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How Much Paint for a 12 x 14 Room?

A 12 x 14 foot room with 8 foot walls, one door, two windows and two coats needs about 2.1 gallons of paint, or about 2.3 gallons with 10% for waste.

Try your own numbers

Room lengthRoom widthSeen from aboveDoorWindowWall heightOne wall
Key Where each paint measurement is taken.
Units
ft
ft
Typical ceiling. 8 ft is common, and 9 ft is common in newer homes. Editorial rule of thumb.
ft
sq ft

If you fill this in, it is used instead of the room size for the walls.

Typical door. An interior door is usually 80 in tall and 30 to 32 in wide, about 17 to 18 sq ft. A 36 in door is 20 sq ft. Measure yours if it differs. Editorial rule of thumb.
sq ft
Windows vary a lot. The starting figure is only a placeholder. Measure each window you will not paint.
sq ft
sq ft/gal

Check the can. The starting figure is cautious.

%
$

Adds an estimated cost for the suggested sizes.

Paintable area366 sq ft
Paint needed, 2 coats2.09 gal
Paint to buy, with waste2.30 gallons
Suggested cans2 × 1 gal + 2 × 1 qt (2.5 gal)

Walls: 2 × (12 + 14) × 8 ft = 416 sq ft, minus doors and windows 50 sq ft, gives 366 sq ft to paint. × 2 coats = 732 sq ft; ÷ 350 sq ft/gal = 2.09 gal; with 10% waste = 2.30 gal.

Porous, rough or dark surfaces need more paint. Check the coverage on the can.

Fig. 1 A 12 x 14 ft room, walls only.

Every formula is tested against worked examples. How we check

CoatsPaint to buySuggested cans
1 coat1.15 gal1 × 1 gal + 1 × 1 qt
2 coats2.30 gal2 × 1 gal + 2 × 1 qt
3 coats3.45 gal3 × 1 gal + 2 × 1 qt

Fig. 2 The same room at one, two and three coats.

Last checked 11/10/2026. Sources: Sherwin-Williams: Paint calculator (a gallon covers about 350 to 400 sq ft).

Why this room is a handy size to check

A 12 × 14 ft room is a common bedroom or living-room size, and the numbers are easy to follow by hand. The walls are 2 × (12 + 14) × 8 = 416 sq ft. Take off the door (20 sq ft) and two windows (15 sq ft each) and 366 sq ft is left to paint. Two coats make 732 sq ft, and at 350 sq ft per gallon that is 2.09 gallons.

What about the ceiling? The ceiling is 12 × 14 = 168 sq ft. Tick the ceiling box and the total rises to 3.05 gallons before waste. Ceilings often take a different paint, so many people buy the ceiling paint separately: run the walls first, then clear the walls and run the ceiling alone.

If you only do one coat (for example a touch-up in the same color) the walls need about 1.05 gallons. The table under the calculator shows one, two and three coats side by side.

Common questions

Is 2.3 gallons enough for a 12 x 14 room?

For the walls, two coats, with one door and two windows deducted, yes. A dark color, rough walls or a big color change may need a third coat.

Should I buy three gallons?

Three gallons gives a margin for touch-ups, but a cheaper mix is two 1 gallon cans and two quarts. The calculator shows the least paint that covers the amount.

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