# Paint Calculator Square Feet Paint calculator square feet converts sqft to gallons needed. Standard 350 sqft per gallon of paint. Covers wall, ceiling, and exterior paint calculator square feet inputs. ## What this calculates This paint calculator square feet (or paint calculator sqft, same thing) converts your total paint area into gallons needed for any number of coats. Standard interior latex covers about 350 square feet per gallon of paint on smooth drywall. Textured walls and exterior siding drop coverage to 200-300 sqft/gal. Use this paint calculator by square feet to avoid paying for extra trips to the store mid-project. ## Inputs - **Paint Area (square feet)** (sq ft) — min 0 — Total wall, ceiling, or exterior area in square feet (sqft) - **Surface Type** — options: Smooth wall / drywall (350 sqft/gal), Textured wall / popcorn (250 sqft/gal), Ceiling paint (350 sqft/gal), Exterior siding, smooth (300 sqft/gal), Exterior rough / stucco / brick (200 sqft/gal), New / unprimed drywall (200 sqft/gal, needs primer) - **Number of Coats** — min 1, max 4 — Standard is 2. Use 3 for dramatic color change or dark-over-light. - **Include Primer** — Adds one primer coat at 250 sqft/gallon coverage. - **Paint Brand / Quality** — options: Budget brand (Behr Marquee, Valspar), Mid-tier (Behr Premium Plus, Glidden), Sherwin Williams (Duration, SuperPaint), Benjamin Moore (Aura, Regal Select), Professional (PPG, Farrow & Ball) — Sherwin Williams paint calculator square feet math is the same - 350 sqft/gal standard. ## Outputs - **Total Coverage Needed** (sq ft) — Square feet times number of coats. - **Gallons Needed** (gal) - **Gallons to Order** (gal) — Rounded up to whole gallons. - **Or Quarts** (qt) — Quart = 87.5 sqft coverage. Useful for small jobs. - **Primer Gallons Needed** (gal) - **Metric: Liters Needed** (L) - **Coverage per Gallon Used** (sq ft/gal) ## Details ## How Many Square Feet Per Gallon of Paint How many square feet per gallon of paint depends on the surface: | Surface | Coverage per Gallon | |---------|---------------------| | Smooth drywall (painted) | 350-400 sqft | | Textured / popcorn wall | 250-300 sqft | | Ceiling paint | 350 sqft | | Exterior siding (smooth wood or fiber cement) | 300-350 sqft | | Exterior stucco, brick, rough | 200-250 sqft | | New unprimed drywall | 200 sqft (first coat) | | Primer | 200-300 sqft | This paint calculator by square feet uses these standard rates. A Sherwin Williams paint calculator square feet estimate will give the same number - paint coverage is a physical property of the paint, not the brand. Sherwin-Williams paint calculator square feet on their site uses 400 sqft/gal for premium Duration, 350 for standard. ## Paint Calculator Sqft Example How much paint for 800 sqft of wall at 2 coats on smooth drywall: - Total coverage needed = 800 x 2 = 1,600 sqft - Gallons = 1,600 / 350 = 4.57 - Order 5 gallons (rounded up) ## Wall Paint Calculator Square Feet Wall paint calculator square feet uses the smooth wall coverage (350 sqft/gal). A 12x14 room with 8 ft ceilings has (12+14+12+14) x 8 = 416 sqft of wall. Two coats needs 2.4 gallons = order 3 gallons. ## Ceiling Paint Calculator Square Feet Ceiling paint calculator square feet uses the same 350 sqft/gal rate. For a 12x14 ceiling = 168 sqft, 2 coats needs 1 gallon (168 x 2 / 350 = 0.96). Most ceilings only need 1 coat if you use a flat ceiling paint - rate drops to 0.48 gallons, or 2 quarts. ## Exterior Paint Calculator Square Feet Exterior paint calculator square feet needs the siding area in sqft, not the home footprint. Rough rule: home square footage x 1.5 gives siding area for a single-story home. So a 2,000 sqft home has roughly 3,000 sqft of siding. Exterior paint calculator square feet home depot uses 300 sqft/gal on their paint calculator. For 3,000 sqft siding, 2 coats: 6,000 / 300 = 20 gallons. That's 4 five-gallon buckets. ## Paint Calculator by Square Feet for Different Jobs | Project | Sq Ft | Coats | Gallons (Smooth) | |---------|-------|-------|------------------| | Bedroom (12x12) | 400 | 2 | 3 | | Living room (14x18) | 560 | 2 | 4 | | Kitchen | 400 | 2 | 3 | | Ceiling (12x14) | 168 | 1 | 1 | | 1,500 sqft whole-house walls | 4,500 | 2 | 26 | | 2,000 sqft house exterior | 3,000 | 2 | 20 | ## Sherwin Williams Paint Calculator Square Feet Sherwin Williams paint calculator square feet on their website uses 400 sqft/gal for Duration, Emerald, and other premium lines, 350 for mid-tier (SuperPaint), and 300-350 for exterior products. Sherwin-Williams paint calculator square feet estimate matches this calc for the same surface type. ## Why Coverage Drops on Some Surfaces - **Texture / popcorn:** more surface area per flat foot, more paint soaks into the crevices - **Stucco, brick, rough siding:** deep texture, porous material, absorbs more - **New drywall:** untreated paper absorbs the first coat, acts like primer - **Dark colors:** may need an extra coat for even coverage even on smooth walls ## Paint Brand Does Not Change Coverage Much High-end paints (Sherwin-Williams Duration, Benjamin Moore Aura) claim 400 sqft/gal on perfect smooth drywall. Mid-tier paints (Behr Premium Plus, Valspar) typically advertise 350 sqft/gal. The real-world difference is small; use 350 as a safe planning number regardless of brand. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: How many square feet per gallon of paint?** A: How many square feet per gallon of paint depends on the surface: 350 sqft/gal on smooth drywall (standard), 250 sqft/gal on textured walls, 300-350 sqft/gal on smooth exterior siding, and 200 sqft/gal on stucco, brick, or rough exterior. New unprimed drywall absorbs about 200 sqft/gal on the first coat. These numbers apply regardless of paint brand; Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, and Behr all use 350-400 sqft/gal on smooth drywall. **Q: How does paint calculator square feet work?** A: Paint calculator square feet multiplies your paint area by the number of coats, then divides by the coverage rate (350 sqft/gal for smooth drywall). For example, a 400 sqft wall with 2 coats = 800 sqft total coverage / 350 = 2.3 gallons = order 3 gallons. The paint calculator by square feet also handles primer and alternative coverage rates for textured or exterior surfaces. **Q: Does Sherwin Williams paint calculator square feet give different results?** A: No. Sherwin Williams paint calculator square feet uses 400 sqft/gal for their premium Duration and Emerald lines, 350 for mid-tier SuperPaint, which matches standard industry rates. Sherwin-Williams paint calculator square feet is slightly more generous on premium paints because of higher solids content, but the math is the same as this calc for standard surface types. **Q: How do I use a wall paint calculator square feet estimate?** A: To use a wall paint calculator square feet estimate, first measure your wall area: perimeter of the room (sum of all walls) times ceiling height. A 10x14 room with 8 ft ceilings has (10+14+10+14) x 8 = 384 sqft of wall. Subtract about 21 sqft per door and 15 sqft per window if you want exact coverage. Enter the net wall sqft into this paint calculator by square feet. **Q: What coverage does an exterior paint calculator square feet use?** A: An exterior paint calculator square feet uses 300-350 sqft/gal for smooth siding (wood, fiber cement, vinyl) and 200-250 sqft/gal for stucco, brick, or rough cedar. Exterior paint calculator square feet home depot specifically uses 300 sqft/gal on their online calculator. Always buy 5-10% extra for touch-ups; exterior paint is usually sold in 5-gallon buckets at a better per-gallon price. **Q: How much paint for a ceiling with ceiling paint calculator square feet?** A: Use the ceiling paint calculator square feet at 350 sqft/gal coverage. A 12x14 ceiling is 168 sqft. One coat needs 0.5 gallon (half gallon = 2 quarts). Two coats needs 1 gallon. Flat ceiling paint usually covers in one coat; bright white interior ceiling paints are formulated for one-coat application on primed surfaces. --- Source: https://vastcalc.com/calculators/construction/paint-square-feet Category: Construction Last updated: 2026-04-08