Everything you need before the first coat
Avoid the most common painting regrets
Each tool uses the estimate above, so it's built for your rooms. Everything runs on your device.
Try colors on your room
The problem: a tiny chip in the store looks nothing like a whole wall. See the color on your own room before you buy a single can.
Your photo stays on your device. It is never uploaded.
Preview only: screens and lighting change how colors look. Always test a real sample on your wall before buying gallons.
Quote Checker
The problem: painter quotes vary a lot, and it's hard to tell a fair price from an overcharge or a lowball that cuts corners.
Ask these before you sign
- Are you licensed in this state and do you carry liability insurance and workers' comp? Can I see the certificate?
- How many coats, and which paint brand and product line?
- Is prep included: patching, sanding, caulking, moving furniture, covering floors?
- Is the price fixed or hourly? What would make it change?
- How much deposit do you need? (Avoid paying most of the price up front.)
- Will you give me the scope, price and warranty in writing?
- My home was built before 1978. Are you EPA lead-safe certified?
Prep & Primer Check
The problem: skipping prep or primer is the top reason a new paint job looks blotchy or peels.
Color Test Planner
The problem: colors look different at home than in the store. People often make several trips before deciding.
Tip: paint samples on white poster board instead of the wall if you want to move them around, and keep them away from the old color's edges. Check the finish (eggshell, satin) too, because it changes how a color looks.
Tap the times of day when you like each color. The favorite will be highlighted.
Finish Picker
The problem: the wrong sheen is a common regret. Flat paint in a busy kitchen scuffs and won't wipe clean; glossy paint on an uneven wall shows every bump.
Higher sheen is tougher and easier to wipe but shows wall flaws. Lower sheen hides flaws but marks more easily. The price difference between sheens is small.
Paint Day Plan
The problem: running out halfway through a wall. A new can often dries a slightly different shade, and the line shows.
Store Shopping List
The problem: a second trip to the store in the middle of a paint day. This list is built from your estimate, so you buy everything once.
Tick items as you put them in the cart. Ask the store to shake each can and to mix all gallons of one color from the same batch.
How we estimate
- Walls: 2 × (length + width) × height, minus 20 sq ft per door and 15 sq ft per window.
- Paint: painted area × coats ÷ coverage, rounded up to real cans. Past 4 gallons we switch to a 5-gallon bucket (about 4.5× the gallon price). Quarts cost about 40% of a gallon.
- Safety margin: we add 10% to paint and primer by default and show it as its own line. Can labels assume smooth walls; textured walls, patches, and spills use more. You can switch it off.
- Ceilings: priced as a separate flat ceiling-white paint, because most people don't use wall paint on ceilings.
- Sales tax: when you pick your state, we use the 2026 combined state and average local rate from the Tax Foundation.
- Primer: one coat at 300 sq ft per gallon. "Spot" covers 25% of the area.
- Labor: rate × wall area for 2 coats, ceilings at 1.2×, adjusted for coats, primer and wall condition. The pro range is −20% to +25% of that figure.
- Trim, doors & cabinets (optional): baseboards = room edge minus 3 ft per door; frames = 17 ft per door and 14 ft per window. Paint area: 0.5 sq ft per foot of baseboard, 0.35 per foot of frame, 44 sq ft per door (both sides), 13 sq ft per cabinet door and 2.6 per drawer front (including face frames). Semi-gloss at 400 sq ft per gallon, 2 coats, plus one coat of bonding primer on cabinets. Pro labor: about $2 per foot of trim, $150 per door, $95 per cabinet door, $70 per drawer front at average rates, scaled with your labor rate.
- Supplies: typical retail prices at US home-improvement stores. Tape is sized to your room edges.
2026 price benchmarks we use
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Interior paint, per gallon | $20–$80 |
| Primer, per gallon | $20–$75 |
| Painter, per hour | $20–$50 |
| Painting a 12×12 room, hired | $290–$870 |
| Painting a ceiling, extra per sq ft | $1–$6 |
Sources: Angi, HomeGuide, Homewyse, Tax Foundation.
Painting tips for this season
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The fine print, in plain English
- Questions by email: only if you email us. We use your address only to reply and delete the conversation once your question is resolved.
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Frequently asked questions
How much paint do I need for a 12×12 room?
A 12×12 room with 8-foot ceilings has 384 sq ft of wall. After one door and two windows, about 334 sq ft is left. Two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon need about 1.9 gallons. With our 10% safety margin that's about 2.1 gallons, so buy 2 gallons plus 1 quart.
How much does a gallon of paint cover?
On smooth walls that are already painted, one gallon covers about 350 to 400 sq ft per coat. New drywall and textured walls get about 250 to 350 sq ft, and brick or stucco 150 to 250 sq ft. Two coats need twice as much. A quart covers about 85 to 100 sq ft, and a 5-gallon bucket about 1,750 to 2,000 sq ft per coat.
How much paint do I need for one wall?
Multiply the wall's width by its height. A 12 ft wide, 8 ft high accent wall is 96 sq ft. Two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon need about 0.55 gallons. With our 10% safety margin that's about 0.6 gallons, so buy 3 quarts or 1 gallon (a gallon usually costs less than 3 quarts). Pick "One wall (accent wall)" in the room list to calculate yours.
Is it cheaper to paint a room myself?
Usually yes. Labor is 60–90% of a hired paint job. DIY costs you materials and a weekend. Hiring saves time and gets cleaner edges, especially on ceilings and high walls.
Do I need primer?
Prime new drywall, patched spots, water stains, glossy surfaces, and dark walls you're covering with a light color. Walls already painted and in good shape usually don't need it.
What's not included in this estimate?
Trim, doors, cabinets, moving furniture, wallpaper removal, and lead paint testing in homes built before 1978. Ask your painter to list these separately.