How much paint do I need?

[Nick1994]

I bought a 3 bed/2 bath 1,338 square foot home and need help estimating how much paint to buy. Going to prime everything first.

Everything is going to be the same color but using 3 different sheens. Ceilings are flat, walls are eggshell, and baseboards are satin. However, the full bathrooms and laundry room will be satin.

I asked ChatGPT and I feel its estimate is way too generous. It’s saying like 37 gallons of paint and 20 gallons of primer.

What do you guys think based off your experience? Not buying cheap paint, it’ll be Sherwin Williams Emerald.

 

[97prizm]

Are you painting the entire interior ie bathroom, bedrooms, hallway, ceilings?

 

[97prizm]

Id go with this as when I worked apartment maintenance this was the rule of thumb from what painters told me.
"
A standard gallon of house paint typically covers 350–400 square feet


gallons per square foot for a single coat on smooth surfaces. For porous or rough surfaces, such as stucco or brick, coverage decreases to roughly 200–300 square feet per gallon. Always plan for two coats, reducing coverage to 175–200 sq ft per gallon.
I'd also go with a mold and moisture resistant paint for any of your bathrooms. It will be well worth it.

 

[The Critic]

Two coats or one coat?

Paging @demarpaint

 

[Nick1994]

Are you painting the entire interior ie bathroom, bedrooms, hallway, ceilings?

Everything inside

 

[hemitom]

Sounds like a lot of paint .
I just painted roughly 600 sq ft of walls one coat it took 2 gallons

 

[daniel327]

It really depends on what you're painting over. I once purchased a house after some fool had painted the ceilings maroon. It took between 6 and 9 coats to get the ceilings to look white again.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

Unless you are getting really big discount, buy 5 gals at a time, since 5 gals buckets is usuallly your best price. Once you use one, then get another one to your end state. My experience is that I get less than 300 sq ft from a gallon.

 

[KrisZ]

Unless you are getting really big discount, buy 5 gals at a time, since 5 gals buckets is usuallly your best price. Once you use one, then get another one to your end state. My experience is that I get less than 300 sq ft from a gallon.

This is how I did it as well. 5gal pails at a time. There is no point getting all of the paint at once, unless there is a big discount involved.
If your worry is color matching, that is not an issue, they will mix the same shade every time, just make sure you use the exact same base.

 

[Nick1994]

I’m not painting for a couple months, but storing for now since Sherwin Williams has a 35% off sale on Emerald right now. I’m buying 5 gallon buckets, picked up 4 today and I’m sure I’ll have to go back for more. Wanted to get the basics that can fit in my car today and go back this weekend.

Save $700 on this batch alone.

 

[Kestas]

You don't need to buy the exact amount of tinted paint at once. You can always buy more later. Even if the tint isn't exact, no one would notice from one room to the other. Even a walls can have a slightly different tint if you mismatch at a corner. Again, no one will notice. Paint stores are rather good at matching color.

 

[Nick1994]

You don't need to buy the exact amount of tinted paint at once. You can always buy more later. Even if the tint isn't exact, no one would notice from one room to the other. Even a walls can have a slightly different tint if you mismatch at a corner. Again, no one will notice. Paint stores are rather good at matching color.

Just trying to take advantage of the 35% off sale, at $100 a gallon it adds up.

 

[TomYoung]

Just trying to take advantage of the 35% off sale, at $100 a gallon it adds up.

Expensive paint saves you money as soon as the roller hits the wall.

 

[The Critic]

Expensive paint saves you money as soon as the roller hits the wall.

I am personally unconvinced that SW and BM are worth the money over Behr, but that’s a separate discussion.

 

[TomYoung]

I’m not painting for a couple months, but storing for now since Sherwin Williams has a 35% off sale on Emerald right now. I’m buying 5 gallon buckets, picked up 4 today and I’m sure I’ll have to go back for more. Wanted to get the basics that can fit in my car today and go back this weekend.

Save $700 on this batch alone.

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In looking at the first few posts,thinking you probably have enough. Ie you could do 2 coats on 4,000 sq ft.

 

[97prizm]

It really depends on what you're painting over. I once purchased a house after some fool had painted the ceilings maroon. It took between 6 and 9 coats to get the ceilings to look white again.

You didn't try sanding, or using a few cans of the stain block?

 

[daniel327]

You didn't try sanding, or using a few cans of the stain block?

No, it had 14' high ceilings. I used a roller on a stick and a lot of cursing.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I’d think 10 gallons does the ceilings at 300 SF of coverage x2 coats.

is this new construction with a coat or two of builder flat already on the walls? If so, it’ll suck up way more paint than something with a sheen and multiple coats already on it. I never get 400 SF per gallon on my walls

 

[TomYoung]

I am personally unconvinced that SW and BM are worth the money over Behr, but that’s a separate discussion.

That’s definitely a good question. I have used them all at various times, and would always prefer BM, especially the Aura Line, have nothing bad to say about Behr.

 

[TomYoung]

I’d think 10 gallons does the ceilings at 300 SF of coverage x2 coats.

is this new construction with a coat or two of builder flat already on the walls? If so, it’ll suck up way more paint than something with a sheen and multiple coats already on it. I never get 400 SF per gallon on my walls

You mean 300 sf per gallon, right?