How Much Paint per m²? Litres per Square Metre Explained
How many litres of paint you need per square metre, typical coverage for emulsion and masonry paint, and how to work out tins for a room.
Most emulsion paint covers about 10–12 m² per litre per coat on smooth, previously painted walls. That means one litre covers roughly a 3 × 3.5 m area once.
Here's how to turn that into the tins you need.
Litres per m²
| Paint and surface | Typical coverage | Litres per m² (per coat) |
|---|---|---|
| Emulsion on painted walls | 10–12 m²/L | 0.08–0.10 L |
| Emulsion on new plaster (mist coat first) | 8–10 m²/L | 0.10–0.13 L |
| Masonry paint on rough render | 4–8 m²/L | 0.13–0.25 L |
| Gloss or satinwood on trim | 14–16 m²/L | 0.06–0.07 L |
Example: a 4 × 4 m bedroom
- Walls: 2 × (4 + 4) × 2.5 m = 40 m². Minus a door (1.9 m²) and a window (1.5 m²): 36.6 m².
- Two coats: 73.2 m² ÷ 10 m²/L = 7.3 L. Add 10%: about 8 L.
- Buy: one 10 L tin, or a 5 L + a 2.5 L.
Switch the paint calculator to "m · L" to do this for any room. It also suggests tin sizes (1, 2.5, 4, 5, 10 L and more) and the cost.
Tips
- New plaster needs a diluted mist coat first, so allow extra paint.
- Larger tins are usually cheaper per litre, so check before buying several small ones.