Guide
How to measure walls for paint
Measuring wall area for paint, including gross area, opening deductions and net area.
Answer
How do I calculate wall area for paint?
Explanation
The method
Measure each wall length and the room height. Length times height gives that wall gross. Add the walls together for the room gross. Then measure each door and window and subtract them.
Detail
Deciding whether to deduct
Small openings are often left in as a rough allowance for wastage and touch-up. Large openings — wide windows, double doors — are worth deducting, because they materially change the figure.
Detail
Ceilings
A ceiling is length times width, calculated separately from the walls. The multi-room builder handles both and keeps them apart.
Detail
Keep the units consistent
Feet or metres throughout, never mixed. The calculator on the tools page stores the unit with every measurement so a figure is never recorded without one.
Questions
Also asked
Should I deduct doors and windows?
Deduct the large ones. Small openings are often left in as a rough allowance. The calculator lets you decide either way.
What if the room is not rectangular?
Measure each wall separately and add them. The wall calculator takes as many walls as you need, each named.
Next
Ready to plan it?
Measure the walls, estimate each layer and build a paint list to send as one structured requirement.