How much paint for a 10x10 bedroom, including the ceiling?
Check it with your own numbers
Open the Paint Calculator with these values
| Room length | 10 ft |
| Room width | 10 ft |
| Wall height | 8 ft |
| Doors | 1 |
| Windows | 1 |
| Coats | 2 |
| Paint ceiling too? | Yes |
| Coverage per gallon | 350 ft² |
| Paint needed | 2.2 gal |
| Buy | 3 gallon can(s) |
| Paintable area | 385 ft² |
Breaking down the 385 square feet
A 10x10 room has 40 ft of wall at 8 ft tall, 320 ft². Take off about 20 ft² for the door and 15 ft² for one window, leaving 285 ft² of wall. Add the 100 ft² ceiling and the total paintable area is 385 ft². Two coats at 350 ft² per gallon comes to 2.2 gallons.
Split the order
The calculator says 3 cans, but you should not buy three of the same paint. Ceilings almost always get a flat white ceiling paint, and walls get eggshell or satin in your color. Split it like this:
- Walls: 285 ft² × 2 coats = 570 ft², about 1.6 gallons. Buy 2 gallons.
- Ceiling: 100 ft² × 2 coats = 200 ft², about 0.6 gallon. One gallon covers it with plenty left for touch-ups.
Does a ceiling need two coats?
Often not. If you are repainting a white ceiling with white, one coat of good ceiling paint usually does it. That drops the ceiling to about a third of a gallon, but a gallon is still the smallest practical buy.
Small-room tips
Paint the ceiling first
Drips and roller spatter fall down. Do the ceiling, let it dry, then cut in the walls against it.
Closets
Most 10x10 bedrooms have a reach-in closet. A 2x5 closet with 8 ft walls adds roughly 100 ft² of wall. If you are painting it the same color, bump the wall order up by about half a gallon.
Ventilation
Small rooms hold fumes. Use low-VOC paint, keep a window open with a box fan blowing out, and let the room air out a day before anyone sleeps in it.
Related questions
For other sizes, use the full Paint Calculator or browse all answers.