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Tool-first calculator

Minneapolis 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.

Independent FatBook v3 cost indexVerified permit/source data where availableReviewed by Leonard "Chuck" Thompson
ft
ft
sqft
$
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.
Minneapolis · Whole House Painting
$10,065
Range $9,333 to $12,472 · lowest realistic price $9,333
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.
Data Sources Used On This Page
  • Independent FatBook v3 cost index for paint calculator for Minneapolis.
  • BLS OEWS wage inputs (https://www.bls.gov/oes/) and FRED PPI material inflation (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/) references.
  • Craftsman labor-hour references and contractor overhead benchmarks.
  • Verified permit/source data from PermitCalculator.com and permits_compiled where available.
Cost-index version: 2026-07-10
Updated: Jul 2026
Sources: BLS, Craftsman, FRED
Reviewed by: Leonard "Chuck" Thompson
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Cost index built by David Olson, Creator of the Cost Index & Permit Dataset · Methodology reviewed by Leonard "Chuck" Thompson, LC Thompson Construction Co., Owner (retired) · 2026-07-10