Paint gallons calculator
Tool-first calculator
Paint calculator: gallons, coats, and cost.
Enter wall area, doors, windows, and number of coats to estimate gallons of paint and primer plus a broad material cost. The calculator uses editable assumptions because coverage varies by surface texture, paint brand, sheen, and color shift.
Paint needed (DIY material)
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Local installed cost
What an installer charges for your scope.
The numbers above are material counts and sizing. Below shows what a contractor typically charges in your city for an installed version of this scope, scaled from FatBook's cost index of BLS wages + Craftsman labor hours + permits + materials.
Pick the cost-index service that matches the scope you're scaling. The default is the trade's headline service.
National Average · Whole House Painting
$9,440
Range $8,640 to $11,428 · lowest realistic price $8,640
How to use this result
- Buy whole gallons. Round up. Half a gallon left over is cheap insurance for touch-ups.
- Premium paint usually covers 350 to 400 sqft per gallon and may skip a coat. Budget paint often needs three coats to match.
- Material cost is paint only. Local installed cost below adds painter labor, prep, masking, and supplies.
Cost-index version: 2026-07-10. Read the FatBook methodology, or use the bid and true cost calculators for an installed painting bid check.