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PAINT CALCULATOR

Shed paint calculator

A typical 8 × 12 ft garden shed has about 250 sq ft of paintable exterior wall plus a roughly 100 sq ft roof. The job itself is small and forgiving, but timing matters: pre-built sheds usually arrive with thin factory primer and no topcoat, and that primer breaks down fast in sunlight. Get two coats of exterior paint on within a few weeks of delivery and a basic shed will hold its finish for many years before it needs another look.

How much paint for a shed

Using the default areas for a typical shed, a two-coat job needs about 1.50 gallons of exterior paint (250 sq ft of siding). Your real numbers will differ — enter your measured areas above and the calculator rounds up to the nearest quart.

In paint alone that's roughly $53–$105 at $35–$70 a gallon, before primer and supplies. Pick a brand in the result panel for an exact cost.

Paint New Sheds Right Away

Factory primer is meant to protect the wood in the lot and during shipping, not to live outdoors bare. Left unpainted, UV chalks it and rain swells the panels, so the topcoat you add months later grips a degraded surface. Aim to paint within a few weeks of delivery, on a dry stretch with two days of mild weather. A same-season topcoat is the difference between a shed that lasts a decade and one that flakes in two summers.

Exterior Acrylic, No Special Shed Paint

There is no magic "shed paint." Any quality exterior acrylic latex made for siding works, and it flexes with the wood through seasonal swelling far better than cheap porch or oil paints. A satin sheen is the sweet spot: it sheds dirt, resists mildew, and forgives the rough texture of T1-11 or lap siding. Save the gloss for the door and trim, where you actually want a wipeable, harder finish.

Do The Trim And Door In Contrast

A shed reads as finished, not utilitarian, when the door, window casing, and fascia get a contrasting color. About a quart covers the trim on a typical shed. Use semi-gloss there so the door wipes clean and the casing pops against the body color. Paint the trim after the walls are fully dry, cutting a clean line by hand or with tape, and the small detail makes a backyard shed look deliberate.

Prep The Base And Bare Spots

Sheds rot from the bottom up where the wall meets the floor or slab and splashback keeps it damp. Caulk the gaps where panels meet trim, prime any bare or sanded wood with an exterior wood primer, and keep the lowest few inches well coated. Knots and end-grain drink paint and bleed through, so spot-prime them too. Five minutes of caulk and primer on the weak points adds years before water finds its way in.

Paint cost by brand

Coverage is similar across the major exterior lines, so the price tier is what moves your bill. Current per-gallon prices for the brands the calculator can price for you:

Brand & linePrice / galCoverage
Backdrop Exterior~$69/gal400 sq ft/gal
Behr Marquee~$52/gal400 sq ft/gal
Behr Ultra~$45/gal400 sq ft/gal
Behr Premium Plus~$33/gal400 sq ft/gal
Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior~$85/gal400 sq ft/gal
Benjamin Moore Regal Exterior~$70/gal400 sq ft/gal
C2 Paint Guard~$65/gal350 sq ft/gal
Diamond Vogel Artistry~$42/gal400 sq ft/gal
Diamond Vogel Palisade~$52/gal400 sq ft/gal
Dunn-Edwards Evershield~$72/gal400 sq ft/gal
Dutch Boy Maxbond Plus~$42/gal375 sq ft/gal
Glidden High Endurance Plus~$28/gal400 sq ft/gal
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams WeatherShield~$50/gal375 sq ft/gal
Kompozit ONE~$40/gal388 sq ft/gal
Kompozit PRO~$52/gal388 sq ft/gal
Magnolia Home Exterior~$50/gal400 sq ft/gal
PPG Manor Hall~$55/gal400 sq ft/gal
PPG UltraLast~$48/gal400 sq ft/gal
Rodda Horizon Exterior~$56/gal375 sq ft/gal
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Exterior~$86/gal400 sq ft/gal
Sherwin-Williams Duration~$80/gal400 sq ft/gal
Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint~$60/gal400 sq ft/gal
Sherwin-Williams A-100~$49/gal400 sq ft/gal
Sherwin-Williams Resilience~$73/gal400 sq ft/gal
Valspar Duramax~$50/gal350 sq ft/gal

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to paint a new shed right away?+
Effectively yes. Factory primer protects the wood only short-term and chalks quickly in sunlight, so a topcoat within a few weeks of delivery locks in the protection. Wait a full season and the primer degrades, the panels swell with rain, and your paint grips a compromised surface. Painting promptly is the single biggest factor in how long the finish lasts.
What kind of paint is best for a wooden shed?+
A quality exterior acrylic latex made for siding. It flexes as the wood swells and shrinks through the seasons, resists mildew, and holds color in full sun. Satin is the most practical sheen for the body since it sheds dirt and hides texture, with semi-gloss reserved for the door and trim where you want a harder, wipeable surface.
Should I paint or stain my shed?+
Both work. Paint gives a solid color, the broadest UV protection, and the longest stretch between recoats, which suits a shed you want to match the house. Semi-transparent stain shows the wood grain and is easier to refresh since it fades rather than peels, but it needs reapplying more often. For a low-maintenance backyard shed, two coats of exterior paint usually wins.
Do I need to prime a shed before painting?+
If it came factory-primed and you paint promptly, the existing primer plus two topcoats is usually enough. Prime any bare, sanded, or repaired wood with an exterior wood primer first, and spot-prime knots and end-grain so resin does not bleed through the color. On raw, unprimed siding, a full primer coat before your two finish coats is worth the extra hour.
How long does paint last on a shed?+
A shed painted promptly with two coats of quality exterior acrylic typically holds up seven to ten years before it needs a refresh, sometimes longer on a sheltered or north-facing wall. Sun-blasted south and west walls fade and chalk first. Keeping the base coated and the caulk lines intact, and clearing brush that traps moisture against the siding, stretches the time between repaints.
Can I paint the inside of a shed?+
You can, and a coat of light-colored paint on the interior walls brightens the space and makes a workshop or storage shed easier to use. It also seals the wood against humidity. Interior shed walls are rarely finished drywall, so an exterior or all-surface acrylic over the bare studs and sheathing is fine; there is no need for a fussy interior-grade product.
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