How much paint do I need for a 10x12 room?

With 9 ft ceilings, 2.1 gallons for two coats, so buy 3. The room has 333 sq ft of paintable wall after deducting one door and two windows, and that figure includes a 10% waste buffer. With 8 ft ceilings two gallons is enough.

How much does it cost to paint a 10x12 bedroom?

$135 in paint if you do it yourself, or $572 to $1,154 to hire a painter at national rates with standard prep. Lower cost of living areas with clean walls run $474 to $919.

Do I count the closet when calculating paint?

Yes, if you are painting inside it. A walk-in closet is effectively a small room and can add 60 to 100 sq ft of wall. A reach-in closet with a door adds less but is still worth measuring. Add the closet perimeter times the ceiling height to your wall area.

Painting Cost Calculator

How Much Does It Cost to Paint a 10x12 Room?

Last updated August 21, 2026

A 10x12 room is the standard spare bedroom, and it is the size where the gallon count stops being obvious. At 8 ft ceilings two gallons does it. At 9 ft you need 2.1 gallons, so you buy three and have most of one left over. That single decision is worth $45, and it is the thing to get right before you go to the store. Paint runs $135, a painter runs $572 to $1,154.

Part of the Painting Cost Calculator guide.

August 21, 2026

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Budget

What a 10x12 room costs

With 9 ft ceilings a 10x12 room has 333 sq ft of paintable wall after a door and two windows. Two coats needs 2.1 gallons, so you buy 3 and spend $135 on paint. A painter charges $572 to $1,154 at national rates with standard prep.

✓ Paint, two coats: $135.
✓ Hire a painter, national average, standard prep: $572 to $1,154.
✓ Hire a painter, lower cost of living, light prep: $474 to $919.
✓ Hire a painter, major metro, heavy prep: $1,026 to $2,246.

Overview

The 8 ft versus 9 ft decision

Measure your ceiling before you buy. The difference between 8 and 9 ft in this room is the difference between two gallons and three, and it is the most common reason people make a second trip.

✓ 8 ft ceilings: 289 sq ft of wall to paint, 1.9 gallons for two coats (buy 2), $90 in paint, or $465 to $971 to hire it out.
✓ 9 ft ceilings: 333 sq ft of wall to paint, 2.1 gallons for two coats (buy 3), $135 in paint, or $572 to $1,154 to hire it out.
✓ 10 ft ceilings: 377 sq ft of wall to paint, 2.4 gallons for two coats (buy 3), $135 in paint, or $627 to $1,286 to hire it out.

Specs

How these numbers are worked out

A 10x12 room with 9 ft ceilings has 396 sq ft of gross wall. Subtracting one door and two windows at 21 sq ft each leaves 333 sq ft of paintable wall. Two coats plus a 10% waste buffer against 350 sq ft per gallon of eggshell puts it at 2.1 gallons, so you buy 3. Labor runs $1.25 to $3.00 per sq ft of surface at national rates with standard prep, and painters mark materials up about 15%.

✓ Ceilings, trim, doors, and baseboards are not included. Each one adds surface and cost.
✓ Prep is the biggest swing in a quote. Wallpaper removal or a dark-to-light change adds about 35%.
✓ Region matters more than most people expect: a major metro runs about 55% above the national rate.

Common mistakes

Where a spare bedroom repaint goes wrong

This size is usually a first DIY room, which means these come up a lot.

✓ Buying by room size instead of wall area. A 10x12 with 9 ft ceilings needs more paint than a 12x12 with 8 ft ceilings.
✓ Skipping primer over a patched wall. Fresh compound drinks paint and flashes dull, and no number of topcoats fixes it.
✓ Buying one gallon at a time. Gallons mixed in separate batches can differ slightly in shade. Buy the full amount at once.
✓ Forgetting the closet. An interior closet in a 10x12 room can add 60 to 100 sq ft of wall nobody counted.

Plan the next step

Estimate paint needs for your selected palette and wall coverage. Continue with the Paint Calculator before finalizing the room.