Painting Calculator

Painting Formula:

Painting Definition

A fresh coat of paint is the cheapest and easiest way to give your home a new look. For your next painting endeavor, try our free painting calculator to ensure the project flows smoothly. This online calculator will help you greatly! Also, check out our Paint Estimator calculator.

Find How Much Paint is Needed

Simply enter the height, width, and length of the area or room you wish to paint and presto, you’re given the total square footage of the space you need to cover. If you are having trouble deciding the Total Square Footage, then try our Square Footage Calculator!

When you go to purchase the paint at a home improvement or hardware store, inform the clerk of the number of square footage that you plan to paint, along with the brand and color, and they should be able to prepare the correct number of gallons you’ll need.

Depending on your project, you may need to adjust the amount of square footage to accommodate for specific conditions. Here are some handy tips to keep in mind when deciding what sort of coverage the job requires.

• If you’re beginning with a light colored, smooth base that’s either primed or already painted one coat coverage may suffice when applying light colored paint. In this instance, you can use the exact number of square footage quoted by this calculator, and one gallon of paint should cover about a 350 square foot space. However, if you’re applying a dark color you may need two coats to achieve accurate color expectations. Therefore, you’ll have to double the quoted square footage which will knock the square foot coverage per gallon down to 175.
• If you’re beginning with a dark colored, smooth surface and using a lighter paint, you will need to apply one or two coats of primer before applying the paint if you’re looking to achieve a one-coat finish. Without primer, solid coverage will require about three coats; either way you’ll have to triple the amount of square footage when purchasing.
• If you’re painting a textured surface, double the square footage for light paint and triple it for dark, as it will take more paint to seep into the cracks and crevices.
• If you’re working with raw materials such as drywall, wood, or metal it’s imperative that you prime before painting to achieve a uniform color. A single coat may do, but for professional results two is preferred. Just as with painting over dark colors, if un-primed, raw materials will generally take about three coats of paint to achieve a conventional finish.
• For trim, measure the length, width, and height of each piece. Add the figures together by category and enter the results into the calculator. Then follow the instructions above according to material or surface condition.

Basically stated, for each coat of paint or primer needed for an area, you’ll need to buy enough paint to cover the amount of square footage quoted by the calculator. For those who are not accustomed to square foot calculations, the painting calculator can be a very handy tool in planning home renovations. Utilizing this program and following the tips above will make your next painting project a breeze.

How to Calculate Painting

Let's be honest - sometimes the best painting calculator is the one that is easy to use and doesn't require us to even know what the painting formula is in the first place! But if you want to know the exact formula for calculating painting then please check out the "Formula" box above.

Add a Free Painting Calculator Widget to Your Site!

You can get a free online painting calculator for your website and you don't even have to download the painting calculator - you can just copy and paste! The painting calculator exactly as you see it above is 100% free for you to use. If you want to customize the colors, size, and more to better fit your site, then pricing starts at just $29.99 for a one time purchase. Click the "Customize" button above to learn more!