How many litres of paint for a 10×12 room?
A 10 × 12 ft room (3.05 × 3.66 m, walls 2.44 m high) has about 28 square metres of wall after a door and two windows and needs 6.52 litres of paint for two coats. The least to buy is 1 × 5 L + 2 × 1 L.
How to work it out
- 2 × (3.66 m + 3.05 m) × 2.44 m = 32.7 m² of wall − 1 door × 1.9 m² − 2 windows × 1.4 m² = 28 m²
- 28 m² × 2 coats ÷ 8.6 m²/L = 6.52 L
- Buy 1 × 5 L + 2 × 1 L (3 cans of the size chosen)
Rooms are often described in feet even where paint is sold in litres. A 10 × 12 ft room is 3.05 × 3.66 m; with 8 ft (2.44 m) walls its four walls add up to about 32.7 m² before the door and windows come out.
Adjust for your project
More options: Door · Window · Skip …
- Paint needed
- 6.52 L (1.72 gal)
- Wall paint, tins of the size you chose
- 3 cans · 2.5 L tin
- Area painted (one coat)
- 28 m²
- Paint per coat
- 3.26 L
- Coverage used
- 8.6 m²/L
- Coverage is per coat on a smooth, primed wall. Fresh drywall, flat old paint and textured walls soak up more, so if you are near a can boundary, round up.
- Old house? If it was built before 1978, read lead paint safety before you sand or scrape: EPA advises assuming old paint contains lead until it is tested.
Paint for this room by wall height
| Wall height | Area painted (one coat) | Paint needed | Buy (common tin sizes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4 m | 27.5 m² | 6.4 L | 1 × 5 L + 2 × 1 L |
| 2.7 m | 31.5 m² | 7.33 L | 1 × 5 L + 1 × 2.5 L |
| 3 m | 35.6 m² | 8.27 L | 1 × 5 L + 1 × 2.5 L + 1 × 1 L |
| 3.6 m | 43.6 m² | 10.1 L | 1 × 10 L + 1 × 1 L |
What to know about litres for a 10×12 room
- Coverage in m² per litre. 350 sq ft per US gallon is about 8.6 m² per litre, the low end of the 350–400 sq ft range on many interior data sheets. European and Indian emulsions often print 10–14 m² per litre per coat; use your tin’s figure, since it can change the answer by a third.
- About 28 m² per coat. 32.7 m² of wall, less 1.9 m² for the door and 2.8 m² for two windows.
- Tins. 6.52 litres is a 5 litre tin and two 1 litre tins, or a 5 litre and a 2.5 litre if that is cheaper where you shop. A 10 litre tub leaves a lot over.
- Two coats. Matt and silk emulsions usually need two coats over a different color; one may do when you repaint the same shade.
In US units the same room is how much paint for a 10x12 room. Switch the calculator to metric to work any room in metres; tin sizes and m² per litre follow automatically.
Different size? Use the full Room Paint Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Paint roller frame and covers (9 in)Budget price
A sturdy 9 in frame and a few 3/8 in nap covers handle smooth drywall. Rougher walls and ceilings want 1/2–3/4 in nap, as the data sheets suggest.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Angled sash brush (2–2½ in)Budget price
For cutting in along ceilings, corners and trim. A nylon-polyester brush is what the latex data sheets recommend.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Canvas drop clothBudget price
Canvas stays put and soaks up drips; plastic is cheaper but slippery underfoot and spreads wet paint.
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 litres of paint for a 12x12 ft room?
About 7.21 litres for two coats at 8.6 m² per litre: 1 × 5 L + 1 × 2.5 L.
How many litres for a 10x12 ft room if the tin says 12 m² per litre?
About 4.67 litres for two coats: 1 × 5 L.
Other common sizes
- How much paint for a 12x12 room — 1.91 gal: buy 2 gallons (walls only, 2 coats)
- How much paint for a 10x10 room — 1.54 gal: buy 2 gallons (walls only, 2 coats)
- How much paint for a 10x12 room — 1.73 gal: buy 2 gallons (walls only, 2 coats)
- How much paint for a 12x14 room — 2.09 gal: buy 2 gallons + 1 quart (walls only, 2 coats)
- How much paint for a small bathroom — 0.73 gal: buy 1 gallon (walls only, 2 coats)
- How much paint for a 12x12 room and ceiling — 1.91 gal walls + 0.82 gal ceiling, 2 coats
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 Flat (B30 series), product data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Coverage 350–400 sq ft per gallon at 4 mils wet; sheen 1.5–3.5 units at 85°.
- 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°.
- 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.
- 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.