How much paint for a bathroom?
1 gal of wall paint covers the classic 5x8 full bath in two coats. Bathrooms are the one room where the raw wall math overshoots by design: tile surrounds, the vanity mirror, and the shower enclosure eat wall area the calculator counts. If tile runs halfway up your walls, buy for one coat less than the table says and keep the receipt.
| Size | Wall area | Two coats |
|---|---|---|
| Powder room (5x6) | 156 sq ft | 1 gal |
| Small full bath (5x8) | 173 sq ft | 1 gal |
| Standard bath (8x10) | 253 sq ft | 1 gal + 2 qt |
| Primary bath (10x12) | 282 sq ft | 2 gal |
All rows: 8 ft ceilings, 350 sq ft per gallon, walls only. Tune it below.
Questions people ask
Do I need special bathroom paint?
You need a paint that tolerates humidity: satin or semi-gloss in a quality line, or a purpose-made bath paint with mildewcide. Flat builder paint in a shower-fed bathroom grows spots by year two.
Should I subtract the tile?
Yes, and it is worth doing properly in a small room: a 4 ft tile wainscot around a 5x8 bath removes about 100 sq ft, which is nearly half the wall area. Measure painted wall only, or use the calculator with the height set to what sits above the tile.
A quart is enough for a powder room?
Often, for one coat on a 5x6 with the door and no window. Two coats wants 2 quarts, and at big-box prices you should compare: 2 quarts frequently costs within a few dollars of the gallon that guarantees touch-up paint forever.