Measure your walls, ceiling and trims. We'll work out the litres needed and the most efficient combination of standard Australian tin sizes (1 L, 2 L, 4 L, 10 L, 15 L).
Enter your measurements on the left, then hit Calculate paint needed. We'll show litres needed plus the most efficient tin combination from common Australian sizes.
Premium acrylic paint covers about 14 m² per litre per coat on a smooth painted surface. Standard acrylic covers about 16 m². Textured walls drop these by ~20%. Bare or porous surfaces (new gyprock, raw timber) drop coverage another 25%. The calculator does this maths for you based on the surface type you select.
No. Skip primer if you're repainting an existing painted surface in good condition with a similar colour. Use primer when: painting bare gyprock, bare timber, freshly patched areas, or going from a dark colour to a much lighter one. Primer adds an extra cost layer but failing to use it on porous or bare surfaces means the topcoat absorbs unevenly.
Two reasons. First, manufacturers' coverage figures assume one coat — most jobs need two. Second, real-world coverage is usually 5-10% lower than the spec sheet because of edge cuts, brush waste, and roller absorption. Always buy 10% extra on top of the calculated amount for touch-ups.
Pure economics. A 15L tin is around 25-30% cheaper per litre than 4L tins. If your calculation lands close to a tin size boundary (e.g. 9L needed), it's almost always cheaper to buy one 10L than three 4L. Always check the per-litre price at the tin counter.
Yes. Always buy ~10% extra so you have matching paint for touch-ups in 6-12 months. Paint colour-matches drift slightly between tins from different batches, so a perfect match for a touch-up is much easier with leftover paint from the original tin than re-mixing.
Painters in our network include all paint and materials in their fixed quote. You don't calculate anything.
Get 3 Free QuotesWhat painters bring as standard: