Free calculatorLive resultsSteps and sourcesEmbed on your site, free

Applications Calculator

Paint Coverage Calculator works out Paint needed and Net paintable area from What to work out, Area unit and How the area is given. The default figures on this page give area the paint on hand covers of 36.36; change any entry and the result, the working and the sources update together.

Area the paint on hand covers
36.36
Paint Calculator
Paint needed
0.00 L
Paint needed
0.000 US gal
Net paintable area
0.00
Coverage rate used
8.000
Paint cost
0.00
Labour cost
0.00
Total cost
0.00
Worked out from 1 + waste_percent/100 and 4 other sources.
Coverage rates are published per product and vary with surface porosity, texture and application method; buy from a measured take-off and keep a tin in reserve for touch-ups.

Your figures

Updates as you type
Formatting only. This does not change the calculation.
Surface actually being painted, after deducting openings. Same area unit as the coverage rate.
Total area of everything not being painted.
Number of full coats over the whole area.
Spreading rate published for the product, per coat. Read it off the tin or the manufacturer data sheet.
Coverage mode only: how much paint you already have.

How this is worked out

2 steps
  1. Paint = 0 m2 x 1 coat(s) / 8 m2 per litre x (1 + 10/100) = 0 L
  2. 5 L x 8 m2/L / 1 coat(s) / 1.1 = 36.36363636363636 m2

Its 5 worked examples are re-run on every release, last on 15 September 2026. What changed

Sources and references

5 sources

Keep this result

Save it, change one figure, then compare the two

The calculation stays free. Save this scenario, adjust one assumption, save that too, and put them side by side to see exactly what the change costs you. A free account keeps 5 scenarios and 2 comparisons; Personal makes both unlimited and adds exports and private links. Nothing is saved unless you press Save.

1 · Calculate2 · Save3 · Compare4 · Export5 · Share
Open workspace

What the Paint Coverage Calculator calculates

Works out how much paint a job needs from the net paintable area (or room dimensions), the number of coats, the product coverage rate and a waste allowance, then converts that into tins, litres, US gallons and an installed cost.

How to use this Paint Coverage Calculator

Enter What to work out, Area unit, How the area is given and Net paintable area. Paint needed updates as you type. Change one figure at a time to see what drives the result.

How the result is worked out

Open “How this is worked out” beside the result for the step-by-step calculation behind Paint needed, Net paintable area and Coverage rate used.

The method follows 1 + waste_percent/100, OpenStax, Elementary Algebra 2e, Solve Geometry Applications: Volume and Surface Area (rectangular area and proportional scaling), Sherwin-Williams Paint Calculator (product coverage is published per product and must be entered from the current data sheet), ISO 12944-5, Paints and varnishes - Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems: spreading rate from volume solids and dry film thickness and NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B.9 (US gallon = 3.785 411 784 L exactly; international foot = 0.3048 m exactly).

Results are general information, not financial, tax, legal, medical or engineering advice. Check any decision that matters with a qualified professional.

Embed this calculator on your website

Copy this code into any page. The calculator appears with the figures currently entered, sizes itself to fit, and a small credit line links back here. Free, no account, no ads inside it, no tracking of your readers. Set your own figures and fixed fields; Personal removes the credit line, sets your colour and shows you which sites use it.

Preview

See something wrong? Report a problem with this calculator

Frequently asked questions

What are calculator applications in Uil?

Works out how much paint a job needs from the net paintable area (or room dimensions), the number of coats, the product coverage rate and a waste allowance, then converts that into tins, litres. On this page it is computed from What to work out, Area unit and How the area is given and shown as Paint needed, Net paintable area and Coverage rate used.

What information do I need for the Paint Coverage Calculator?

You need What to work out, Area unit, How the area is given, Net paintable area, Room length, Room width, Wall height and Paint the ceiling too. The page opens with default figures that give area the paint on hand covers of 36.36, so you can see the scale before entering your own.

What does this Paint Coverage Calculator show?

It shows Paint needed, Net paintable area, Coverage rate used, Tins to buy, Area the paint on hand covers, Paint cost, Labour cost and Total cost, with the working and any warnings for your entries.

Can I check how the Paint Coverage Calculator result was calculated?

Yes. The “How this is worked out” section shows the calculation steps, and the sources section identifies the references used for the method.

Related calculators

View all related calculators12 more