Walls & finishes

Planning tips for Walls & finishes

Use these calculators to estimate paint, drywall, wallpaper, and similar finish materials. The goal is to measure the right surfaces, choose realistic coverage, and round up to whole purchase units.

What to measure

• Walls: measure width × height for each wall and sum totals; subtract large openings only if you want a tighter estimate.
• Drywall: choose the sheet size you’ll buy and consider ceilings vs walls, corners, and cutouts.
• Paint/wallpaper: decide coats and account for texture, repairs, and (for wallpaper) pattern repeat.

Useful defaults

• Start with 5–10% waste and increase it for complex layouts, many cutouts, or big color changes.
• Use the product label for coverage and yield when possible; deep colors and textured walls often need more.
• Round up to full gallons/rolls/sheets so you don’t run short mid-job.

Common misses

• Forgetting trim, ceilings, or a second coat when budgeting materials.
• Mixing units (feet vs inches) or ignoring sheet/roll dimensions.
• Not keeping a small amount for touch-ups or future repairs.