How much paint do I need for a 4 x 4 m room?
About 8 litres for two coats
The short answer
A 4 × 4 m room with a 2.4 m ceiling has about 35.1 m² of wall once a standard door and window are taken out. Two coats cover 70.1 m², and at about 10 m² per litre that is 7 litres, so buy 8 litres. Paint for the ceiling is extra: about 3.2 litres for two coats.
How it is worked out
- Perimeter: 2 × (4 + 4) = 16 m
- Wall area: 16 m × 2.4 m = 38.4 m²
- Take away one door (1.89 m²) and one window (1.44 m²): 35.1 m²
- Two coats: 70.1 m²
- Divide by 10 m² per litre: 7 → buy 8 litres
Other sizes and options
| Ceiling height | Wall area | 1 coat | 2 coats | 3 coats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4 m | 35.1 m² | 3.5 L | 7 L | 10.5 L |
| 2.7 m | 39.9 m² | 4 L | 8 L | 12 L |
| 3.0 m | 44.7 m² | 4.5 L | 8.9 L | 13.4 L |
What can change the amount?
Most tins state 10 to 12 m² per litre on smooth, primed walls. Fresh plaster, dark colours and textured surfaces need more, so read the tin and round up rather than down.
Open this room in RoomveilRoomveil opens with these measurements filled in. Change them to match your room, see the result on a photo, and get the exact amount. Free, no sign-up.Open in Roomveil
Worked out with common rules of thumb and code minimums, for planning. Check the product label, the maker's instructions and your local building code before you buy or build. More detail in the Paint calculator guide.