Paint for a 16 × 20 Room
A 16 × 20 ft room with 8 ft ceilings needs about 4 gallons (≈ 15.14 litres) of paint for 2 coats — covering about 540 sq ft (50.17 m²) of wall after a door and window.
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Pre-filled for a 16 × 20 ft room — change the size, openings, coats, or switch to metric.
Enter length, width & ceiling height
Assumes ~21 sq ft per door and ~15 sq ft per window. Adjust counts to match your room.
Estimate only. These figures help you plan how much to buy — they are not engineering or structural advice. Actual needs vary with site conditions, waste, and installation method, so order a little extra and confirm final quantities with your supplier or contractor before you buy or start the job.
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Frequently asked questions
How much paint do I need for a 16x20 room?
A 16 × 20 ft room with 8 ft ceilings has about 540 sq ft of paintable wall after subtracting a door and a window. For 2 coats at 350 sq ft per gallon, that's about 4 gallons (≈ 15.14 litres).
How many gallons of paint for a 16x20 room with two coats?
About 4 gallons. Buy in gallons rather than quarts — they're much cheaper per square foot — and keep a little extra for touch-ups.
Do I need primer for a 16x20 room?
Prime bare drywall, patched spots, and big color changes. Count primer as an extra coat at similar coverage — roughly another 4 gallons for full coverage.
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