Wall paint calculator
Painting one wall — an accent wall, a single feature wall, or a partial repaint? Just length and height, no perimeter math. You get the quarts or gallons you need plus a real per-gallon price for any of 15 brands, so you see the paint cost first. Common case: a quart of accent color covers one full wall up to ~150 sq ft. For the full paint-plus-labor total, use thecost calculator.
A quart usually does it
A typical accent wall (12 ft wide × 9 ft tall = 108 sq ft) needs about 0.6 gallons for two coats — well under a quart per coat. Buy a quart of your accent color; you'll have plenty for touch-ups. Only step up to a gallon if your wall is over 150 sq ft.
Deep colors need 3 coats
Saturated reds, blues, greens, and any moody deep accent color almost always need three coats over a previously light wall — even with the right primer underneath. Plan for a quart per coat in case the third coat gets thirsty.
How to size the buy
The math is just length times height, minus any door or window in that wall. Match the result to a container size so you aren't paying gallon prices for a quart's worth of paint:
- Under 120 sq ft, 2 coats: one quart covers it with touch-up to spare.
- 120 to 150 sq ft, 2 coats: still a quart for most colors; size up if it's a deep shade.
- Over 150 sq ft or 3 coats: buy a gallon — cheaper per ounce and no second trip.
- Color blocking a partial wall: figure each color section as its own area, then round each up.
Paint cost by brand
Paint cost is gallons × price per gallon, and coverage is similar (about 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon) across the major interior lines, so the price tier is what moves your bill. Most lines also sell in quarts at roughly a third of the gallon price, which is all an accent wall needs. These are current per-gallon prices for the brands the calculator can price for you:
| Brand & line | Price / gal | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Backdrop Interior Standard | ~$59/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Behr Marquee | ~$52/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Behr Dynasty | ~$65/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Behr Ultra | ~$45/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Behr Premium Plus | ~$33/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Benjamin Moore Aura | ~$80/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Benjamin Moore Regal Select | ~$64/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Benjamin Moore Ben | ~$45/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec 500 | ~$40/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| C2 Paint LUXE | ~$82/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| C2 Paint Studio | ~$70/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| C2 Paint LoVo | ~$65/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Clare Wall Paint | ~$54/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Diamond Vogel Avalon | ~$48/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Diamond Vogel Assure | ~$36/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Diamond Vogel Artistry | ~$42/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Dunn-Edwards Everest | ~$67/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Dunn-Edwards Suprema | ~$60/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Dutch Boy Platinum Plus | ~$38/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Dutch Boy Dura Clean | ~$35/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Dutch Boy Forever | ~$30/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Dutch Boy Pristine | ~$46/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Farrow & Ball Estate Emulsion | ~$120/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Farrow & Ball Modern Emulsion | ~$140/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Farrow & Ball Dead Flat | ~$130/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Glidden Diamond | ~$37/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Glidden Premium | ~$22/gal | 350 sq ft/gal |
| Glidden Essentials | ~$18/gal | 350 sq ft/gal |
| Glidden High Endurance Plus | ~$28/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Infinity | ~$46/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Showcase | ~$38/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Ovation Plus | ~$33/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Kompozit ONE | ~$40/gal | 388 sq ft/gal |
| Kompozit PRO | ~$52/gal | 388 sq ft/gal |
| Kompozit NEO | ~$65/gal | 425 sq ft/gal |
| Magnolia Home Interior | ~$50/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Portola Paints New Standard | ~$80/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| PPG Timeless | ~$45/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| PPG Diamond | ~$36/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| PPG Manor Hall | ~$55/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| PPG Speedhide | ~$28/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| PPG UltraLast | ~$48/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Rodda Horizon Interior | ~$52/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Rodda RESIST-X | ~$58/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Sherwin-Williams Emerald | ~$74/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Sherwin-Williams Duration Home | ~$70/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Sherwin-Williams Cashmere | ~$60/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint | ~$60/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 | ~$45/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Valspar Reserve | ~$52/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Valspar Signature | ~$40/gal | 400 sq ft/gal |
| Valspar Simplicity | ~$22/gal | 350 sq ft/gal |
Run the calculator, pick a brand and line in the result panel, and it multiplies your gallons by that product's price for an exact paint cost. Prices are US averages and vary by region and retailer.
What it costs to paint an accent wall
DIY, an accent wall is one of the cheapest paint jobs there is. A single quart covers most walls for two coats, so you are looking at about $20 to $40 in paint plus whatever a roller, brush, and tape cost — often under $60 all in if you already own the tools.
Hiring a pro is a different story because of minimum project fees, usually $400 to $600. As an add-on to a larger room job an accent wall runs about $150 to $300, but booked on its own it can be $300 to $1,200 since the painter still has to show up, prep, and clean up. For a full breakdown with labor by region, use thepaint cost calculator.