MEASURE TWICE. MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME.
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Measure a paint job before buying the cans

Start with the area you intend to coat, then use the product’s own coverage figure.

A taped room sketch beside a paint tin and brush.
AI-generated preparation study · not a product review

Draw the surfaces

List each wall separately with its width and height in the same unit. Mark which walls are included. Decide whether trim, doors and ceilings belong in this calculation or need separate products. The planner multiplies one rectangular surface at a time; for a room, add the measured wall areas before entering the total dimensions or calculate surfaces separately.

Subtract only the openings you intend to exclude

Measure door and window openings and total their areas. Small recesses and reveals may themselves need painting, so keep the scope explicit. An opening allowance greater than the gross wall area is a measurement error; the planner rejects it.

Read the label

Enter the coverage per coat in square metres per litre, or square feet per US gallon, according to the selected units. The calculator does not supply a universal paint coverage. Porosity, texture, application and the specified coating system can change the amount needed. Use a separate estimate for primer.

Sherwin-Williams: paint calculator ↗ — An approximate quantity tool; take actual coverage from the selected product.

Round the purchase, not the measurements

The tool calculates net area times coats divided by coverage, then adds your chosen spare allowance. It rounds up to the container size you enter. A result is a purchasing estimate, not confirmation that the paint is compatible or that the surface is ready.

Keep substrate identification, product instructions, measurements, preparation photographs and observed results together. We do not turn a generic checklist into a structural or installation specification.

Sources and further reading · Our editorial approach

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Measure a paint job before buying the cans: Draw the surfaces; Subtract only the openings you intend to exclude; Read the label