How to use the painting time estimator
- Enter the area to paint in square feet. Use the Paint Calculator first if you still need to subtract doors and windows.
- Enter the number of coats and the area one painter covers in an hour. The 100 square feet an hour shown is an example, so use your own pace.
- Add the prep time for taping, patching and moving furniture, the number of painters, and the hours each coat needs to dry.
- Read the painting time, the working time for your crew, the wait for drying and the number of work days.
Formula
painting hours = area x coats / area covered per hour
person-hours = painting hours + prep hours
working hours = person-hours / painters
drying wait = dry hours x (coats - 1)
start to finish = working hours + drying wait
Work days are the working hours divided by the painting hours you fit in a day, rounded up. Labor cost uses the person-hours.
A room with 400 square feet of walls
Two coats at 100 square feet an hour take 400 x 2 / 100 = 8 hours of painting. With 2 hours of prep that is 10 person-hours. One painter works 10 hours, and a 4 hour dry time between the two coats makes the job 14 hours from start to finish. At 8 hours a day the work spreads over 2 days.
With two painters on 1,250 square feet at 125 square feet an hour, 3 hours of prep and 4.5 hours of drying, the painting is 20 hours and the person-hours are 23. Shared by two that is 11.5 working hours, 16 hours with the drying wait, and a labor cost of $690 at $30 per person-hour.
Why the pace is the number that matters most
How fast paint goes on depends on the surface and the person holding the roller. Open walls with a roller can go quickly, while cutting in around trim, windows and ceilings slows the whole job. A room with many openings or dark colors that need extra coats takes longer than the same area of plain wall.
Time one small section on your own wall to find your real pace. If you are hiring, ask for the pace or the hours in the quote and compare it with the figure here.
Drying time and the calendar
Drying time is waiting, not work, so it adds to the calendar but not to the labor hours. Humidity and temperature change how long a coat needs. The label on the can gives the time to recoat for ordinary conditions, and the 4 hours shown is only an example.
You can often use the wait to do trim, clean brushes or prepare the next room. If you do, the start to finish time here is the upper bound for one room.
Related home project tools
Find the gallons first with the Paint Calculator or the Exterior House Paint Calculator. Check the wall surface with the Drywall Calculator, and plan stain with the Deck Stain Calculator.
Assumptions and limits
- Every coat is applied at the same pace, and the pace includes cutting in.
- Prep time is given in person-hours and is shared across the painters you enter.
- Drying time is the same between each pair of coats and does not use any painting hours.
- The result is an estimate, not a quote, and does not include shopping, cleanup or breaks beyond what you enter.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to paint a room?
It depends on the area, the coats and your pace. A room with 400 square feet of walls, two coats at 100 square feet an hour and 2 hours of prep takes about 10 working hours, plus drying time between coats.
How many square feet can one painter cover in an hour?
It varies with the surface, the tools and how much cutting in there is. The page starts with an example of 100 square feet an hour and lets you enter your own, which is more reliable than any average.
Does drying time count as labor?
No. Drying time adds to the calendar but not to the person-hours. The page shows the working time and the start to finish time separately for this reason.
How do I split the job between two painters?
Enter the number of painters. The person-hours stay the same, and the working time for the crew falls in proportion, though real crews lose a little time to getting in each other's way.