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How Much Paint Do I Need in 2026? (US, UK, Australia & Canada Guide)

By Sam Redfield · thebuildcost.com · October 11, 2026

1. Quick Answer: How Much Paint Do I Need in 2026? (TL;DR)

Take a standard 4 m × 5 m / 13 ft × 16 ft bedroom with a 2.4 m / 8 ft ceiling, 2 doors and 2 windows. That's about 36 m² / 390 sq ft of paintable wall. Two coats on previously painted smooth walls means covering about 73 m² / 780 sq ft.

Amounts use this guide's working coverage rates: 350 sq ft/gal (US/CA), 11 m²/L (UK), 13 m²/L (AU). Each is the typical label figure minus about 15% for real-world loss. Prices compiled October 2026; see the Sources section.

Three things that change the number most:

• Surface type. Porous surfaces such as bare drywall or new plaster cut coverage by 20–40% (UseCalcPro). Textured walls need about 20% more paint (Clare). Rough masonry can need 35–45% more (paint-calculator multipliers).
• Colour change. Going dark to light, or putting a deep colour over white, almost always needs an extra coat and often a tinted primer. CompositePaint notes Benjamin Moore Aura deep colours "usually need a tinted primer and two coats".
• Hide, more than tier. Label coverage overlaps across tiers (250–450 sq ft/gal in the US). Where a better paint helps is hide. Behr Marquee is built as a one-coat-hide line, and Regal Select covers mid-tones in one coat where Benjamin Moore's cheaper ben line often needs two (CompositePaint). That can save a whole coat on a colour change.

One thing most guides skip: paint comes in whole tins, so you usually end up with leftover for touch-ups. Section 6 shows how much, and how long it keeps.

For your exact project, use the free regional calculators at the bottom of this guide.

2. What's Actually In a Paint Estimate?

Most "how much paint do I need" posts give you one number. That number hides three variables, and if any of them is off, the number is wrong.

1. Paintable surface area. Walls, plus the ceiling if you're painting it, minus windows and doors. Trim and doors are usually estimated separately.
2. Coverage per coat. This is how many square feet (US/CA) or square metres (UK/AU) one gallon or litre actually covers on your surface. Label figures are a best case; real coverage is usually 10–20% lower (Vertigraph). This guide uses one working rate per region: 350 sq ft/gal (US/CA), 11 m²/L (UK), 13 m²/L (AU).
3. Number of coats. Two is standard for previously painted walls. Bare drywall or new plaster usually needs primer plus two coats. Big colour changes may need three.

Where the money goes:

• Hiring a pro: labour is 70–85% of an interior painting invoice, and the paint itself only 10–20% (UseCalcPro). Section 12 has regional labour rates.
• Doing it yourself: your main cost is paint. Improovy suggests adding about 20% of your paint cost for supplies and about 10% for prep materials. If you're starting from scratch, the equipment kit in Section 8 is a one-off cost on top.

3. 2026 Paint Cost Comparison by Tier

All prices below are the retail cost of the paint itself (no labour), in each region's native tin sizes. They were compiled in October 2026. ✅ = price checked live on the retailer's own product page. Other prices come from retailer listings and 2026 cost guides; every URL and SKU is in the Sources section. — = not sold in that size, or no price published when we checked.

What the tiers mean here: economy, mid and premium are price bands across what a large retailer stocks in each region, the same bands our calculators use. They aren't each brand's own good-better-best ladder, so a brand's entry line can land in the mid band when something cheaper sits beside it, and a brand's middle line can land in premium. Where that happens, we say why under the table. Bands compare price per litre or gallon, so a small tin is judged at its per-litre price.

🇺🇸 United States — USD per can

US summary, per gallon: Economy $22–$29 · Mid $29–$47 · Premium $48–$104. Sherwin-Williams prices drop sharply during its frequent 30–40%-off sales.

Quarts are expensive. The SuperPaint quart at $22 works out to about $88 per gallon equivalent. Per litre, a quart costs 2–3× more than a gallon. Buy quarts only for touch-ups, trim, small accent walls, or to top up a job that's a little over a whole number of gallons.

Behr's lineup, from cheapest up: Premium Plus → Ultra (Scuff Defense) → Marquee → Dynasty. Marquee is an upper-tier line, not entry level.

Why some brands sit a band off their own labels: Behr Premium Plus and Benjamin Moore ben are their brands' entry lines, but across most of their price ranges both cost more than Glidden Premium, so they're mid here. Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint and Benjamin Moore Regal Select are their brands' middle lines, but at list price they cost as much as Behr Marquee or more, so they're premium here. SuperPaint drops into the mid band during Sherwin-Williams' frequent sales.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom — GBP per can (inc. VAT)

UK summary, per litre: Economy £3.20–£7.60 · Mid £6.40–£10.40 · Premium £11.20–£28. The bands overlap at the edges. Two products sit a band above their brand's positioning because they come only in 2.5 L tins, which cost more per litre: GoodHome Tough & Durable is B&Q's own brand but prices as mid, and Dulux Easycare is Dulux's retail mid line but prices as premium. Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt is Dulux Trade's basic matt, but at £32–£52 for 5 L it's mid here. 1 L tins of wall emulsion are hard to find at the big chains; 1 L sizes are mostly trim paint, primer or colour-mix bases. UK painters buy wall paint in 2.5 L or 5 L.

🇦🇺 Australia — AUD per can (inc. GST)

Bunnings prices come from Bunnings' own product pages as listed in October 2026. Bunnings restricts access from outside the regions it serves, so we couldn't re-check them live; confirm in store.

AU summary, 4 L tin: Economy $69.90–$84.95 · Mid $94.95–$127 · Premium $125.50–$134. Dulux positions UltraAir as a premium line, and Haymes Expressions is sold through specialist paint stores, but on a 4 L tin both price alongside Wash&Wear, so they're mid here. Only Wash&Wear +PLUS prices clearly above the mid band.

The Taubmans range: the entry-level Taubmans line on Bunnings shelves in 2026 is Easycoat, with Tradex aimed at trade buyers. If you see "Prepcoat" recommended, that's a Dulux undercoat, not a Taubmans product.

Wash&Wear vs Haymes: on a 4 L tin the price is almost the same. Dulux Wash&Wear is $107 white / $127 deep base; Haymes Expressions is $109.95 at Crockers. The real difference is where you can buy them. Bunnings doesn't stock Haymes, so Haymes buyers go to independent paint shops like Crockers.

🇨🇦 Canada — CAD per can

CA summary, per 3.78/3.79 L can: Mid $45.97–$66.97 · Premium $79.97–$125. There's no Canadian economy band, here or in our calculator: nothing we could price sits clearly below Behr Premium Plus, so Canadian Tire Premier, Behr Premium Plus and Benjamin Moore ben all land in mid. Canadian Tire Premier Extra comes only in 946 mL tins, which puts it in the premium band per litre, and Benjamin Moore Regal Select prices above Behr Marquee.

Canadian can labels: Canadian Tire Premier and CIL label their gallon 3.78 L. Behr, Benjamin Moore and KILZ label the same gallon 3.79 L. It's the same can (a US gallon is about 3.785 L); the brands just round differently. CIL Smart3 is barely available as a wall paint in 2026 (the Home Depot Canada page is marked "Not Sold in Stores"), so this guide doesn't price it.

Tin sizes you can actually buy, by region

Why this matters for your shopping list:

• The US and Canada sell the same can sizes, but Canada labels them in millilitres and litres.
• The UK has no gallon equivalent. Wall paint comes in 2.5 L and 5 L, so you often round up more than a US shopper would.
• Australia has the finest steps (1 L, 2 L, 4 L, 10 L, 15 L), which makes it easier to buy close to what you need.
• Benjamin Moore Aura has no 5-gallon pail, in either the US or Canada.

4. Coverage Per Coat by Surface: The Real Numbers

Paint tins print a label coverage figure. In the real world, you get 10–20% less (Vertigraph estimating guide). Below are the label figures, followed by the working rates this guide uses.

Previously painted smooth walls (the baseline)

Want to be extra safe in Australia? The "up to 16 m²/L" on Dulux and Taubmans labels is a best case. Resene uses a more conservative 10 m²/L as its planning figure, allowing for colours, wastage and other losses. If your walls are patchy or you're changing colour, plan with 10 m²/L instead of 13.

Does coverage depend on the paint tier? Not much. Economy, mid and premium label figures overlap almost completely. A better paint earns its price through hide (fewer coats on a colour change) and durability, not through more square metres per litre.

By surface type (per coat)

(est.) = our estimate, derived from the smooth-wall label rate and the published adjustment factors in the last column. It's not a manufacturer figure. — = no published figure found.

UK note on masonry: Dulux Weathershield Smooth Masonry is rated 15–16 m²/L on smooth render but only 4–6 m²/L on pebbledash or textured surfaces. Pebbledash eats paint, so budget accordingly.

Canadian figures: Canada uses the same products as the US, so the US numbers apply.

5. Paint by the Room: 5 Common Sizes

Assumptions: previously painted smooth walls, a 2.4 m / 8 ft ceiling, and 2 doors (about 1.9 m² / 21 sq ft each) plus 2 windows (about 1.5 m² / 15 sq ft each) per room. Two coats, ceiling not painted. Working rates: 350 sq ft/gal (US/CA), 11 m²/L (UK), 13 m²/L (AU).

Why the "buy" column rounds up: paint comes in whole tins. Take the 3 m × 3 m room in the UK: two coats need about 44 m² ÷ 11 m²/L = 4 L. A 2.5 L tin won't cover that, so you buy 5 L and keep about 1 L for touch-ups (see Section 6).

Gallon or quarts? Where the maths lands just over a whole number of gallons, a quart tops you up. But two quarts often cost about as much as a third gallon, so price both before you buy.

If you're painting the ceiling too: add the floor area to the wall area and recalculate. For example, a 4 m × 5 m room adds 20 m² to its 36 m² of wall, for 56 m² per coat. Use the same working rate as for the walls.

If the walls are bare drywall or new plaster: multiply the wall area by 1.3 before calculating, to allow for the porous surface. Then add a primer or mist coat first; Section 7 has primer coverage by product.

6. The Leftover Math: How Much Paint Will You Have Left?

Most paint guides skip this question.

Paint comes in whole tins, and your project's maths almost never lines up with the tin size. So you'll usually have leftover for touch-ups. The questions are how much, and how long it stays good.

How much leftover (worked example)

The standard 4 m × 5 m bedroom needs about 73 m² / 780 sq ft of coverage (two coats). The range below runs from our working rate (the cautious case) to the label rate (the best case).

What that means: a small touch-up uses only a spoonful or two of paint, so even 0.4 L covers dozens of them. The exception is the Canadian minimum buy, which can leave you with almost nothing. If you want a touch-up reserve there, buy the third 3.78 L can.

How long does leftover paint last?

• Opened and resealed water-based (latex/acrylic) paint: Benjamin Moore puts the shelf life of most of its opened products at about two years. Temperature swings and storage conditions shorten it.
• Unopened water-based paint is often quoted at up to about 10 years, and unopened oil-based paint at up to about 15, if kept sealed and away from freezing and heat (Bob Vila). Some manufacturers quote shorter windows, so check the label or the product's data sheet.
• How to tell it's gone: a sour or rancid smell, or a lumpy texture that doesn't stir smooth. Separation and a skin on top are normal; stir well, and strain through a paint strainer if needed. Test on a small patch before using it on a wall.

Smart leftover storage

• Pour leftover into a smaller, clean container (a glass jar works). Less air in the container means the paint keeps longer. Label it with the date, room, colour name/code and brand.
• Seal the lid fully. Some painters store tins upside down to tighten the seal, but only do this if the lid is hammered fully shut; otherwise it will leak.
• Keep it indoors at room temperature. Garages and sheds that freeze (Canada, northern US) or bake above 35°C (Australia, the US South) ruin paint fast.
• For touch-ups, use a small brush, not a roller. A roller leaves a texture that won't match the surrounding wall.

Don't pour it down the drain: give it away or recycle it

Every region in this guide has a scheme for unwanted paint:

• 🇬🇧 UK: Community RePaint (communityrepaint.org.uk), a Dulux-sponsored network that collects leftover paint and passes it on to community groups, charities and households.
• 🇦🇺 Australia: Paintback (paintback.com.au), a free national drop-off scheme for households and trade painters. Paint must be in its original container, up to 100 L per visit.
• 🇺🇸 US: PaintCare (paintcare.org), which runs paint drop-off programs, mostly at paint retailers, in states with paint stewardship laws. Elsewhere, check your city or county's household waste rules.
• 🇨🇦 Canada: Product Care (productcare.org), which runs free paint drop-off in 8 of the 10 provinces, plus a PaintShare program where you can pick up leftover paint for free.

7. Primer: When You Need It, When You Don't, and How Much

Primer is the most skipped step in a paint job, and also the most expensive one to skip.

When primer is non-negotiable

• Bare drywall or new plaster.
  • UK: apply a "mist coat" of contract matt thinned with water. Dulux's instructions for Trade Supermatt say up to 1 part water to 3 parts paint.
  • US/Canada: a PVA drywall primer is the cheapest option (KILZ PVA Drywall: CAD $21.97–$22.97 per 3.79 L at Home Depot Canada). A multi-surface primer such as Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 (~450 sq ft/gal) also works and blocks stains.
• Patched or filled areas. Spot-prime them so the patch doesn't show through the topcoat.
• Stains such as water, smoke, nicotine or marker. Use a stain-blocking primer. KILZ 1 Standard is not recommended for stain-blocking (per its Home Depot Canada listing), so use Zinsser 1-2-3 or KILZ 2 instead.
• Glossy or slick surfaces. Primer gives the topcoat something to grip.
• Bare wood, bare metal or rusty metal. Use a specialist primer. For metal, Dulux Metalshield Quick Dry Primer covers up to 18 m²/L.
• Big colour changes, especially dark to light, or deep saturated colours over white. Use a primer tinted toward the new colour: grey under deep colours, white or a light tint when going dark to light (see Section 9).
• New or porous masonry, such as exterior walls, bare brick or raw concrete.

When primer is usually not needed

• Sound, clean, previously painted walls in a similar colour. "Paint and primer in one" products (Behr's lines, Benjamin Moore Regal Select) self-prime in this situation.
• Small colour changes within the same undertone family, such as one warm white to another.

Primer prices and coverage, by region

UK note: the usual UK approach for new plaster is a mist coat, meaning thinned contract matt emulsion such as Dulux Trade Supermatt, rather than a dedicated drywall primer. Per litre, Supermatt (£40 for 5 L, £8/L) costs about half as much as Zinsser 1-2-3 (£38.49 for 2.5 L, £15.40/L), and it does the job on new plaster.

8. Hidden Costs: The Equipment Kit

Painting isn't just paint. If you're starting from zero (no brushes, rollers or drop cloths), budget a one-off kit on top of the paint. If you already own the gear, skip this section.

Kit totals are our own estimate, not a bundle price. Each is the sum of the item ranges above with one drop cloth: plastic at the low end, canvas at the high end. Items marked — had no published price when we checked and are left out of the total.

Not included above: in the US, ladders and extension poles add $250–$550 if you own neither (Improovy). You may also want caulk and a paint strainer. As a rule of thumb, Improovy suggests budgeting about 20% of your paint cost for supplies.

The hidden cost most homeowners miss: if you hire a contractor, labour is 70–85% of the invoice and paint only 10–20% (UseCalcPro). The "paint cost" headlines are a small slice of the real bill; Section 12 has regional labour rates.

9. Changing Colour: When Two Coats Aren't Enough

Two coats cover a same-colour or similar-colour refresh. Changing colour is where the numbers change.

Three colour-change scenarios

Light to light. Two colours in the same family (a warm white to another warm white, one grey to another) usually take two coats and no primer.

Light to deep or saturated. Moving from a pale wall to a strong colour is harder than it looks. CompositePaint notes that deep colours over white "usually need a tinted primer and two coats", even with a premium paint like Benjamin Moore Aura. A grey-tinted primer is the usual choice under deep colours. One-coat-hide lines such as Behr Marquee can save a coat on smaller colour changes, but don't plan on a single coat of a strong colour.

Dark to light. This is the hardest change, because the old colour shows through the new one. Plan on three coats, or a white primer (or one tinted toward your new colour) plus two coats. Grey primer is for going to deep colours, not away from them.

What to buy for a standard bedroom

The bedroom is 4 m × 5 m / 13 × 16 ft, with 36 m² / 390 sq ft of paintable wall. Amounts use this guide's working rates.

How we sized the primer:

All primer amounts are figured at the label rate less about 15%.

Buying tip: buy all your topcoat in one trip and ask for the tins to be tinted from the same batch. On a bigger job, "box" the paint: pour every tin into one large bucket and mix, so any small batch difference is averaged out across all the walls.

10. Spray vs Roll vs Brush: How Application Changes Coverage

This guide assumes you roll the walls and cut in with a brush. Spraying changes the numbers.

Transfer efficiency figures: CompositePaint, updated May 2026.

What that means for quantities (our estimate): dividing a roller's ~90% by an indoor airless's 50–65% means spraying indoors uses roughly 1.4× to 1.8× the paint of rolling. A standard bedroom that takes 3 gal rolled would take about 4 to 5½ gal sprayed, before you count the masking and set-up time.

Should you spray an interior? For one room, usually not. You'll use more paint, mask everything, and need a respirator and some practice. Spraying pays off on large, empty or exterior surfaces, where its speed outweighs the extra paint.

Renting a sprayer: rates vary a lot by unit and store. In the UK, hire firms list small airless units at around £140–£220 for 24 hours (Mammoth Hire, ex VAT; National Tool Hire). In the US, Australia and Canada, check your local tool-hire counter: Home Depot Tool Rental, Kennards Hire and similar firms quote by store.

11. Walls, Ceilings and Trim: Different Rates, Different Paints

Walls, ceilings and trim usually need different products. Using one tin for everything usually means a worse finish somewhere.

How to estimate trim paint

Bunnings' paint guide measures trim area this way:

• Doors: about 2 m² per door side.
• Window frames: about 1.5 m² per single window frame.
• Skirting: board height × room perimeter.

Worked example, the standard bedroom (one side of each door):

Two coats come to about 18 m². At 12–16 m²/L, that's about 1.1–1.5 L of trim paint.

Ceiling tip

Ceilings get less direct light than walls, so the same colour looks darker on a ceiling. If you want the ceiling to read as the same colour as the walls, or as a clean white, go one shade lighter on the ceiling.

12. DIY vs Pro: What a Painter Actually Costs

If you hire a pro, the paint is only 10–20% of the bill, and labour is 70–85% (UseCalcPro). Here's the labour side in 2026.

🇺🇸 United States

• Per square foot (whole-job pricing): $2–$6/sq ft across Angi's 2026 interior and room guides. Walls alone run $1–$2/sq ft, ceilings $1–$3, and hard-to-reach areas up to $6.
• Hourly: $20–$50/hr (Angi). Other Angi pages give $25–$100; TaskRabbit averages $40/hr; Thumbtack $50/hr (range $30–$160).
• Per room: average about $1,100 (range $200–$2,000, Angi). A bedroom runs $650–$950 (Improovy).
• Regional differences: Chicago is about 30% above St. Louis, and Denver about 10% above Chicago (Improovy). High ceilings add 20–40%.
• San Francisco: one estimate (Build-Folio, a cost-calculator site) puts it around $77/hr. Treat that as a pointer, not a benchmark.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

• Day rate outside London: £230–£355 (Fantastic Services); £150–£250 at the budget end (MyBuilder). Checkatrade's 2026 average is £325/day (about £32/hr).
• London and the South East: £280–£460/day, 20–30% above the rest of the country. MyJobQuote puts London at £250–£350/day.
• Per m²: £3–£8/m² of wall for a two-coat finish, before prep.
• Per room: standard bedroom £400–£550; living room £500–£800; ceiling only £120–£250.
• VAT: a VAT-registered decorator adds 20%. Sole traders turning over less than the registration threshold (£90,000 for 2026/27; check gov.uk) usually don't charge it (unless they've registered voluntarily).
• What's included varies: some decorators quote labour only (you supply the paint), others quote supply-and-apply. Always ask.

🇦🇺 Australia

• Hourly: $40–$100/hr nationally, typical $60/hr (What's The Damage, verified October 2026).
• Day rate: $350–$650.
• Per m²: $20–$40/m² of wall and ceiling.
• Per room: walls + ceiling $300–$1,000 (typical $650); ceiling only $200–$500.
• Whole 3-bedroom interior: $4,000–$9,500.
• City "from" rates (October 2026): Hobart $36 · Adelaide $37 · Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra $40 · Melbourne and Perth $42 · Wollongong and Townsville $43 per hour.
• Sydney: the same source published $57–$115/hr (average $80) in July 2026, then revised it to $40–$100/hr in October. Get three local quotes rather than relying on one figure.
• Paint in a quote: What's The Damage lists premium paint at $70–$100/L in painter pricing, which is well above shelf prices. A 4 L tin of Haymes Expressions or Dulux Wash&Wear works out to roughly $27–$32/L (Section 3). Ask for materials to be itemised.

🇨🇦 Canada

• Per sq ft: $2–$4 for walls; $3–$5 with ceilings and trim (HomeStars 2026).
• Hourly: $40–$75+/hr (HomeStars Toronto); up to $80 on other HomeStars pages.
• Per room: $400–$800 for a single room.
• Whole interior: $2,000–$5,000 standard; 40–80 crew-hours for a 1,500–2,000 sq ft home.
• Toronto and Vancouver run 15–25% above the national average, according to HomeStars' summary. HomeStars' own Toronto page gives lower per-sq-ft figures, though, so treat the city premium as directional.

Should you DIY?

• Yes if: it's one or two rooms, you own (or can borrow) a ladder and basic kit, the walls are sound and previously painted, and you can give it a weekend.
• Hire a pro if: it's a whole house, the ceilings are high, you're going dark to light across several rooms, or the walls need major repair. A crew with the right equipment finishes in days what can take a DIYer several weekends.

13. Six Common Painting Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

1. Skipping primer on new plaster or drywall. The topcoat soaks in unevenly and leaves a patchy sheen that extra coats won't fix. In the UK, use thinned contract matt as a mist coat (a 5 L tin of Dulux Trade Supermatt is £40). In the US and Canada, use a drywall primer (KILZ 2 is $23–$25 a gallon in the US; KILZ PVA Drywall is CAD $21.97–$22.97 in Canada).
2. Buying one tin at a time. Tints can shift slightly between batches. Buy everything for the project in one trip, ask for one batch, and "box" the tins yourself (mix them together in one large bucket) on bigger jobs.
3. Switching paint between coats. Use the same product and sheen for every coat on a wall. Changing line or sheen between coats can leave uneven sheen and hide.
4. Painting over gloss without sanding. New paint won't grip glossy or satin surfaces. Scuff-sand with 120-grit, wipe clean, prime, then paint.
5. Storing paint in the garage or shed. Water-based paint stored below freezing (32°F / 0°C) can gel, especially after repeated freeze–thaw cycles. Heat above about 110°F (43°C) makes it skin over (Dunn-Edwards). Keep leftovers indoors at room temperature.
6. Using a roller for touch-ups months later. A roller leaves a texture that won't match the wall around it. Use a small brush and feather the edges.

14. Regional Buying Guide: Where to Buy, Which Brand

🇺🇸 United States

• Big-box: Home Depot (Behr lines, Glidden), Lowe's (Valspar and HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams), Walmart (Glidden, KILZ primers).
• Specialist stores: Sherwin-Williams company stores (SuperPaint, Emerald; their frequent 30–40%-off sales are worth timing a project around) and Benjamin Moore independent dealers (ben, Regal Select, Aura). Aura is sold only through dealers.
• For primer: KILZ 2 or Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 (Home Depot, Walmart, Ace).

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

• DIY retailers: B&Q (Dulux, GoodHome own brand, Farrow & Ball, Zinsser) and Wickes (Dulux, Crown, Wickes own brand).
• Builders' merchants for the Dulux Trade range (Vinyl Matt, Diamond Matt, Supermatt): Travis Perkins, Jewson, Selco.
• Specialist and trade: Brewers (Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Dulux Trade) and Screwfix (Zinsser primer, trade tools). John Lewis also sells Little Greene online.
• For primer: Zinsser 1-2-3 (Screwfix, £38.49 per 2.5 L), or Dulux Trade Supermatt as a mist coat on new plaster (B&Q, £40 per 5 L).

🇦🇺 Australia

• Big-box: Bunnings (Dulux Wash&Wear, +PLUS and UltraAir; Taubmans Easycoat, Endure and Tradex; Spring; Dulux Prepcoat). Mitre 10 also stocks Dulux, with prices set by each store.
• Specialist paint shops for Haymes: Crockers Paint and other independent Haymes stockists. Bunnings doesn't stock Haymes.
• For primer: Taubmans 3 In 1 ($89.90 per 4 L) or Dulux Prepcoat ($79.50–$83.50 per 4 L), both at Bunnings.

🇨🇦 Canada

• Big-box: Home Depot Canada (Behr lines, KILZ, Zinsser) and Canadian Tire (Premier own brand, Zinsser).
• Specialist dealers: Benjamin Moore independent dealers, such as Pro Glo Paints / Toronto Paint Store (ben and Regal Select prices checked live in October 2026).
• For primer: Zinsser 1-2-3 or KILZ at Home Depot Canada, about $47–$50 per 3.78/3.79 L. KILZ PVA Drywall costs $21.97–$22.97.

15. Paint Coverage FAQ

16. Try Our Free Paint Coverage Calculators

Get a region-specific estimate for your project in under a minute:

• US Paint Coverage Calculator
• UK Paint Coverage Calculator
• AU Paint Coverage Calculator
• CA Paint Coverage Calculator

The calculator takes room size, doors and windows, surface type, paint tier, number of coats and primer, and shows the leftover you'll have for touch-ups.

Note on coverage rates: the calculators' default rates differ from this guide's working rates.

• US and Canada: the calculators default to 400 sq ft/gal (mid-tier, previously painted walls), so they suggest slightly less paint than this guide's 350 sq ft/gal. To match the guide, enter 350 under Advanced → custom coverage rate.
• UK and Australia: the calculators default to a more cautious 9.8 m²/L, so they suggest more paint than this guide (11 m²/L UK, 13 m²/L AU).

Related Guides

• How Much Does a Retaining Wall Cost in 2026? (US, UK, Australia & Canada Guide)
• Cedar vs Composite Decking: The Real 2026 Comparison (US, UK, Australia & Canada)
• Fence Cost Guide 2026 (US, UK, AU, CA) (coming soon)
• Patio Cost 2026: Concrete, Pavers, Stone (coming soon)

Sources & Methodology

How we built the numbers

Prices in this guide come from live retailer product pages (where accessible), 2026 cost guides, and brand technical data sheets, checked in October 2026.

We couldn't check prices live at Home Depot (US/CA), Lowe's, Walmart, Ace Hardware, Bunnings, Mitre 10, and several UK trade merchants. Their prices are taken from the search engine's indexed copies of their own product pages, with SKUs cited.

Prices are in each region's own currency and tin size; nothing is converted between currencies or units.

Working rates

All three working rates are the typical label figure minus about 15% (the midpoint of Vertigraph's 10–20% real-world loss), rounded:

• US / Canada: 350 sq ft per US gallon (3.78/3.79 L), from typical mid-tier labels of about 400 sq ft/gal.
• UK: 11 m² per litre, from typical Dulux and Wickes retail labels of 13 m²/L.
• Australia: 13 m² per litre, from Dulux Wash&Wear and Taubmans labels of "up to 16 m²/L". Resene's more conservative 10 m²/L planning figure is given as an alternative.

Confidence

• ✅ in a price table means we fetched and read the retailer's own product page live on 10 October 2026.
• Other prices come from indexed retailer listings and 2026 cost guides. They're recent and traceable, but weren't checked live.
• "(est.)" means we derived the number from a nearby figure using a published adjustment factor. It isn't a manufacturer value.
• "—" means not sold in that size, or no published price when we checked.

Key sources cited

United States

• Angi 2026, interior and room painting cost guides: https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-paint-interior-house.htm · https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-paint-room.htm
• Improovy, interior painting cost: https://www.improovy.com/interior-painting-cost/
• TaskRabbit, painting cost guide: https://www.taskrabbit.com/cost-guides/painting
• Thumbtack, painters: https://www.thumbtack.com/ca/san-francisco/painting
• Build-Folio, San Francisco paint cost: https://build-folio.com/calculators/paint-cost/san-francisco/
• UseCalcPro, Sherwin-Williams paint price 2026 (including the $22 SuperPaint quart) and paint cost per gallon 2026: https://usecalcpro.com/blog/sherwin-williams-paint-price-2026 · https://usecalcpro.com/blog/paint-cost-per-gallon-2026
• CompositePaint, Behr, Benjamin Moore, Glidden, KILZ and Sherwin-Williams product guides: https://compositepaint.com/
• CompositePaint, spray vs roll vs brush (updated May 2026): https://compositepaint.com/compare/spray-vs-roll-vs-brush/
• CompositePaint, HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams (Lowe's): https://compositepaint.com/brands/hgtv-home/
• Home Depot, Behr Premium Plus 1-gal White Flat: https://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-Premium-Plus-1-gal-White-Flat-Zero-VOC-Interior-Paint-and-Primer-in-One-105201/202761506
• Benjamin Moore Regal Select Technical Data Sheet (N549): https://m.benjaminmoorefrance.com/uploads/products/product_files/64e5c9d815b8270001db3bbf/N549_TDS_US.pdf
• Benjamin Moore, storing leftover paint: https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/interior-exterior-paints-stains/how-to-advice/painting-101/storing-leftover-paint
• Bob Vila, how long paint lasts: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-long-does-paint-last/
• Dunn-Edwards, paint storage best practices: https://www.dunnedwards.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/TB_Paint-Storage-Best-Practices.pdf
• Vertigraph, paint coverage estimating guide: https://www.vertigraph.com/learn/how-to-calculate-paint-coverage
• Clare, paint calculator: https://clare.com/blogs/articles/paint-calculator-how-much-paint-do-i-need
• PaintCare (US paint stewardship): https://paintcare.org

United Kingdom

• B&Q product pages, all verified live in October 2026: Dulux Easycare 2.5 L · Dulux PBW Matt 5 L · GoodHome Tough & Durable 2.5 L · Farrow & Ball Estate 2.5 L · Dulux Trade Supermatt 5 L
• Wickes product pages, verified live: Wickes Matt Emulsion PBW 5 L · Dulux Matt PBW 5 L
• Screwfix, Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 2.5 L (verified live): https://www.screwfix.com/p/zinsser-bulls-eye-1-2-3-2-5ltr-white-matt-stain-block-interior-exterior-multi-surface-primer/10136
• Jewson, Travis Perkins, SCBS and Brewers: Dulux Trade listings
• Fantastic Services, UK decorating cost guide 2026: https://www.fantasticservices.com/cost-guides/handyman/painting-decorating/
• MyBuilder, painting and decorating costs: https://www.mybuilder.com/pricing-guides/painting-and-decorating-costs
• Whito, how much painters charge in the UK (checked 4 Sep 2026; summarises Checkatrade, MyBuilder and MyJobQuote): https://whito.co.uk/painters-decorators/guides/how-much-do-painters-charge-uk/
• VAT registration threshold 2026/27 (secondary source citing GOV.UK; confirm on gov.uk): https://salarytax.uk/vat-registration-2026-27-thresholds-and-deadlines
• Mammoth Hire and National Tool Hire, small airless sprayer hire: https://new.mammoth-hire.co.uk/p/hire-airless-spray-unit-small-230039/ · https://www.nationaltoolhireshops.co.uk/product/airless-spray-unit-small-for-hire
• Community RePaint: https://communityrepaint.org.uk

Australia

• Bunnings product pages (indexed): Taubmans Easycoat, Endure, Tradex · Spring · Dulux Wash&Wear, Wash&Wear +PLUS, UltraAir, Prepcoat · Taubmans 3 In 1
• Bunnings, how to determine your paint requirements (trim measurements): https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/painting/how-to-determine-your-paint-requirements
• Crockers Paint, Haymes Expressions Low Sheen (verified live): https://crockerspaint.com.au/products/haymes-expressions-low-sheen
• Mitre 10, Dulux Wash&Wear (coverage 16 m²/L): https://www.mitre10.com.au/dulux-wash-wear-low-sheen-white-4l-7364854
• Dulux Wash&Wear EPD (coverage 16 m²/L): https://materials.oneclicklca.com/en/material/paint-for-interior-walls/5d6e63988e202b6b14df0fa0
• Bowens, Dulux Aquanamel coverage: https://www.bowens.com.au/p/dulux-aquanamel-water-based-enamel-paint-semi-gloss-deep-tint-base/
• Resene, productivity tables (10 m²/L planning figure; verified live): https://www.resene.com.au/paintdec/productivity-tables/index.htm
• What's The Damage, painter cost national and Sydney (verified October 2026): https://whatsthedamage.com.au/painter-cost/ · https://whatsthedamage.com.au/painter-cost-sydney/
• Paintback (paint take-back scheme): https://paintback.com.au

Canada

• Pro Glo Paints / Toronto Paint Store, Benjamin Moore Regal Select and ben (verified live): https://www.torontopaintstore.com/products/regal-select-interior-paint · https://www.torontopaintstore.com/products/ben-interior-paint
• Home Depot Canada product pages (indexed): Behr Premium Plus, Ultra Scuff Defense and Marquee 3.79 L · Zinsser 1-2-3 · KILZ range, including KILZ PVA Drywall: https://www.homedepot.ca/product/kilz-pva-3-79-l-water-based-drywall-interior-primer/1000743017
• Canadian Tire, Premier Ready To Roll and Premier Extra: https://www.canadiantire.ca/
• Benjamin Moore Canada, Regal Select F547 coverage: https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/product/regal-select-waterborne-interior-paint-flat-3-79-l/F547
• BM Colour Sense, Aura MSRP range: https://bmcoloursense.ca/paint/interior-paint/aura/
• HomeStars, painting cost per sq ft and Toronto guide: https://www.homestars.com/painting/price-guides/
• Product Care Recycling (Canadian paint take-back): https://productcare.org

What we couldn't verify

• US quart prices for Behr, Benjamin Moore and Valspar. The only quart price we have is Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint at $22, from a 2026 cost guide.
• US 5-gallon prices, except Behr Ultra Extra Durable Flat at about $225.
• UK 1 L wall emulsion: hard to find at the big chains, where 1 L is mostly trim paint, primer and colour-mix bases.
• UK Dulux Easycare 5 L price (the size is listed on B&Q, but no price was shown).
• AU economy paint in 1 L and 2 L tins: we didn't find these at the retailers we checked.
• CA Benjamin Moore Aura exact dealer price (we have an estimate and an MSRP range only).
• CA CIL Smart3 interior wall paint, marked "Not Sold in Stores" on Home Depot Canada.
• Coverage figures for AU masonry, AU metal, and popcorn ceilings in m²/L.
• Sprayer rental prices in the US, Australia and Canada (no reliable published rate).
• Minimum call-out fees in all four regions (no published source).

Limits of this guide

Prices vary widely within each country and shift with retailer promotions. Treat the ranges as 2026 reference points, not quotes. For your own project:

• Measure your walls.
• Pick your paint tier.
• If you're hiring, get three local quotes.
• Buy all the paint for the project in one trip, from one batch.

Published October 2026. Last reviewed October 13, 2026.

Written by Sam Redfield for thebuildcost.com. Have a correction or regional data to add? Email corrections@thebuildcost.com.