Easy Paint Calc

How much paint for baseboards?

Short answer

100 linear feet of 5¼ in baseboard is about 43.8 square feet and needs about 1.1 quarts of paint for two coats. Buy 2 quarts.

How to work it out

  1. Baseboard: 100 ft × 5.25 in = 43.8 sq ft
  2. 43.8 sq ft × 2 coats ÷ 350 sq ft/gal × 1.1 extra = 1.1 qt → 2 quarts

Baseboards are long and narrow, so it is easiest to think of them per 100 linear feet. A whole floor of a house rarely has more than three or four hundred feet, which is still less than a gallon of enamel for two coats.

Adjust for your project

ft
Add up the wall lengths, leaving out doorways and cabinet runs
in
Face height; add ½ in (12 mm) for the top edge on thick profiles
Count both sides of a doorway if you paint both rooms. Jambs are added for each
Two coats for a durable, even trim finish
sq ft/gal
Trim enamels: Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 semi-gloss lists 350–400 sq ft/gal; Benjamin Moore Advance 400–500
More options: Casing · Jamb · Crown …
in
in
The inside face of the door frame: about 4½ in in a 2×4 wall
ft
in
%
10% covers what stays in the brush and on the edges; 15–20% for ornate profiles
Buy (gallons and quarts)2 quarts
Trim paint needed
1.1 qt (1.04 L)
Cans of the size you chose
2 cans · 1-quart
Trim surface (one coat)
43.8 sq ft
Paint per coat
0.5 qt
Coverage used
350 sq ft/gal
Of which baseboards
43.8 sq ft
  • Molded profiles have more surface than their flat width; on ornate trim, add 10–20% under Extra.
  • 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.

For this job · affiliate link
Angled sash brush (2–2½ in)Trim is brush work. A 2 in angled sash brush lays enamel along a baseboard top edge in one clean pass.
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Trim paint by baseboard height (same room and casings)

Trim paint by baseboard height (same room and casings)
Baseboard heightTrim surface (one coat)Trim paint neededBuy (gallons and quarts)
3.25 in27.1 sq ft0.68 qt1 quart
4 in33.3 sq ft0.84 qt1 quart
5.25 in43.8 sq ft1.1 qt2 quarts
7.25 in60.4 sq ft1.52 qt2 quarts

What to know about painting baseboards

  • Per 100 ft: 5¼ in baseboard is 44 sq ft. Two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon are exactly a quart before any brush loss, and 1.1 quarts with 10% for brushing, so buy two quarts (or one, if you are tidy and have leftovers). 4 in base is 33 sq ft; with brush loss a quart does about 120 linear ft.
  • Measuring. Walk each room with a tape and add the wall lengths, leaving out doorways and cabinet runs. Closets count if you paint them.
  • Tall or built-up base. A 7¼ in base with a shoe molding and a cap is closer to 9 in of surface: 75 sq ft per 100 ft.
  • Order of work. Vacuum the floor along the base, caulk the top edge gap, then cut in with a brush. Tape on the floor only where it is carpet you can’t get a brush past.

Baseboards take a beating from shoes and vacuums, which is why semi-gloss or a hard enamel is the usual choice; see the paint sheen chart. For the casings and jambs too, run the room on how much trim paint for one room. Before you paint, a bead of caulk along the top edge hides the gap: how many feet of caulk in a tube.

Different size? Use the full Trim & Baseboard Paint Calculator.

What you’ll need

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Frequently asked questions

How much paint for 100 feet of 4 inch baseboard?

About 0.84 quarts for two coats: 1 quart.

How much paint for 300 feet of baseboard?

About 0.83 gallons for two coats on 5¼ in base: 1 gallon.

Other common sizes

Sources