Cost to Paint a 12 × 12 room
Gallons and cost for a 12 × 12 room living room, two coats on the walls.
Paint for two coats
3 gal
- Wall area
- 432 sq ft
- Less 45 sq ft of openings
- 387 sq ft
- Painted area, two coats
- 774 sq ft
- Cans to buy
- 2.21 gal → 3 cans
- Paint cost
- $135.00
- With a painter
- $1,005.75
- Walls and ceiling
- 3.03 gal → 4 cans
At 350 sq ft per gallon and $45 a gallon. Cans round up.
Different ceiling height, more windows, three coats → open the full paint calculator
Walls only versus walls and ceiling
| Scope | Area | Gallons | Cans | Paint cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walls only | 387 sq ft | 2.21 | 3 | $135.00 |
| Walls and ceiling | 531 sq ft | 3.03 | 4 | $180.00 |
What this assumes
room 12 ft × 12 ft ceiling 9 ft openings 45 sq ft (one window, one door) coats 2 coverage 350 sq ft per gallon paint $45 per gallon labor $2.25 per sq ft wall area 432 sq ft net 387 sq ft
Coverage drops on rough, porous or bare surfaces — 275 square feet per gallon on wood, 200 on brick, 175 on stucco. Going light over a dark color often needs a third coat regardless of how good the paint is.
Other room sizes
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a 12 × 12 room?
In paint alone, about $135.00 — 3 gallons for two coats at $45 a gallon. With a painter, expect roughly $1,005.75 for the walls, since labor is the large majority of any painting quote. Prep, patching and trim add to that.
How much paint does a 12 × 12 room need?
About 2.21 gallons for two coats on the walls, so you buy 3. That comes from 432 square feet of wall, less 45 square feet for a window and a door, at 350 square feet per gallon.
What if I paint the ceiling too?
Adding the 144 square foot ceiling takes it to 3.03 gallons, so 4 cans. Ceilings are usually a different paint — flat white — so that is normally a separate can rather than more of the wall color.
Estimates only. Painting quotes move with surface condition, color change, trim and access, and are not comparable between contractors without a written scope.