Guide
How much paint for one wall
An accent wall or a single repaint, in quarts and gallons.
Short answer
A 12 × 8 ft wall is 96 sq ft, so one coat takes about 2 quarts and two coats about 1 gallon. Multiply the wall's width by its height, times the number of coats, and divide by 350, the square feet a gallon covers.
Paint for one wall, by size
| Wall | Area | One coat | Two coats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 8 ft | 64 sq ft | 1 quart | 2 quarts |
| 10 × 8 ft | 80 sq ft | 1 quart | 2 quarts |
| 12 × 8 ft | 96 sq ft | 2 quarts | 1 gallon |
| 14 × 8 ft | 112 sq ft | 2 quarts | 1 gallon |
| 16 × 8 ft | 128 sq ft | 2 quarts | 1 gallon |
| 12 × 9 ft | 108 sq ft | 2 quarts | 1 gallon |
| 20 × 8 ft | 160 sq ft | 2 quarts | 1 gallon |
Take off about 21 sq ft for a door and 15 sq ft for a window on the wall. On a small wall that can be the difference between one quart and two.
How to work it out for any wall
- Measure the width of the wall and the height from floor to ceiling, in feet.
- Multiply them for the area in square feet, and take off any doors and windows.
- Multiply by the number of coats. Two is normal; one only for a fresh coat of the same colour.
- Divide by the coverage on the can, usually 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon.
An accent wall needs two coats, sometimes three
Accent walls are usually a strong colour going over a light one, which is the case where coverage per coat is worst. Budget two coats as the minimum. A deep red, navy or dark green over white often needs a third, or a coat of primer tinted grey first, which is cheaper than a third coat of the colour. Buy the quarts or the gallon in one order so they are from the same tint batch.
Quarts or a gallon?
Up to about 88 sq ft of paint, which is one coat on a 10 × 8 wall, a quart does it. Two quarts often cost close to a gallon, so once you need more than two quarts the gallon is the better buy, and it leaves paint for touch-ups. Keep what is left in a small sealed jar, labelled with the colour and the room.