How Much Paint Do I Need for a Ceiling?
How to calculate ceiling paint: area, coats and coverage, with quick numbers for common room sizes and tips for textured ceilings.
Ceilings are simpler to measure than walls: the area is just length × width. But ceiling paint goes on thicker, textured ceilings drink paint, and you'll almost always want two coats if you're covering stains.
Here's how much to buy.
The formula
Ceiling paint = length × width × coats ÷ coverage. Flat ceiling paint usually covers 350–400 sq ft per gallon on a smooth ceiling. Use 250–300 for popcorn or heavy texture.
Quick numbers (two coats, smooth ceiling)
| Room | Ceiling area | Paint |
|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | 100 sq ft | ~0.6 gal (buy 1 gal or 3 quarts) |
| 12 × 12 ft | 144 sq ft | ~0.8 gal (buy 1 gal) |
| 15 × 20 ft | 300 sq ft | ~1.7 gal (buy 2 gal) |
In the paint calculator, tick "Include the ceiling" to add it to your total.
Tips
- Use a stain-blocking primer on water marks first, or they'll bleed through.
- Flat finishes hide imperfections best on ceilings.
- Paint the ceiling before the walls so drips don't land on fresh wall paint.