How much paint for a 8x10 room?
1 gallon + 2 quarts of wall paint covers a 8x10 room with 8 ft ceilings in two coats. That's 238 sq ft of paintable wall (after one door and two windows), needing 1.36 gallons exactly, rounded up to cans you can buy.
| Ceiling height | Wall area | One coat | Two coats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 ft | 238 sq ft | 1 gal | 1 gal + 2 qt |
| 9 ft | 274 sq ft | 1 gal | 2 gal |
| 10 ft | 310 sq ft | 1 gal | 2 gal |
Wall area assumes one door (20 sq ft off) and two windows (15 sq ft each off) at 350 sq ft per gallon. More openings, less paint: every extra door is 20 sq ft you don't roll. Adding the ceiling? That's 80 sq ft overhead, 2 qt of flat white for two coats.
Rooms this size punish over-buying: the door and window deductions are a fifth of the wall area, so skipping them means paying for paint that stays in the can. They also punish under-buying less, since a quart tops up most of a wall. Cut in first, roll second; the whole job fits in an afternoon.
Questions people ask
Does that include the ceiling?
No, the headline is walls only. The ceiling of a 8x10 room is 80 sq ft and takes 2 qt of flat ceiling paint for two coats. It goes in the cart as its own can.
What if my walls are textured?
Figure 300 sq ft per gallon instead of 350. For this room that means 1.59 gallons for two coats, so buy 2 gal. Orange peel and knockdown drink noticeably more than smooth drywall.
What does the paint cost?
The 1 gallon + 2 quarts runs about $86 in a $45 mid-grade line. The cost calculator prices budget and premium lines and the supplies kit.
Nearby sizes
Or start from the full room calculator with ceiling, trim, and primer options.