How Much Paint for a 15x20 Room?

A 15 × 20 ft room with 8 ft walls, one door and two windows has about 509 sq ft of wall. Two coats take 2.9 gallons, so buy 3 gal of wall paint. Painting the ceiling too adds 2 gal.

Change any number below to match your project. The paint calculator works for any size.

Measure by
Check the can: usually 250–400

Enter your measurements to see the result.

How it's worked out

  1. Wall area: 2 × (15 + 20) × 8 ft = 560 sq ft
  2. Minus openings: 21 sq ft for the door and 15 sq ft for each window = 509 sq ft
  3. Two coats: 509 × 2 = 1,018 sq ft
  4. Gallons: 1,018 ÷ 350 sq ft per gallon = 2.91 gal

15x20 room: other ceiling heights

WallsWall areaPaint for 2 coatsBuy
8 ft509 sq ft2.9 gal3 gal
9 ft579 sq ft3.3 gal3 gal + 2 qt
10 ft649 sq ft3.7 gal4 gal

The ceiling is 300 sq ft and takes 1.7 gallons for two coats. Use ceiling paint, which is flatter and spatters less.

Coverage of 350 sq ft per gallon is typical for smooth, previously painted walls. Textured walls, fresh drywall and big color changes use more, so check the label on your can and change the coverage in the calculator.

Other common sizes

More detail: How Much Paint Do I Need for a Room? A Simple Guide