How many gallons of paint for a 3,000 sq ft house exterior?

Data checked October 2026

Short answer

A 3,000 sq ft 2-story house with a 40×38 ft footprint has about 2,776 sq ft of siding — 18.5 gal for two coats, plus 2.1 gal for trim.

Walls: 156 ft perimeter × 18 ft = 2,808 sq ft, plus two gables (361 sq ft), minus 3 doors at 21 sq ft and 22 windows at 15 sq ft = 2,776 sq ft.
Siding: 2,776 × 2 coats ÷ 300 sq ft/gal = 18.5 gal → buy 19 gal.
Trim: 644 ft of 6-in fascia and casing = 322 sq ft → 2 gal + 1 qt in the trim color.
Across the label range (250–400 sq ft/gal), siding and trim take 15.5–20.7 gal for two coats; Sherwin-Williams' calculator (350 sq ft/gal) says 17.8 gal.
Same-color repaint with a one-coat premium line: about 10.3 gal ($749).
Paint about $1,431 at a typical $66.89 per gallon, plus $158 in rollers, brushes, tape and drop cloths.

Adjust it to your exact job

House size

Measure by

House length

= 40' · 12.19 m

House width

= 38' · 11.58 m

Stories

Wall height (ground to eaves)

= 18' · 5.49 m

Gable ends

Triangles under the roof peak; 0 for a hip roof.

Gable width

= 38' · 11.58 m

Gable height (peak)

= 9' 6" · 2.9 m

Doors & windows

Doors

Windows

Garage doors

Siding & paint

Siding

Smooth, previously painted wood. Brush the bottom (drip) edge of every course.

Exterior paint

300 sq ft per gallon per coat — the middle of the premium high-build lines (250–350). Sherwin-Williams' calculator assumes 350. Label: 2 coats new/bare, 1 coat repaint (premium lines).

Coats

Plan with coverage

sq ft/gal

Per coat on smooth siding; rough surfaces are adjusted automatically.

Buy for the siding

19 gal

18.5 gal for 2,776 sq ft × 2 coats at 300 sq ft/gal · $1,271

Siding to paint: 2,776sq ft3,169 sq ft gross (gables 361 sq ft) − 393 sq ft openings
Trim & fascia: 322sq ft644 ft × 6 in
Finish paint range: 15.5–20.7gallabel range 250–400 sq ft/gal
Paint + supplies: $1,589$1,431 paint · $158 supplies

What to buy for each surface
Surface	Area (sq ft)	Coats	Need	Buy	Cost
SidingTypical exterior latex · 300 sq ft/gal	2,776	2	18.51 gal	19 gal	$1,271
Trim & fasciaTypical exterior latex (trim color) · 300 sq ft/gal	322	2	2.15 gal	2 gal + 1 qt	$161

Compared with Sherwin-Williams' calculator

It assumes 350 sq ft/gal on every surface and says 17.8 gal for siding and trim at 2 coats. We use your paint's label rate and adjust for wood lap / clapboard.

Box your paint

Pour every can of the siding color into one 5-gallon bucket and mix before you start, then refill as you go, so a color shift between cans never lands in the middle of a wall.

Shopping list

19 cans Typical exterior latex — 1-gal can (siding)$1,271
2 cans Typical exterior latex (trim color) — 1-gal can (trim & fascia)$134
1 can Typical exterior latex (trim color) — 1-qt can (trim & fascia)$26.76
1 packs 9 in roller covers, 3-pack, 3/8 in napa fresh cover for each product or color$6.43
1 kit Roller frame & tray kit$21.94
2 brushes 2½ in angled sash brushfor cutting in$27.88
2 rolls Painter's tape, 1.88 in × 60 yd (ScotchBlue 2090)mask window glass and fixtures$15.76
2 cloths Canvas drop cloth, 9 × 12 ftmove along the foundation, decks and walks$49.94
1 pole Extension pole$35.99

Estimated total$1,589

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

Typical exterior latex, 1-gal can (siding)
19 cans × $typical price — no verified listing
$1,271
Typical exterior latex (trim color), 1-gal can (trim & fascia)
2 cans × $typical price — no verified listing
$134
Typical exterior latex (trim color), 1-qt can (trim & fascia)
1 can × $estimated quart price (40% of the gallon)
$26.76
9 in roller covers, 3-pack, 3/8 in nap
1 packs × $
$6.43
Roller frame & tray kit
1 kit × $
$21.94
2½ in angled sash brush
2 brushes × $
$27.88
Painter's tape, 1.88 in × 60 yd (ScotchBlue 2090)
2 rolls × $
$15.76
Canvas drop cloth, 9 × 12 ft
2 cloths × $
$49.94
Extension pole
1 pole × $
$35.99

Materials total$1,589

Online prices checked October 23, 2026. Typical prices are labelled; tap any price to enter your store's.

Did this answer your question?

Compare

The same house by siding type (2 coats, typical exterior paint)

Siding	Siding paint	Buy	Siding + trim cost
Vinyl, fiber cement or wood lap	18.5 gal	19 gal	$1,431
Rough-sawn cedar / T1-11	32.5 gal	32 gal + 2 qt	$2,355
Smooth stucco or brick	28.9 gal	29 gal	$2,100
Rough (dash) stucco	46.3 gal	46 gal + 2 qt	$3,291

How this was worked out

Floor area alone doesn't set the answer. We modeled this 3,000 sq ft home as a 2-story 40×38 ft box. The same floor area built as a 1-story 60×50 ft house has 2,212 sq ft of siding and needs 17.2 gal — less than the 20.7 gal here. Enter your own footprint above for your house.

Gables are figured at a 6/12 roof pitch (9.5 ft peak over 38 ft), and trim as fascia along the eaves, both rakes of each gable, and casing around every door and window.

The full method, material data and tips are on the main exterior paint calculator page.

Similar jobs

Other sizes people check

Sources

Data behind this answer

Sherwin-Williams Paint Calculator (help text and AjaxPaintCalculator responses) — results are per coat at 400 (interior), 350 (exterior) and 250 (deck) sq ft/gal; 3×7 ft doors and 3×5 ft windows; trim area = LF × height subtracted from the wall; railings × 0.6, or × 2.0 with spindles; gables = width × peak ÷ 2 · checked October 2026
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Exterior — PDS 102.26FLA — 250–300 sq ft/gal; 2 coats new, 1 coat repaint; down to 35°F · checked October 2026
Sherwin-Williams Duration Exterior — PDS 102.14B — 250–300 sq ft/gal; 2 coats bare, 1 coat repaint · checked October 2026
Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint Exterior — PDS 102.01B — 350–400 sq ft/gal, 2 coats · checked October 2026
Sherwin-Williams A-100 Exterior — PDS 102.02A — 350–400 sq ft/gal · checked October 2026
Sherwin-Williams Latitude Exterior — PDS 102.61B — 350–400 sq ft/gal; 35–120°F · checked October 2026
Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior — TDS N629 — 250–350 sq ft/gal; masonry high-build 160–265 · checked October 2026
Benjamin Moore Regal Select Exterior — TDS N400 — 250–350 sq ft/gal · checked October 2026
Benjamin Moore Element Guard — TDS 763 — 300–400 sq ft/gal; $66.99 · checked October 2026
Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec EXT — TDS N447 — 350–450 sq ft/gal; 40°F minimum · checked October 2026
Behr Ultra Exterior — product page — 250–400 sq ft/gal · checked October 2026
Valspar Duramax Exterior — product page — 300–400 sq ft/gal; 2 coats; 35–90°F · checked October 2026
Sherwin-Williams Exterior Latex Wood Primer — PDS 108.33A — 400 sq ft/gal · checked October 2026
Sherwin-Williams Loxon Concrete & Masonry Primer — PDS 115.02 — 200–320 sq ft/gal; 80 sq ft/gal on porous rough stucco · checked October 2026
Sherwin-Williams SuperDeck semi-transparent — PDS 114.80 (06/2020) — smooth 350, rough/porous 100–200 sq ft/gal · checked October 2026
KILZ 2 All-Purpose Primer — Walmart.com listing — 300–400 sq ft/gal; $9.97 qt, $23.97 gal, $65 3.5 gal, $94 5 gal · checked October 2026
Painting supplies — Walmart.com listings — ScotchBlue 60 yd $7.88; 9×12 canvas drop cloth $24.97; 3-pack roller covers $6.43; tray kit $21.94; 2½ in sash brush $13.94 · checked October 2026
US EPA — Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program — about three-quarters of US homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint · checked October 2026

Short answer

A 3,000 sq ft 2-story house with a 40×38 ft footprint has about 2,776 sq ft of siding — 18.5 gal for two coats, plus 2.1 gal for trim.

Walls: 156 ft perimeter × 18 ft = 2,808 sq ft, plus two gables (361 sq ft), minus 3 doors at 21 sq ft and 22 windows at 15 sq ft = 2,776 sq ft.

Siding: 2,776 × 2 coats ÷ 300 sq ft/gal = 18.5 gal → buy 19 gal.

Trim: 644 ft of 6-in fascia and casing = 322 sq ft → 2 gal + 1 qt in the trim color.

Across the label range (250–400 sq ft/gal), siding and trim take 15.5–20.7 gal for two coats; Sherwin-Williams' calculator (350 sq ft/gal) says 17.8 gal.

Same-color repaint with a one-coat premium line: about 10.3 gal ($749).

Paint about $1,431 at a typical $66.89 per gallon, plus $158 in rollers, brushes, tape and drop cloths.

Adjust it to your exact job

House size

Measure by

House length

= 40' · 12.19 m

House width

= 38' · 11.58 m

Stories

Wall height (ground to eaves)

= 18' · 5.49 m

Gable ends

Triangles under the roof peak; 0 for a hip roof.

Gable width

= 38' · 11.58 m

Gable height (peak)

= 9' 6" · 2.9 m

Doors & windows

Doors

Windows

Garage doors

Siding & paint

Siding

Smooth, previously painted wood. Brush the bottom (drip) edge of every course.

Exterior paint

300 sq ft per gallon per coat — the middle of the premium high-build lines (250–350). Sherwin-Williams' calculator assumes 350. Label: 2 coats new/bare, 1 coat repaint (premium lines).

Coats

Plan with coverage

sq ft/gal

Per coat on smooth siding; rough surfaces are adjusted automatically.

Buy for the siding

19 gal

18.5 gal for 2,776 sq ft × 2 coats at 300 sq ft/gal · $1,271

Siding to paint: 2,776sq ft3,169 sq ft gross (gables 361 sq ft) − 393 sq ft openings
Trim & fascia: 322sq ft644 ft × 6 in
Finish paint range: 15.5–20.7gallabel range 250–400 sq ft/gal
Paint + supplies: $1,589$1,431 paint · $158 supplies

What to buy for each surface
Surface	Area (sq ft)	Coats	Need	Buy	Cost
SidingTypical exterior latex · 300 sq ft/gal	2,776	2	18.51 gal	19 gal	$1,271
Trim & fasciaTypical exterior latex (trim color) · 300 sq ft/gal	322	2	2.15 gal	2 gal + 1 qt	$161

Compared with Sherwin-Williams' calculator

It assumes 350 sq ft/gal on every surface and says 17.8 gal for siding and trim at 2 coats. We use your paint's label rate and adjust for wood lap / clapboard.

Box your paint

Pour every can of the siding color into one 5-gallon bucket and mix before you start, then refill as you go, so a color shift between cans never lands in the middle of a wall.

Shopping list

19 cans Typical exterior latex — 1-gal can (siding)$1,271
2 cans Typical exterior latex (trim color) — 1-gal can (trim & fascia)$134
1 can Typical exterior latex (trim color) — 1-qt can (trim & fascia)$26.76
1 packs 9 in roller covers, 3-pack, 3/8 in napa fresh cover for each product or color$6.43
1 kit Roller frame & tray kit$21.94
2 brushes 2½ in angled sash brushfor cutting in$27.88
2 rolls Painter's tape, 1.88 in × 60 yd (ScotchBlue 2090)mask window glass and fixtures$15.76
2 cloths Canvas drop cloth, 9 × 12 ftmove along the foundation, decks and walks$49.94
1 pole Extension pole$35.99

Estimated total$1,589

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

Typical exterior latex, 1-gal can (siding)
19 cans × $typical price — no verified listing
$1,271
Typical exterior latex (trim color), 1-gal can (trim & fascia)
2 cans × $typical price — no verified listing
$134
Typical exterior latex (trim color), 1-qt can (trim & fascia)
1 can × $estimated quart price (40% of the gallon)
$26.76
9 in roller covers, 3-pack, 3/8 in nap
1 packs × $
$6.43
Roller frame & tray kit
1 kit × $
$21.94
2½ in angled sash brush
2 brushes × $
$27.88
Painter's tape, 1.88 in × 60 yd (ScotchBlue 2090)
2 rolls × $
$15.76
Canvas drop cloth, 9 × 12 ft
2 cloths × $
$49.94
Extension pole
1 pole × $
$35.99

Materials total$1,589

Online prices checked October 23, 2026. Typical prices are labelled; tap any price to enter your store's.

Siding

Siding paint

Buy

Siding + trim cost

Vinyl, fiber cement or wood lap

18.5 gal

19 gal

$1,431

Rough-sawn cedar / T1-11

32.5 gal

32 gal + 2 qt

$2,355

Smooth stucco or brick

28.9 gal

29 gal

$2,100

Rough (dash) stucco

46.3 gal

46 gal + 2 qt

$3,291

How this was worked out

Gables are figured at a 6/12 roof pitch (9.5 ft peak over 38 ft), and trim as fascia along the eaves, both rakes of each gable, and casing around every door and window.

The full method, material data and tips are on the main exterior paint calculator page.