How to Estimate the Cost of Painting a Room
- 1). Measure the length of each wall you want to paint. Measure the height from floor to ceiling, and then multiply the length of each wall by the height to get the wall's square footage.
- 2). Write down the answer you get for each wall, and then add the square footage for all walls together.
- 3). Measure the ceiling length and width if you want to paint it, too. Multiply the length and width together to get the ceiling's square footage. Add this to the wall total if it will be the same color as the walls, or keep the total separate on your notepad if the ceiling will be a different color.
- 4). Visit a few local hardware or paint stores and look at the color swatches. Determine the color you want to paint the room and which tint base you need for that color. Tint base is the basic paint to which the store will add your chosen color. The base formula differs for dark, medium and light colors, so check the back of your paint swatches for the recommended base, or ask the sales clerk for help choosing one.
- 5). Read the paint can label for the tint base to find out how much square footage each gallon will cover.
- 6). Divide the number of square feet each gallon covers by your total square footage (do this separately for the wall and ceiling paint, if different colors). Your answer will be the number of paint gallons you need for a single coat.
- 7). Ask the paint clerk whether the paint you have chosen generally requires one or two coats. If you are painting a light color over a darker color, assume you will need two coats. Plan on an extra gallon for rooms with heavily textured walls, or if you are adding any type of texture to the paint.
- 8). Multiply the number of paint gallons required by the price per gallon. If you are near 5 gallons, you may save money by purchasing the paint in a 5-gallon bucket rather than in individual gallon containers.
- 9). Check the costs for drop cloths, masking tape, brushes, paint roller handles, paint trays, roller pads and mixing buckets, unless you already have these supplies from a previous paint project.
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Always use a mixing bucket to premix multiple gallons of the same color together before using them, as tint batches vary slightly. Consider this cost when determining whether to buy individual gallons or a larger paint container. - 11
Round up the costs for all supplies to the nearest dollar when jotting them down. This will give you an estimate that is closer to the final total with tax. - 12
Add together the costs of your paint and other supplies to get your room painting estimate.
