How much does a gallon of paint cover?
A gallon of interior wall paint covers about 350–400 sq ft per coat on smooth, primed walls: roughly 43.8 feet of 8 ft wall. With two coats, halve it.
How to work it out
- 1 gal × 350 sq ft/gal = 350 sq ft
- At the high end: 1 gal × 400 sq ft/gal = 400 sq ft
The number on most gallons of interior paint is 350–400 sq ft per coat. That is a single coat at the film thickness the manufacturer tested, on a smooth, sealed wall; real rooms with fresh drywall, patches or texture land at the lower end or below it.
Adjust for your project
More options: High
- Covers (at the high end)
- 400 sq ft
- Coverage range
- 350–400 sq ft
- Wall length at 8 ft high
- 43.8 ft
- Data-sheet coverage is measured on smooth, sealed surfaces at a set film thickness. New drywall, textured walls, rough siding and spraying all cover less.
- Most repaints over a different color, and all new drywall, need two coats; the per-coat figure is the one to plan from.
Coverage by container (same coverage and coats)
| Paint | Covers (at the low end) | Covers (at the high end) | Wall length at 8 ft high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quart | 87.5 sq ft | 100 sq ft | 10.9 ft |
| Gallon | 350 sq ft | 400 sq ft | 43.8 ft |
| 2 gallons | 700 sq ft | 800 sq ft | 87.5 ft |
| 5-gallon pail | 1,750 sq ft | 2,000 sq ft | 219 ft |
What a gallon covers, brand by brand
The data sheets are not identical. Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 Zero VOC lists 350–400 sq ft per gallon at 4 mils wet. Benjamin Moore’s Regal Select Eggshell lists 400–450 at 3.8 mils wet. Behr Premium Plus lists 250–400, and says the range depends on the application method and the porosity of the surface. Exterior latex such as Sherwin-Williams A-100 is also 350–400 on smooth siding.
- Two coats: 175–200 sq ft of wall. That is one 12 ft wall and most of a second at 8 ft high, which is why a single gallon rarely finishes a bedroom.
- A 12 × 12 room has 334 sq ft of wall after a door and two windows, so two coats take about 1.9 gallons at 350: how much paint for a 12x12 room.
- Ceilings behave like walls when smooth; textured and popcorn ceilings can drop to 250 sq ft per gallon or less.
- Metric: 350–400 sq ft per US gallon is about 8.6–9.8 m² per litre.
The bigger containers scale exactly: a quart is a quarter of the figure (how much does a quart of paint cover) and a pail five times it (how much does a 5 gallon bucket of paint cover).
Different size? Use the full Paint Coverage Calculator (Gallons to Square Feet).
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) - Paint tray and linersBudget price
Liners turn a color change or the end of the day into a two-minute job instead of a scrub at the sink.
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)
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 much does a gallon of paint cover with two coats?
About 175–200 sq ft of wall.
How much does a gallon of Behr paint cover?
Behr Premium Plus lists 250–400 sq ft per coat, depending on application method and porosity.
How much does a gallon of Benjamin Moore Regal Select cover?
About 400–450 sq ft per coat (400–450 sq ft per gallon on its data sheet).
Other common sizes
- How much does a 5 gallon bucket of paint cover — 1,750–2,000 sq ft per coat
- How much does a quart of paint cover — 88–100 sq ft per coat
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°.
- 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.
- 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.