Paint Coverage

Definition

The area a gallon of paint covers in a single coat, typically 350-400 square feet on smooth, primed drywall. Textured walls, porous surfaces, and dramatic color changes reduce coverage. Calculate gallons needed by measuring perimeter × ceiling height, subtracting 20 sq ft per door and 15 sq ft per window, dividing by 350, and multiplying by the number of coats. A 12 × 14 ft room with 8 ft ceilings, one door, and two windows needs about 1.1 gallons per coat, or roughly 2 gallons for a full two-coat job.