Paint coverage quantity calculator

How to calculate how much paint you need to buy in litres

Do you need to convert feet to metres first? Use our feet to metres converter below.

  1. Firstly you need to measure the width of the surface you wish to paint, for example, if the width of the first wall is 3 metres, the second, third and fourth walls are 2.5 metres each, then add all four together and you have 10.5m, enter your figure in the surface area width field in the calculator below.
  2. Next measure the height of the surface to be painted, for example, if the height of the walls measured in step 1 are 2.4 metres high, enter your figure in the surface area height field in the calculator below.
  3. You need to know how far 1 litre of the paint you will use will cover in square metres, for example emulsion paint will cover around 13 m² per litre, you can find this figure on the tin of paint, or by looking at the manufactures website, enter your figure in the coverage field in the calculator below.
  4. Finally, specify how many coats you will be applying, for emulsions it's recommended you use 2, for primer, undercoat, gloss and satinwood etc 1 coat is normally OK. Choose your number of coats in the calculator below then hit the calculate button to find out how many litres you require.

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Convert Feet to Metres converter

If you need to firstly convert feet to metres input you rounded up (e.g. 8 not 7'6) measurement into the feet box below and press the convert button. You can then use the resulting figures in metres in the paint coverage calculator.

Feet to Metres converter

Disclaimer: This calculator should be used as an approximate guide only. Porous or rough surfaces may require more paint. We can take no responsibility for over or under ordering. We also recommend two coats are applied for greater coverage and an even colour.

This calculator can be used for all types of paints from emulsions, gloss, satinwood, stains and varnishes from all the top brands such as Dulux, Crown, Valspar, Leyland, Sandtex and Sadolin.

What people are saying about our paint coverage calculator

“Nice and simple” :: “Fantastic, I didn't see a calculator on Dulux's website and if it is there it's hard to find!” :: “Very useful” :: “Thank you for providing such a useful tool.”


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Property Decorating is the Website of Adrian Rayfield Painter and Decorator, based in Southend on Sea working in the local areas of South East Essex.

Adrian is experienced in all areas of property painting and decorating. He has worked in the decorating industry since 1993, and has experience working on many different types of properties; residential, private and commercial.