cover.
Coverage by brand and product
| Product | Coverage per gallon, per coat | Notes from the data sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 Zero VOC interior (flat, eg-shel, semi-gloss) | 350–400 sq ft at 4 mils wet | Drywall: 1 coat primer, 2 coats finish |
| Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 Zero VOC primer | 400 sq ft at 4 mils wet | Designed for use under ProMar topcoats |
| Benjamin Moore Regal Select Eggshell | 400–450 sq ft at 3.8 mils wet | Two coats for full color |
| Benjamin Moore Advance (cabinet and trim enamel) | 400–500 sq ft at 3.6 mils wet | Waterborne alkyd |
| Behr Premium Plus interior, ceiling, exterior, primer | 250–400 sq ft | Range depends on application method and porosity; excludes spray loss |
| Sherwin-Williams A-100 Exterior Latex | 350–400 sq ft at 4 mils wet | Vinyl, aluminum and wood siding, masonry |
| Sherwin-Williams WoodScapes solid stain | 200–400 sq ft | Two coats |
| Sherwin-Williams WoodScapes semi-transparent stain | 100–350 sq ft | Weathered wood takes more than new |
| Sherwin-Williams Loxon masonry primer | 200–300 sq ft | About 80 on porous, rough stucco |
Gallons of paint per room
Walls 8 ft high, one door and two windows taken off, two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon. The ceiling column is the ceiling alone, also two coats at 350, for a smooth ceiling.
| Room | Wall area | Walls, 2 coats | Least to buy | Ceiling, 2 coats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | 270 sq ft | 1.54 gal | 2 gallons | 0.57 gal |
| 10 × 12 ft | 302 sq ft | 1.73 gal | 2 gallons | 0.69 gal |
| 12 × 12 ft | 334 sq ft | 1.91 gal | 2 gallons | 0.82 gal |
| 12 × 14 ft | 366 sq ft | 2.09 gal | 2 gallons + 1 quart | 0.96 gal |
| 12 × 16 ft | 398 sq ft | 2.27 gal | 2 gallons + 2 quarts | 1.1 gal |
| 14 × 14 ft | 398 sq ft | 2.27 gal | 2 gallons + 2 quarts | 1.12 gal |
| 14 × 16 ft | 430 sq ft | 2.46 gal | 2 gallons + 2 quarts | 1.28 gal |
| 15 × 20 ft | 510 sq ft | 2.91 gal | 3 gallons | 1.71 gal |
| 20 × 20 ft | 590 sq ft | 3.37 gal | 3 gallons + 2 quarts | 2.29 gal |
Worked pages with the details for the common sizes: how much paint for a 10x10 room, how much paint for a 10x12 room, how much paint for a 12x12 room and how much paint for a 12x14 room. For ceilings: how much paint for a 10x10 ceiling, how much paint for a 12x12 ceiling and how much paint for a 20x20 ceiling.
What lowers coverage
- New drywall and patches. Bare paper and joint compound absorb the first coat unevenly; prime first (how much primer for 1,000 sq ft of new drywall).
- Texture. Knockdown, popcorn and stucco have far more surface than their footprint. Plan ceilings with texture at about 250 sq ft per gallon, the low end of Behr’s ceiling paint range.
- Rough wood outside. Decks and fences take 150–250 sq ft per gallon: see how much paint for a 12x16 deck and how much paint for a 6 ft fence panel.
- Spraying. Data-sheet coverage leaves out overspray; add 20–50% when you spray, depending on the surface and the wind.
- Color changes. Deep colors cover the same area per gallon but hide less, so they take more coats.
Small jobs
Some jobs are smaller than a quart or two. A painted interior door, both sides, takes about three-quarters of a quart (how much paint for a door); an accent wall about three quarts (how much paint for an accent wall); a small bathroom about a gallon once the tile is taken off (how much paint for a small bathroom). Spray cans are a different scale again: a dining chair takes about three (how many cans of spray paint for a chair), and a whole door seven or eight, which is why a quart and a roller usually win (how many cans of spray paint to paint a door).
Litres and square metres
350–400 sq ft per US gallon is about 8.6–9.8 m² per litre. Many European and Asian emulsions print 10–14 m² per litre per coat; use the figure on the tin. A 10 × 12 ft room in litres is worked through on how many litres of paint for a 10x12 room.
CalculatorRoom Paint Calculator →Your own room, with your doors, windows, coats and coverage.Frequently asked questions
How many square feet does a gallon of paint cover with two coats?
About 175–200 sq ft of wall at 350–400 sq ft per gallon per coat.
How many gallons of paint for an average bedroom?
About two gallons for two coats on the walls of a 12 × 12 ft bedroom with 8 ft walls, a door and two windows.
Sources
- Sherwin-Williams, ProMar 200 Zero VOC Interior Latex Eg-Shel (B20 series), product data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 350–400 sq ft per gallon at 4 mils wet; two coats over primer on drywall; sheen 15–20 units at 85°.
- Sherwin-Williams, ProMar 200 Zero VOC Interior Latex Primer (B28W02600), product data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 400 sq ft per gallon at 4 mils wet; one coat on drywall, then two finish coats.
- Benjamin Moore, Regal Select Interior Eggshell (549), technical data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 400–450 sq ft per gallon at 3.8 mils wet; two coats for full color; eggshell 15–22 units at 85°.
- Benjamin Moore, Advance Interior Matte (791), technical data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 400–500 sq ft per gallon at 3.6 mils wet; a cabinet, door and trim enamel; matte 2–6 units at 85°.
- Behr, Premium Plus Interior Flat Paint (No. 1050), technical data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 250–400 sq ft per gallon depending on application method and substrate porosity; does not include spray loss.
- Behr, Premium Plus Interior Ceiling Flat Paint & Primer (No. 558), technical data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 250–400 sq ft per gallon depending on application method and porosity; formulated for textured, popcorn and acoustic ceilings.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sherwin-Williams, WoodScapes Exterior Polyurethane Semi-Transparent Stain (A15T00005), product data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 100–350 sq ft per gallon depending on porosity and texture; weathered wood takes more than new.
- 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.