- Finishing
- Paint
- Wojciech Dobry
- October 2026
- about 8 min
- 3:13, Polish captions
How much paint per m² of wall? Formula and coverage table
For 1 m² of wall with two coats you use about 0.2 l of paint, assuming a typical coverage of 10 m²/l per coat. For a 4 × 5 m room 2.6 m high (walls without the window and door about 42.8 m², and a 20 m² ceiling) buy about 14 l, for example a 10 l tub and a 5 l tub.
How to calculate
litres of paint = area to paint × number of coats ÷ coverage (m²/l) × (1 + waste)
Wall area. Measure the room's perimeter and multiply it by the height from floor to ceiling. Deduct the windows and doors from the result: the width × height of each opening. You do not deduct small things such as sockets or ventilation grilles.
- to paint (after deducting the openings)
- window and door: deducted
Ceiling. With a flat ceiling its area equals the floor area. In an attic the sloping ceilings are larger than their footprint on the floor, so measure them along the slope.
Number of coats. Usually two. A third is sometimes needed when you paint a light colour over a dark one or use a paint that covers poorly. There is more in the article how many coats of paint.
Coverage. You find it on the label: it is the number of square metres a litre of paint covers in one coat. For interior emulsion paints it is usually 8–14 m²/l. If the manufacturer gives a range, use the lower value.
Primer. Baukit counts primer on every painted surface: one coat at a coverage of 8 m²/l. You always prime fresh plaster, skim coats and plasterboard before painting. A clean wall that has already been painted often only needs washing, and then you leave the primer off your shopping list. You find the coverage of your primer on its label (often 5–10 m²/l).
Containers. You buy paint in 10 l and 5 l tubs and 2.5 l tins. Choose a combination that covers what you need with the waste and leaves as little as possible over. With paint tinted in the shop, buy the whole amount at once: another batch may come out a slightly different shade.
Coverage table
Typical coverage of interior paints and the amount for 10 m² of wall in two coats:
| Type of paint | Coverage (1 coat) | For 10 m² (2 coats) |
|---|---|---|
| Acrylic emulsion for walls and ceilings | 8–12 m²/l | 1.7–2.5 l |
| Latex, scrub-resistant | 10–14 m²/l | 1.4–2.0 l |
| Ceramic | 10–14 m²/l | 1.4–2.0 l |
| Ceiling paint, brilliant white | 8–10 m²/l | 2.0–2.5 l |
| Primer (1 coat) | 5–10 m²/l | 1.0–2.0 l |
- Acrylic emulsion1.7–2.5 l
- Latex1.4–2.0 l
- Ceramic1.4–2.0 l
- Ceiling, brilliant white2.0–2.5 l
- Primer (1 coat)1.0–2.0 l
And this is how it works out for typical rooms 2.6 m high, with one 1.5 × 1.5 m window and one door, with two coats on the walls and ceiling, a coverage of 10 m²/l and 10% waste:
| Room | Walls | Ceiling | Paint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 × 3 m | 27.2 m² | 9 m² | approx. 8.0 l |
| 3 × 4 m | 32.4 m² | 12 m² | approx. 9.8 l |
| 4 × 4 m | 37.6 m² | 16 m² | approx. 11.8 l |
| 4 × 5 m | 42.8 m² | 20 m² | approx. 13.8 l |
| 5 × 6 m | 53.2 m² | 30 m² | approx. 18.3 l |
Waste
| Situation | What Baukit counts | What you do yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Every painted wall and ceiling | 10% waste on the paint and one coat of primer | Nothing: this covers what is lost on the roller, in the tray and on touch-ups |
| Fresh plaster or skim coat | the same | Prime before painting, because an absorbent surface soaks up paint; the primer is already on the list |
| Textured plaster, rough wall | the same | Buy extra paint, because the real area is larger |
| Light colour over dark | as many coats as you set | Set a third coat in the room's panel, because two often do not cover |
Baukit adds 10% waste to the paint on every surface, whatever the substrate. It does not detect an absorbent or rough surface, so with textured plaster you buy the extra paint yourself. The values are typical recommendations from paint manufacturers and decorators' practice. Always check the coverage on the label of the paint you buy.
Example: a 4 × 5 m room
Assumptions: a 4.00 × 5.00 m room 2.60 m high, one 1.50 × 1.50 m window, one 0.90 × 2.00 m door. You paint the walls and ceiling with the same white paint, two coats, coverage 10 m²/l, waste 10%. Primer with a coverage of 8 m²/l, one coat. The example in Baukit uses the same data.
- Walls without openings
- 42.75 m²
- Ceiling
- 20.00 m²
- Containers
- 10 l + 5 l
- Left over
- 1.2 l
- Primer (8 m²/l)
- 7.8 l
- Primer containers 5 l
- 2 pcs
- Gross wall area. Perimeter 2 × (4.00 + 5.00) = 18.00 m. 18.00 × 2.60 = 46.80 m².
- Openings. Window 1.50 × 1.50 = 2.25 m², door 0.90 × 2.00 = 1.80 m², together 4.05 m².
- Net wall area. 46.80 − 4.05 = 42.75 m².
- Ceiling. 4.00 × 5.00 = 20.00 m².
- Total to paint. 42.75 + 20.00 = 62.75 m².
- Paint. 62.75 × 2 ÷ 10 = 12.55 l. With 10% waste: 13.8 l.
- Containers. A 10 l tub and a 5 l tub, 15 l in total. About 1 l is left for touch-ups.
- Primer. 62.75 ÷ 8 = 7.8 l, so 2 containers of 5 l.
- White latex paint10 l + 5 l13.8 l with waste: walls and ceiling, 2 coats
- Primer25 l containers (7.8 l, one coat)
- To paint62.75 m²walls 42.75 m² + ceiling 20.00 m²
The walls usually have about 2–2.5 times the area of the room's floor: here 42.75 m² of wall for 20 m² of floor.
- Floor (for comparison)20.00 m²
- Ceiling20.00 m²
- Walls without window and door42.75 m²
- Total to paint62.75 m²
A whole house. The bill of quantities of the free “PS.Arch 150” design from the GUNB catalogue (the Polish building authority's catalogue of free house designs; a house with an attic storey, about 153 m² of usable floor area) has 418.75 m² of walls and 225.61 m² of ceilings to paint, 644.36 m² in total. With two coats, a coverage of 10 m²/l and 10% waste that is about 142 l of paint, or about 14–15 tubs of 10 l. Each square metre of usable floor area there comes with about 4.2 m² of painting.
What it costs
| Material | Typical price | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White latex paint for walls and ceilings, 10 lPack: 10 l bucket (also 5 l, 2.5 l) | 14.90 PLN/lapprox. 149 PLN per pack13.00–19.70 · 3 shops | 13.00–19.70 | 3 shops |
| White acrylic (emulsion) paint, 10 lPack: 10 l bucket | 7.49 PLN/lapprox. 75 PLN per pack6.96–8.49 · 3 shops | 6.96–8.49 | 3 shops |
| Deep-penetrating primer, 5 lPack: 5 l can (also 10 l) | 10.52 PLN/lapprox. 53 PLN per pack10.30–11.98 · 3 shops | 10.30–11.98 | 3 shops |
The prices in the table are the median of offers from several Polish shops, including VAT, with the date, converted to a price per litre. The from–to range shows how much the price of a litre of white latex paint differs between offers. When you compare paints, work out the cost per square metre for two coats: a cheaper paint with poorer coverage and hiding power often works out more expensive.
Calculate it in Baukit
Open in Baukit- 2 coats, 10 m²/l13.8 l
- 3 coats, 10 m²/l20.7 l
- 3 coats, 12 m²/l17.3 l
- Click “Open in Baukit”. A 4 × 5 m room opens with a window, a door and the notebook open.
- The room is already selected. The notebook shows the litres of paint for the walls without the window and door and for the ceiling, with 10% waste (13.8 l), and the litres of primer (7.8 l).
- In the panel on the right, in the “Appearance” section, change “Paint coats” to 3: the paint goes up to 20.7 l, but the primer does not, because you apply primer once.
- Open “Advanced” and type the coverage from the label in the “Paint coverage” field, for example 12 m²/l: the paint goes down to 17.3 l.
- Select the window and change its width or height in the panel on the right, then select the room again: the wall area to paint and the litres of paint are recounted.
- Press Esc so that nothing is selected: you see the paint for the whole house and the containers to buy, for example a 10 l tub and a 5 l tub for two coats.
- You open the notebook with the “Notebook” button in the bottom left corner or with the 4 key.
You set the paint coats and coverage separately for each room. Baukit counts the primer as one coat at a coverage of 8 m²/l.
The same drawing also works out the laminate flooring, skirting boards and tiles in the same rooms.
Frequently asked questions
How much paint for a 3 × 4 m room?
With a height of 2.6 m, one 1.5 × 1.5 m window and one door, the walls come to about 32.4 m² and the ceiling to 12 m². In total 44.35 m² with two coats and a coverage of 10 m²/l is 8.9 l, and with 10% waste about 9.8 l. One 10 l tub is enough. There is more in the article how many litres of paint for a room.
How many m² does 10 l of paint cover?
At a coverage of 10 m²/l you paint 100 m² in one coat and 50 m² in two. With a paint that covers 12 m²/l it is 120 and 60 m² respectively. On an absorbent surface it will be less.
How many coats of paint do I need?
Usually two. A third is needed when you change from a dark colour to a light one or when the paint covers poorly. On fresh plaster the first coat often soaks in, so prime the wall first.
Do walls have to be primed before painting?
Fresh plaster, skim coats and plasterboard, yes, because primer evens out the absorbency and reduces the amount of paint you use. Walls that are already painted, clean and not dusty often only need washing. Baukit counts primer on every painted surface, so if you are not priming the wall, leave that item off your shopping list. Check the paint manufacturer's recommendations.
How much paint for a ceiling?
Count it the same way as the walls: ceiling area × number of coats ÷ coverage. A 20 m² ceiling with two coats and a coverage of 10 m²/l takes 4 l, and with waste about 4.4 l, so a 5 l tub. For ceilings people often choose a separate, brilliant white ceiling paint.
Related
- How many litres of paint for a 3 × 4 m room?
- How many coats of paint? When two are enough and when you need three
4 sources
- Paint coverage and number of coats: technical data sheets of Dulux EasyCare, Magnat Be Eko and Tikkurila Optiva 5 (8–16 m²/l per coat, usually two coats); primer consumption: Ceresit CT 17 (0.1–0.5 l/m²), read on 13 October 2026. Allowances for absorbent and rough surfaces: decorators' practice (not checked).
- „PS.Arch 150”, przedmiar robót budowlanych (bill of quantities, in Polish), author: PS.Arch Piotr Świątkiewicz, 20 November 2023; Główny Urząd Nadzoru Budowlanego, katalog bezpłatnych projektów domów (in Polish), published 15 December 2023 (among the downloads as “Wariant I”): painting of walls 418.75 m² and ceilings 225.61 m².
- Prices: Baukit reference prices, the median and range of offers from at least two shops, offers collected on 9 October 2026.
- Example: Baukit calculation, 11 October 2026.