Construction calculator
Paint Coverage Calculator
Estimate paint for walls, ceilings, panels and other flat surfaces.
What the result means
The estimate starts with the paintable area, multiplies it by the number of coats, then divides by the coverage printed on the paint. The final allowance gives you room for texture, waste and touchups.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the second coat.
- Using the label coverage on rough or porous material.
- Subtracting every small opening and ending up short.
- Buying the exact mathematical amount with nothing left for touchups.
The can is giving you a best case number
Texture, primer, color changes, spraying, rolling and the person applying it all change the real coverage. A dark color over a light one may behave very differently from a similar color over a sealed surface.