What is a coverage rate?
The coverage rate refers to the amount of surface area that a product can effectively cover. It's found in sqft/gallon or lnft/gallon.
You should be able to find the coverage rate on the paint can or on the manufacturer's website. This will allow PaintScout to automatically calculate the number of gallons needed for your work, depending on the room's dimensions and the surface's number of coats.
Walls, Trim, and Ceilings
When considering coverage rates for these surfaces, it's like asking, "How many square feet or linear feet can I cover with one coat, using just one can of paint?" That's the figure you should enter as your coverage rate.
As an example, let's say you have a room that is 12ft x 15ft x 8ft. How many gallons of paint are needed for 1 coat?
Surface | Dimensions | Coverage Rate | Gallons |
Walls | 432 sqft | 400 sqft/gal | 1.08 |
Baseboards | 54 lnft | 650 lnft/gal | 0.17 |
Ceilings | 180 sqft | 400 sqft/gal | 0.45 |
Items
In PaintScout, the coverage rate for items (such as doors, windows, etc.) is measured in gallons per item. This is based on an estimation of how much product from a gallon of paint would be used for a single item.
Let's break it down using a standard window frame as an example. The question is: "How many window frames can I paint with one coat, using just one can of paint?"
Next, you'll divide 1 by the number you came up with. If you can paint 20 window frames with one coat using one gallon of paint, your coverage rate would be:
1 / 20 = 0.05 gal/item
The calculation to figure out the total number of gallons is:
# items x Coverage rate x # coats
So, if you are painting 18 window frames with 2 coats, for example, how many gallons of paint will you need?
Using the coverage rate calculated above, you can easily find your number of gallons!
18 window frames x 0.05 coverage x 2 coats = 1.8 gallons of paint
How do I add coverage rates to my products?
1. Click the person icon in the top right of your page and go to your Account Settings > Products.
2. To add your coverage rates, simply create or edit the product in question.
3. Once this dialog is open, you're able to add your surface area coverage rate and/or your item-based coverage rate:
Things to keep in mind
When entering your coverage rates, input them for one coat of paint. PaintScout considers the number of coats when calculating the total gallons needed on an estimate.
The materials calculated on the work order may slightly exceed your actual requirements since it doesn't initially factor in spaces like doors and windows. This aligns with the PCA rules of measurement.
A helpful guideline is to order slightly less product than calculated on the work order (around 60-70%). It's always more convenient to buy additional paint if needed rather than ending up with excess!
For any questions, get in touch with our Support Team 👩💻