Updated · Built and checked by the PlinzoTools team, formulas tested against published sources
Estimate paint project cost from your wall area and your own price per gallon, separated into material and labor.
$92.00
Paint price varies widely by brand and quality tier, so this calculator never assumes a price -- it first works out your gallons needed (the same net-area, coats, and coverage math as the Paint Calculator), then multiplies by your own price per gallon, plus an optional labor cost.
Enter your wall area, openings to subtract, coats, coverage rate, your price per gallon, and an optional labor cost if painting is being done by a contractor.
Gallons = (Net Area × Coats) ÷ Coverage per Gallon
Material Cost = Gallons × Price per Gallon
Total Cost = Material Cost + Labor Cost
This estimate covers paint only -- primer, painter's tape, drop cloths, brushes/rollers, and patching supplies are typically purchased separately and not included here.
Use this to budget a full painting project once you know your area and have a price quote, without needing to separately calculate gallons first.
The price per gallon you enter should be for the paint you plan to buy, at the size you plan to buy. Prices per gallon are often lower for five-gallon buckets than for single gallons, and quarts are usually the most expensive per volume. The calculator multiplies your gallons by one price, so if you plan to buy a mix of sizes, calculate each purchase separately or use a blended price. Also check whether the price you found is before or after any discounts, and whether sales tax will be added at checkout.
Suppose a room has 520 square feet of walls, 45 square feet of openings, two coats, and a coverage of 350 square feet per gallon. Net area is 475, and gallons are 475 times 2, divided by 350, which is 2.71. At a price of 38 per gallon, material cost is about 103. If a painter charges 450 for labor, the total is around 553. Note that the calculator uses the fractional gallons, but you will actually buy 3 gallons at the store, so the real material bill could be 114. For a precise budget, round the gallons up yourself and multiply by your price.
Because the tool multiplies exact gallons by price, its material cost may be slightly lower than what you pay at the register. Compare the exact figure with the cost of the whole cans you actually need. The difference is small on one room but grows across a whole house. Using the gallons number from the Paint Calculator alongside this one shows both the exact and rounded picture.
Contractor quotes for painting can include prep work, paint, and labor together. To compare them with your own estimate, enter the labor portion in the labor field, and compare the paint cost line with the calculated material cost. If a quote is much higher or lower than expected, ask what is included: number of coats, prep, ceilings, trim, and who supplies the paint.
This tool provides a budgeting figure from numbers you enter. It does not know local prices or labor rates, and it does not model waste beyond what your coverage rate implies.
No -- if your project needs a separate primer coat, calculate and add that cost separately, since primer is typically priced differently from finish paint.
Paint quality tiers (economy, standard, premium) differ significantly in resin content, hide/coverage performance, and durability, all of which affect price per gallon.
The calculator multiplies fractional gallons by your price, while stores sell whole cans. Round the gallons up and multiply by your price for a closer figure.
Run the calculator a second time with the primer's coverage, one coat, and its price, then add the two totals together.
It depends on the product and surface. Higher tiers often cover better and may need fewer coats, so check the label's coverage and coat recommendations rather than judging by price alone.
Enter the labor portion of a written quote. If a quote is a single price including paint, enter it as labor and set the price per gallon to zero, or use it only as a comparison.