Practical Pal
United States · square feet / US gallons / USD

Room paint calculator — walls, ceiling & primer

Measure one or several rooms in feet and plan separate wall paint, ceiling paint and optional primer. Print a materials shopping list in US gallons.

Sage paint tins, a roller, a tray and paint swatches beside a miniature wall
Plan paint and primer quantities with your chosen coverage and coats.

Make your painting plan

Save or reuse room measurements

Saving is optional. Measurements stay in this browser tab and can be reused in the matching country tools.

1. Measure your surfaces

Starting measurements are an example room. Replace them with your own. Wall height is editable; openings start at zero.

Room 1
Subtract doors, windows or ceiling openings

Enter total door/window area to subtract, not the number of openings. Each row is a separate room. For an irregular room or individual walls, enter measured paintable areas instead of splitting the floor into rectangles.

Extra paint allowance

Starts at 0%. Coats are calculated separately.

2. Wall paint
Product source and coverage notes
Container sizes and optional prices

Available container sizes

Keep all sizes the same formulation, colour and finish. Leftover primer cannot replace finishing paint.

Ceiling paint details
3. Ceiling paint
Product source and coverage notes
Container sizes and optional prices

Available container sizes

Keep all sizes the same formulation, colour and finish. Leftover primer cannot replace finishing paint.

4. Optional primer
Product source and coverage notes
Container sizes and optional prices

Available container sizes

Keep all sizes the same formulation, colour and finish. Leftover primer cannot replace finishing paint.

Your shopping list will appear here after you choose your project and measurements.

Multiple rooms share one wall colour and product. Calculate different colours as separate projects. Quantity estimates do not establish primer/topcoat compatibility.

One room, three separate coating quantities

Walls and ceiling can have different paints, coverage and coat counts. Primer is optional and calculated for its chosen surfaces. Round each material up separately; spare primer cannot make up a shortage of ceiling paint.

For a 12-by-10-foot room with eight-foot walls and 20 square feet of openings, walls are 332 sq ft and the ceiling is 120 sq ft. At an illustrative 350 sq ft per US gallon and two coats, they need about 1.897 and 0.686 US gallons separately. One primer coat on the walls at 300 sq ft per gallon adds about 1.107 US gallons. Container counts use the exact quantities before display rounding.

What the shopping list includes

Container sizes, whole-container counts, estimated leftovers and material prices where every size has a price. If a material is unpriced, the known-price subtotal is explicitly incomplete. Brushes, rollers, tape, preparation, labour and delivery are outside the subtotal.

Using the same paint on walls and ceiling?

This planner rounds each coating separately. To combine wall and ceiling area into one paint quantity, use the paint calculator and select “Include the ceiling”. Keep the colour, finish and coat count the same.

Coverage and coats change the result

Paintable sq ft × coats ÷ coverage per US gallon
Apply your optional extra allowance, then round to available containers.

Manufacturer ranges use their lower coverage value by default. A quoted “up to” coverage is not a guarantee on every surface. Check porosity, colour change, application method and preparation; adjust the form to your current label.

Are the displayed prices current?

Store prices are dated snapshots. After seven days, product-based costs are withheld; quantities remain available for up to 30 days before specifications also need a refresh. Manual details use the numbers you enter.

Can I mix litres and US gallons?

Choose the matching country tool and label units. A US gallon and an imperial gallon are different. This pilot does not convert a UK product into a US product or combine their offers.

US paint & primer sample

Recorded coverage is a planning input. Product selection does not approve it for your surface or another coating. UK prices cover a small Wickes sample; US records contain manufacturer specifications, with prices entered by you.

Product specifications and source links; no reviews or suitability rankings
Recorded productCoverage per coatRecorded coatsContainer sizesPriceSource
Valspar Signature® Interior Paint + Primer — source product photoValspar Signature® Interior Paint + Primer200–400 sq ft/US gal20.25, 1.0, 5.0 US galNo verified store priceValspar manufacturer ↗
Valspar Ultra® Interior Paint + Primer — source product photoValspar Ultra® Interior Paint + Primer300–400 sq ft/US gal20.25, 1.0, 5.0 US galNo verified store priceValspar manufacturer ↗
Valspar® Core™ Interior Paint + Primer — source product photoValspar® Core™ Interior Paint + Primer400 sq ft/US gal11.0, 5.0 US galNo verified store priceValspar manufacturer ↗
Valspar Signature® Ceiling Paint + Primer — source product photoValspar Signature® Ceiling Paint + Primer300–400 sq ft/US gal11.0, 5.0 US galNo verified store priceValspar manufacturer ↗
Valspar® Ultra Ceiling Paint + Primer — source product photoValspar® Ultra Ceiling Paint + Primer400 sq ft/US gal21.0, 5.0 US galNo verified store priceValspar manufacturer ↗
Valspar® PVA Primer/Sealer — source product photoValspar® PVA Primer/Sealer300–400 sq ft/US gal11.0, 5.0 US galNo verified store priceValspar manufacturer ↗
Valspar® High-Hiding Primer/Sealer — source product photoValspar® High-Hiding Primer/Sealer300–400 sq ft/US gal11.0, 5.0 US galNo verified store priceValspar manufacturer ↗