Painting estimate calculator: gallons, labour hours and a priced PDF
Type the room's length, width and wall height, the number of doors and windows, coats and whether the ceiling and primer are included. Quotesprig shows wall area, ceiling area, paint and primer rounded up to whole gallons (or litres) and labour hours at the production rate you set, each with its formula. Coverage per gallon, door and window sizes are editable assumptions, so match them to your paint's label and your crew.
Quotesprig painting calculator output for one room
| Result | Qty | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Wall area to paint | 365 sq ft | (2 × (14 + 12) × 8 − 1 × 21 − 2 × 15) × 1 room |
| Ceiling area | 168 sq ft | 14 × 12 × 1 |
| Wall paint | 3 gal | 365 × 2 coats ÷ 350 = 2.09, rounded up |
| Ceiling paint | 1 gal | 168 × 2 coats ÷ 350 = 0.96, rounded up |
| Labour | 7.1 hr | (533 × 2 coats) ÷ 150 per hr |
Source: Quotesprig painting calculator with its starting values (14 × 12 ft room, 8 ft walls, 1 door, 2 windows, 2 coats, 350 sq ft/gal and 150 sq ft/hr as editable assumptions), run 2 Oct 2026.
Quotesprig vs the alternatives
Published prices, each checked on the date shown; prices change, so confirm on each site.
| Product | Price | Free | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quotesprig Pro | $7/month or $49 once | All 8 calculators, the estimate builder, print and 3 estimate PDFs a month (small footer credit) | live |
| Joist | Basics $10/mo ($8.34 billed annually); Pro $17/mo ($14.17); Elite $32/mo ($26.67) | not checked today | 2026-10-02 |
| Invoice Simple | Plus $13.49/mo (also does estimates) | not checked today | 2026-10-02 |
| PaintScout (search summary) | Sales $119/mo monthly or $99/mo billed annually | not checked today | 2026-10-02 |
Why teams pick Quotesprig
- Every number shows its formula, so you can check it in front of the client.
- Coverage, opening sizes and your production rate are labelled assumptions you can change.
- One click turns the result into priced estimate lines: paint at your cost plus markup, labour at your hourly rate.
- Feet and inches or metres and litres.
How it works
- Enter the room size, doors, windows, coats, ceiling and primer.
- Check the assumptions: coverage from your paint's label, door and window sizes, your production rate.
- Add to estimate, set your paint price and labour rate, and download the PDF.
FAQ
How much paint do I need for a room?
Wall area = 2 × (length + width) × height, minus doors and windows. Multiply by the number of coats and divide by the coverage on your paint's label, then round up. The calculator does this and shows the working.
What coverage does it assume?
It starts at 350 sq ft per gallon (8.6 m² per litre) as an editable assumption. Use the figure on the can you're buying.
How are labour hours worked out?
Painted area × coats (plus primed area) ÷ your production rate in sq ft per hour. Set the rate your crew actually achieves.
Why not PaintScout?
PaintScout is sales software for painting companies at $99 to $119 a month (search summary, 2 Oct 2026). Quotesprig is free for the calculators, and Pro is $7 a month or $49 once.