How much does a 5 gallon bucket of paint cover?
A 5-gallon bucket of paint covers about 1,750–2,000 sq ft per coat at 350–400 square feet per gallon, or half that with two coats.
How to work it out
- 5 gal × 350 sq ft/gal = 1,750 sq ft
- At the high end: 5 gal × 400 sq ft/gal = 2,000 sq ft
A 5-gallon pail is the contractor’s unit: it is usually cheaper per gallon than single cans, and boxing a whole job in one bucket guarantees the color matches from room to room. The catch is buying more than you need.
Adjust for your project
More options: High
- Covers (at the high end)
- 2,000 sq ft
- Coverage range
- 1,750–2,000 sq ft
- Wall length at 8 ft high
- 219 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 5-gallon pail covers
- 1,750–2,000 sq ft, one coat. Five times the 350–400 sq ft per gallon on most interior and exterior latex data sheets.
- 875–1,000 sq ft, two coats. That is the walls of three 12 × 12 rooms (334 sq ft each after openings), or a house’s worth of hallways and a stairwell.
- Exterior. On smooth siding, the same 1,750–2,000 sq ft per coat; on rough cedar, stucco or block, much less. A 1,500 sq ft single-story house exterior needs about two pails for two coats: how much paint for a 1,500 sq ft house exterior.
- Ceilings. Five gallons of ceiling white is about 1,750 sq ft per coat, enough for most of the ceilings in a 1,500–2,000 sq ft house with one coat.
If your total comes out at 3½ gallons or more of one color, a pail usually costs about the same as four single gallons. If it is 2–3 gallons, buy gallons. Leftover paint keeps for years if the lid is sealed and it doesn’t freeze.
One gallon on its own is covered on how much does a gallon of paint cover.
Different size? Use the full Paint Coverage Calculator (Gallons to Square Feet).
What you’ll need
- 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) - 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) - 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)
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 5 gallon bucket of paint cover with two coats?
About 875–1,000 sq ft.
How much does a 5 gallon bucket of exterior paint cover on rough siding?
At 250–300 sq ft per gallon, about 1,250–1,500 sq ft per coat.
Other common sizes
- How much does a gallon of paint cover — 350–400 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.