Paint for a 20×20 room
3.4 gallons (buy 3 gal + 2 qt)
for two coats on 589 sq ft of wall: 8 ft ceilings, one door, two windows, 350 sq ft per gallon.
Paint for a 20×20 room by ceiling height
| Ceiling height | Wall area | 1 coat | 2 coats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 ft | 589 sq ft | 1.7 gal | 3.4 gal |
| 9 ft | 669 sq ft | 1.9 gal | 3.8 gal |
| 10 ft | 749 sq ft | 2.1 gal | 4.3 gal |
| 12 ft | 909 sq ft | 2.6 gal | 5.2 gal |
Wall area subtracts one door (21 sq ft) and two windows (15 sq ft each). Ceiling: 400 sq ft, 1.14 gal per coat.
How it’s worked out
- Perimeter: 2 × (20 + 20) = 80 ft.
- Wall area: 80 × 8 ft = 640 sq ft, minus 21 for the door and 30 for the windows = 589 sq ft.
- Two coats: 589 × 2 ÷ 350 = 3.37 gallons.
Change the numbers
Other room sizes
- 18×20 room
- 16×20 room
- 20×24 room
- 15×20 room
- 14×20 room
- 13×20 room
- 12×20 room
- 11×20 room
- 10×20 room
- 9×20 room
- 8×20 room
- 16×24 room
Questions
- How much paint do I need for a 20×20 room?
- About 3.4 gallons for two coats on the walls of a 20×20 room with 8 ft ceilings, one door and two windows: buy 3 gal + 2 qt. The ceiling takes another 1.1 gallons per coat.
- How many square feet of wall is a 20×20 room?
- 640 sq ft of wall with 8 ft ceilings, or about 589 sq ft after one door and two windows.
- How much does it cost to paint a 20×20 room?
- Paint for the walls costs about $160 at $40 a gallon. Professional painters typically charge $2 to $6 per square foot of floor area, about $800 to $2,400 here.