To estimate paint from a floor plan PDF, measure the length of each wall run, multiply by the wall height to get wall area, subtract doors and windows, multiply by the number of coats, and divide by the coverage on the product’s label; Sherwin-Williams says a gallon typically covers about 350 to 400 square feet. MeasureSet takes the measuring off your hands on Windows: calibrate the plan, trace the walls under a label with a height, mark doors and windows as deductions with their own heights, and export the net wall area to Excel, where the gallons are one formula.
Painters bid from plans more often than they used to. Done by hand with a scale ruler, a house can take an evening. Done on screen, the measuring is quick and the sums are exact.
Get net wall area from the floor plan PDF, with openings deducted, ready for your paint math.
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What is the paint estimate formula?
- Wall area. Wall length times wall height.
- Subtract openings. Doors and windows, each at its own width and height.
- Multiply by coats. Usually two for a color change.
- Divide by coverage. Use the spread rate on the product data sheet or label. For a quick estimate, Sherwin-Williams’ paint calculator FAQ says a gallon typically covers about 350 to 400 square feet, a quart about 100 square feet, and a gallon of primer about 200 to 300 square feet. Checked on 17 October 2026.
- Round up to the containers you will buy.
Using the lower coverage figure gives a cautious estimate. Textured walls, porous new drywall and dramatic color changes all use more paint.
What does a worked example look like?
A bedroom 12 ft by 14 ft with 8 ft walls, one door and two windows:
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Wall length | 12 + 14 + 12 + 14 | 52 ft |
| Gross wall area | 52 ft x 8 ft | 416 sq ft |
| Door | 3 ft x 7 ft | minus 21 sq ft |
| Two windows | 2 x (3 ft x 5 ft) | minus 30 sq ft |
| Net wall area | 416 minus 51 | 365 sq ft |
| Two coats | 365 x 2 | 730 sq ft |
| Gallons at 350 sq ft per gallon | 730 / 350 | 2.09 gallons |
| Gallons at 400 sq ft per gallon | 730 / 400 | 1.83 gallons |
| Ceiling, one coat | 12 x 14 = 168 sq ft at 350 | 0.48 gallons |
Opening sizes are examples. Use the sizes from the plan’s door and window schedules.
For this room you would buy two gallons of wall paint and check whether a quart is needed for a second coat in a deep color, plus a gallon of ceiling paint. Across a whole house the rounding matters less and the totals matter more.
Where do painting takeoffs go wrong?
- Ceiling heights vary. Vaulted rooms, dropped soffits and stair walls are not 8 ft. Use the sections and elevations.
- Openings deducted at the wrong height. A 3 ft by 7 ft door and a 3 ft by 5 ft window are not the same deduction.
- Small openings. Some painters do not deduct small openings, to cover cutting in and waste. Decide your rule and apply it consistently.
- Both sides of a wall. An interior partition has two paintable faces if both rooms are in the job.
- Trim and doors. Baseboard, casing and doors are usually priced separately, by linear foot or by count.
- Reduced prints. A PDF printed to fit smaller paper is not at its stated scale.
How do I measure wall area in MeasureSet?
MeasureSet is a Windows takeoff app that measures plan PDFs and exports to Excel.
- Open the plan. Choose Open, then PDF plan.
- Calibrate. Click both ends of a long printed dimension and type its length, then check a second dimension with the segment tool.
- Make labels. For example, Walls 8 ft, Walls 9 ft, Stair wall 16 ft. Give each label its height so every length marked with it carries wall area.
- Trace the walls. Use the length tool along each wall run. Trace both faces of a partition if both rooms are painted.
- Deduct openings. Mark doors and windows as deductions; each keeps its own height.
- Measure ceilings. Click inside a closed room with the room tool to add its floor area, which is the ceiling area for a flat ceiling.
- Count doors and fixtures. Use the count tool for doors to paint, and the length tool for baseboard.
- Export. Save an .xlsx with Marks and Totals sheets. Add coats and coverage columns in Excel and the gallons follow.
Measure one house plan in MeasureSet during the 15-day free trial and check the wall area against your own.
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How should I set up the spreadsheet?
| Column | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Label | Walls 8 ft | From the MeasureSet export |
| Net area | 365 sq ft | Openings already deducted |
| Coats | 2 | Per area or product |
| Coverage | 350 sq ft per gallon | From the product data sheet |
| Gallons | Net area x coats / coverage | Round up per color |
| Waste | 5 to 10 percent | Your own allowance |
You can also give the label a waste percent in MeasureSet so the exported quantity already includes it.
What are MeasureSet’s limits for painters?
- It measures; it does not price. There is no cost database or paint product list. Pricing happens in your spreadsheet.
- One scale per sheet. Details at a different scale on the same sheet need their own sheet or a separate calibration.
- No arcs. Curved walls are approximated with segments.
- PDF plans only, on x64 Windows 10 version 2004 or later, or Windows 11.
When is another approach better?
For repaints of an occupied home, many painters measure on site with a laser measure, because plans may not exist or may not match. For large commercial jobs with many finish types, a takeoff product with assemblies may save time. MeasureSet suits painters and finish trades who bid new construction or remodels from PDF plans and price in Excel. See drywall takeoff from PDF plans for the wall-area workflow drywall estimators use.
Frequently asked questions
How many gallons of paint for a 12 x 14 room?
With 8 ft walls, one door and two windows, about 365 sq ft of net wall. Two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon is about 2.1 gallons. Check your product’s coverage.
Does MeasureSet subtract doors and windows?
Yes. Mark doors and windows as deductions; each keeps its own height.
Can MeasureSet use different wall heights in one house?
Yes. Make a label for each height. Every mark with that label carries its height.
Does it measure ceilings?
Yes. The room tool adds a closed room’s floor area with one click, which equals a flat ceiling’s area. Open-plan spaces need an outline drawn point by point.
Can I send the marked-up plan with my bid?
Yes. Export a marked-up PDF of the measured sheets followed by a totals page.
Try MeasureSet
MeasureSet is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store, with a 15-day free trial. Calibrate a floor plan, trace the walls under a height label, deduct the openings, and export. For more, see measure PDF drawings to scale, how to do a takeoff from PDF plans, or the MeasureSet product page.
Bid paint from the plans with wall areas you can check.
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Sherwin-Williams is a trademark of The Sherwin-Williams Company. Microsoft, Excel and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Other names are trademarks of their owners. MeasureSet is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
Last updated 17 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.