How much paint do I need for a 14×16 room?
A 14 × 16 ft room with 8 ft ceilings has about 429 square feet of wall after a door and two windows. Two coats takes 2.3 gallons of wall paint, so buy 3 gallons. The 224 square foot ceiling needs 2 gallons for two coats. One coat of primer on bare or patched drywall is another 2 gallons.
Paint for a 14×16 room by number of coats
| Coats | Wall paint, exact | Wall paint to buy | Ceiling paint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.14 gal | 2 gal | 1 gal |
| 2 | 2.29 gal | 3 gal | 2 gal |
| 3 | 3.43 gal | 4 gal | 2 gal |
Based on 8 ft ceilings, one door, two windows, and 375 square feet per gallon. Primer, if the walls need it, is 2 gallons for one coat.
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Gallons, quarts, and what a 14×16 room costs to paint
Wall paint costs $30 to $60 a gallon, so two coats on this room is $90 to $180, plus $50 to $90 for ceiling paint. The exact amount is 2.29 gallons, so a gallon and a quart would do it with little left over, but a full extra gallon is cheaper per ounce and leaves touch-up paint. A painter charges roughly $2 to $4 per square foot of wall, or $858 to $1,716 for the walls alone. Rollers, a cut-in brush, tape, and a drop cloth add $30 to $50 for a DIY job.
Painting a 14×16 room
- Ceiling first, then walls, then trim. One gallon of flat ceiling paint covers this 224 square foot ceiling once.
- Going from a dark color to a light one, or painting over patches, needs primer or a third coat. Budget 4 gallons for three coats.
- Cut in one wall at a time and roll while the edge is wet to avoid lap marks.
- Two coats of wall paint on this room is about 3 to 5 hours of work for one person, not counting prep.
- Trim and doors: a quart covers the baseboard and door casing in a room this size; see the trim calculator for linear feet.
Papering instead? The wallpaper calculator uses the same room dimensions.
Common questions
How many gallons of paint for a 14x16 room with 8 foot ceilings?
3 gallons for two coats on the walls (2.3 gallons exact), 2 for one coat, or 4 for three. Add 2 gallons for the ceiling.
Is one gallon enough for a 14x16 room?
No. One gallon covers about 375 square feet, and this room has 429 square feet of wall, so two coats needs 2.3 gallons.
Do I need primer for a 14x16 room?
Only on new drywall, repaired patches, glossy surfaces, or when covering a dark color. One coat takes 2 gallons. On previously painted walls in good shape, a quality paint-and-primer product with two coats is enough.