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PAINT CALCULATOR

Vinyl Siding paint calculator

Vinyl siding can be repainted, but it plays by strict rules. Use a <strong>vinyl-safe acrylic</strong> and stay equal to or lighter than the original color — dark colors absorb heat, soften the panels, and warp them, which also voids most siding warranties. Coverage runs about 250 sq ft per gallon because the smooth face is offset by all the lap edges. Wash off chalk and mildew, prime bare or sun-faded spots, then lay down two thin coats. Done right, it holds 8 to 12 years.

House perimeter × wall height. Subtract windows + doors.

How much paint for vinyl siding

Vinyl Siding covers about 250 sq ft per gallon for a two-coat job. To find your siding area, multiply the house perimeter by the wall height and subtract windows and doors. For a typical 2,400 sq ft of siding, that's about 19.25 gallons of topcoat plus about 8 gallons of primer. Always round up to the nearest gallon — exterior batches are harder to color-match on a second trip.

In paint alone, that 2,400 sq ft example runs about $674–$1251 at $35–$65 a gallon for quality exterior acrylic, before primer and supplies. Enter your real siding area above and pick a brand in the result panel for an exact figure.

Light Colors Only, Always

Vinyl makers void warranties when you go dark over light, and for good reason: the new color's Light Reflectance Value (LRV) must be equal to or higher than the original. White, cream, light gray, soft blue, pale sage — all safe. Charcoal, navy, barn red, forest green — these soak up sun, drive panel temperatures past the softening point, and buckle the siding on hot walls. If you want a deep color, vinyl is the wrong substrate for it.

Vinyl-Safe Acrylic Is The Topcoat

Standard exterior acrylic works in cool climates with light colors, but anything warmer or darker needs a paint specifically labeled vinyl-safe. Those formulas use heat-reflective pigments engineered so the painted surface stays cooler and the vinyl doesn't catalyze and distort. Never use oil-based or alkyd paint on vinyl — it dries too hard, can't flex with the panel's big seasonal expansion swings, and cracks within a season or two.

Wash, Then Wash Again

Vinyl collects a fine chalky film, mildew in shaded spots, and pollen. Paint over any of it and you're bonding to dust, not vinyl, so it peels in sheets. Scrub with a TSP or oxygenated cleaner, hit the mildew with a diluted bleach solution, and rinse top to bottom. Let panels dry a full day. Run your hand across a dry panel afterward — if it comes away gray, keep washing before you open a can.

Thin Coats On A Mild Day

Vinyl moves more than wood with temperature, so paint when it's 50 to 80 degrees and out of direct sun, ideally an overcast, low-wind day. Spray for an even film and back-brush the lap edges so paint keys into the channel. Two thin coats beat one heavy one every time — thick film over flexing vinyl is what cracks. Skip painting in late afternoon when panels are hot and expanded; you want them at rest.

Exterior 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

Can you paint vinyl siding?+
Yes, with two non-negotiable rules: use a vinyl-safe acrylic and stay equal to or lighter than the original color. Wash off chalk and mildew, prime any bare or faded panels, and apply two thin coats on a mild, overcast day. Done correctly, the finish holds for 8 to 12 years before it needs a refresh.
Why can't I paint vinyl a dark color?+
Dark pigments absorb solar heat and push the panel past its softening point, so the vinyl warps, buckles, and pulls loose from the clips. It also voids nearly every siding warranty. The fix is an LRV rule: the new color must reflect as much light as or more light than the factory color. Vinyl-safe darker paints help, but they cannot rewrite physics on a hot south wall.
Do I have to prime vinyl siding before painting?+
Not the whole house if the vinyl is sound and freshly washed — a quality vinyl-safe acrylic bonds directly to clean, lightly weathered vinyl. You do need to spot-prime bare areas, deeply chalked panels, repairs, and any glossy spots with a bonding primer. When in doubt, a thin all-over coat of bonding primer is cheap insurance against peeling on a surface this slick.
How long does paint last on vinyl siding?+
A correctly prepped and painted vinyl job typically lasts 8 to 12 years. The variables are sun exposure, color choice, and prep. South and west walls fade first, darker shades chalk sooner, and any corner where you skipped washing will peel early. Re-wash the house every couple of years to clear mildew and chalk, and the topcoat goes the distance.
What causes paint to peel off vinyl siding?+
The top three causes are painting over chalk or mildew, using a non-vinyl-safe or oil-based paint that can't flex, and applying too thick a film. Vinyl expands and contracts dramatically with temperature; a rigid or poorly bonded coat simply can't stay attached. Thorough washing, a vinyl-safe acrylic, and two thin coats solve almost every peeling problem you'll run into.
Is it better to paint or replace old vinyl siding?+
If the vinyl is structurally sound — not cracked, brittle, or falling off the wall — painting is far cheaper and gives you a fresh, custom color for years. Replace it when panels are split, badly faded to the point of chalking through, or warped, since paint can't fix a failing substrate. Faded-but-intact vinyl is the ideal candidate for a paint refresh.
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