Paint cost calculator
Square feet in, dollars out. Pick the paint grade you're actually going to buy and this page prices the cans, the primer if you need it, and the supplies if you're starting bare.
How the math works
Area times coats, divided by 350 sq ft per gallon, rounded up to real cans. A 12x12 room's 334 sq ft of wall needs 2 gallons for two coats: $50 in budget paint, $90 mid-grade, $140 premium. Quarts price at 45% of the gallon (the typical big-box ratio, and the reason the calculator turns three quarts into a gallon). Primer prices at $25 per gallon and covers about 300 sq ft, one coat.
Where to spend: hiding power and scrubbability live in the mid and premium lines. Where to save: ceilings and closets, where budget flat does the job fine.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to paint a 12x12 room?
DIY: about $90 in paint (2 gallons of a $45 mid-grade line) plus $45 in supplies if you are starting from nothing, so $135 or so. Hiring it out runs $400 to $900 for walls in most markets. The spread is labor; the paint is the cheap part either way.
Is expensive paint worth it?
Usually, if the price buys hiding power. A $70 gallon that covers in two coats beats a $25 gallon that needs three: fewer cans and a whole day of your life back. Where premium stops paying is the fourth wall of a rental you are leaving.
What supplies do I actually need?
Roller frame and two covers, a cut-in brush, tray, tape, and a drop cloth: about $45 new. If you own the hardware from the last job, a fresh roller cover and tape is under $15. The calculator’s supplies line assumes the full kit.
How much do painters charge per square foot?
For interior walls, $2 to $6 per sq ft of floor area depending on market, prep, and ceiling height, so a 12x12 room lands between $300 and $900. Get line-item quotes; "paint" that includes patching a ceiling is a different job than cutting in around it.