How much paint do I need?

Calculate wall area, the litres of paint and a typical labor cost for painting a room.

You need about

0 tins (4 L)0 m² to paint

Walls: —
Ceiling: —
Typical labor: —

Buy about 10% extra for touch-ups. Labor is a typical range for interior painting, without materials.

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How it is calculated

Wall area = 2 × (length + width) × height, minus about 1.9 m² per door and 1.5 m² per window. The ceiling adds length × width. Paint needed = area × coats ÷ coverage per 4 L tin, rounded up.

Rough or unprimed walls absorb more paint – use a lower coverage (20–25 m²) or add a primer coat.

FAQ

Questions

How many m² does a 4 L tin of paint cover?

Most latex and acrylic paints cover about 10–12 m² per litre per coat on smooth, primed walls (about 40–48 m² per 4 L tin). Check the tin for the exact coverage.

How many coats do I need?

Usually 2 coats. Use 3 when changing from a dark to a light color or painting new, unprimed surfaces.