Reference
Paint can sizes and weights
A gallon of paint weighs about eleven pounds, latex or oil, and a 5 gallon bucket about fifty-five before the bucket. Below: every can size from half-pint to 5 gallon with its volume, coverage and weight, whether oil-based paint is heavier than latex, and how many gallons a room takes.
How much does a gallon of paint weigh? A gallon of paint weighs about 11 lb (5.0 kg) typical; manufacturer sheets run 10.4 to 11.5 lb per gallon for latex, and oil-based paint is about the same. A 5 gallon bucket holds about 55 lb of paint (25 kg), about 58 lb on the scale with the bucket, and covers 1,750–2,000 sq ft per coat.
Paint can sizes
Paint is sold in five US sizes. A half-pint is 8 fluid ounces, a pint 16, a quart 32, a gallon 128 and a 5 gallon bucket 640. Coverage is per coat on a smooth, primed wall, and the filled weight is latex paint plus the can where an empty weight is known.
| Can | Volume | Steel can (dia × height) | Covers, one coat | Typical filled weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half-pint | 8 fl oz (0.24 L) | — | 22–25 sq ft (2.0–2.3 m²) | 0.7 lb (0.3 kg) |
| Pint | 16 fl oz (0.47 L) | — | 44–50 sq ft (4.1–4.6 m²) | 1.4 lb (0.6 kg) |
| Quart | 32 fl oz (0.95 L) | 4.2 × 4.8 in | 88–100 sq ft (8.1–9.3 m²) | 3 lb (1.4 kg) |
| Gallon | 128 fl oz (3.8 L) | 6.6 × 7.65 in | 350–400 sq ft (33–37 m²) | 11.6 lb (5.3 kg) |
| 5 gallon bucket | 640 fl oz (18.9 L) | — | 1,750–2,000 sq ft (163–186 m²) | 58 lb (26 kg) |
The quart and gallon dimensions are for the common unlined steel can; a 5 gallon bucket is plastic and its size varies by maker. Where no empty weight is known (half-pint, pint) the figure is the paint alone.
How much does a gallon of paint weigh?
Paint is mostly water or solvent plus pigment, and titanium dioxide is heavy. Manufacturer data sheets for interior acrylic latex list 10.4 to 11.5 lb per gallon, so a gallon of latex paint weighs about 11 lb (5.0 kg) typical. Primer is close behind at 10.7 lb. The smaller and larger cans follow from the gallon.
| Can | Latex paint | Oil-based paint | Metric (latex / oil) | Empty can | Full, latex, on the scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half-pint | 0.7 lb | 0.7 lb | 0.3 / 0.3 kg | — | — |
| Pint | 1.4 lb | 1.3 lb | 0.6 / 0.6 kg | — | — |
| Quart | 2.75 lb | 2.7 lb | 1.2 / 1.2 kg | 0.27 lb | 3 lb |
| Gallon | 11 lb | 10.7 lb | 5.0 / 4.9 kg | 0.58 lb | 11.6 lb |
| 5 gallon bucket | 55 lb | 53.5 lb | 25 / 24 kg | 3 lb | 58 lb |
The weights are paint only. Deep and tinted bases, other sheens and other makers move the figure by a pound or so per gallon, and the can label or data sheet is the number for one specific product. The empty gallon can is a steel can of about 262 g (0.58 lb), the quart 4.28 oz (0.27 lb), and a 5 gallon plastic bucket with its lid about 3 lb.
Is oil-based paint heavier than latex?
No, not in any way that matters: about the same, 10.4 to 11.5 lb per gallon either way. Sherwin-Williams' own latex sheets run from 10.36 lb (semi-gloss) to 11.27 lb (flat), Benjamin Moore's alkyd enamel is 10.7 lb, and Behr and Benjamin Moore latex are 11.0 and 11.5 lb. Sheen and tint base move the weight more than the resin does, so the oil-based column above is no more than a single sheet's figure.
What does a gallon of stain weigh?
| Stain | Per gallon | Metric | 5 gallons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behr Premium solid color stain (acrylic) | 10.3 lb | 4.7 kg | 51.5 lb |
| Cabot solid color deck stain (acrylic) | 9.2 lb | 4.2 kg | 46 lb |
| Cabot solid color decking stain (oil) | 10.16–10.96 lb | 4.8 kg | 53 lb |
Solid-color stains sit in the same band as paint, with the acrylic Cabot line lighter at 9.2 lb. Behr quotes 200 to 400 sq ft per gallon for its solid stain, a wide range because wood soaks it up.
How much does a 5 gallon bucket of paint weigh?
Five gallons at 11 lb is about 55 lb of latex paint (25 kg), or 53.5 lb of oil-based. The empty plastic bucket with its lid adds about 3 lb, so a full bucket is closer to 58 lb on the scale, and a full gallon can about 11.6 lb. That is a one-person lift, but an awkward one with a bail handle, so decant into a roller pail or a smaller can before carrying it up a ladder.
A quart is about 2.75 lb of paint and a gallon about 11 lb, so a trunk of paint for a whole house is mostly a question of how many buckets, not how heavy each is.
How much does a quart of paint cover?
A gallon covers 350–400 square feet (33–37 m²) per coat on a smooth, primed wall, and a quart is a quarter of a gallon, so a quart covers about 88–100 sq ft (8.1–9.3 m²). That is one accent wall, a door and its frame, or a small bathroom ceiling, one coat. For two coats, halve the area. The coverage of every can size is in the table at the top of the page.
The paint calculator computes with 350 sq ft per gallon, the low end of the 350–400 sq ft range it quotes in its FAQ, and so does the coverage guide. Rough, porous or unprimed surfaces cover less; see paint coverage per gallon for each surface.
How many square feet does a 5 gallon bucket of paint cover?
Five times the gallon: 1,750–2,000 square feet (163–186 m²) per coat. Two coats of a 12 × 14 ft room with 8 ft ceilings (about 416 sq ft of wall) take roughly 2.4 gallons, so a bucket paints about two rooms that size in two coats, with paint to spare for touch-ups.
Gallons of paint per room
Walls only, two coats, 8 ft ceilings, 350 sq ft per gallon plus the calculator's 5% margin. No doors or windows are deducted here; the coverage guide has a version that deducts them.
| Room | Wall area | Gallons needed | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | 320 sq ft | 1.9 | 2 gallons |
| 12 × 12 ft | 384 sq ft | 2.3 | 3 gallons |
| 12 × 14 ft | 416 sq ft | 2.5 | 3 gallons |
| 12 × 16 ft | 448 sq ft | 2.7 | 3 gallons |
| 14 × 20 ft | 544 sq ft | 3.3 | 4 gallons |
| 20 × 24 ft | 704 sq ft | 4.2 | 5 gallons |
Sources
- Weight per gallon, latex, from manufacturer data sheets: Benjamin Moore Regal Select Interior Eggshell N549 (acrylic latex), 11.5 lb/gal (US TDS dated 04/23); Behr Premium Plus Interior Eggshell Enamel No. 2050 (acrylic latex), 11.0 lb/gal (product data sheet dated 05/25; the 9/2019 sheet said 10.9); Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint Interior Latex, 11.27 lb/gal flat, 10.55 satin and 10.36 semi-gloss (product data sheets 101.02A, 101.11C, 101.30B on paintdocs.com). That is 10.4 to 11.5 lb/gal; the 11 lb used here is the typical figure.
- Weight per gallon, oil-based and primer: Benjamin Moore Super Spec Alkyd Semi-Gloss Enamel C271, 10.7 lb/gal (TDS 09/2019); Benjamin Moore Fresh Start High-Hiding All Purpose Primer 046, 10.7 lb/gal (TDS 07/2018; the US product page rounds to 10.8). Only one alkyd sheet was found, and it sits inside the latex range, so the honest answer to latex versus oil is "about the same".
- Stain: Behr Premium Solid Color Waterproofing Stain and Sealer No. 5011, 10.3 lb/gal (10.4 on the 2020 sheet for the white base), coverage 200 to 400 sq ft per gallon; Cabot Solid Color Acrylic Deck Stain 1800 series, 9.2 lb/gal; Cabot Solid Color Oil Decking Stain 7600 series, 10.16 to 10.96 lb/gal (data sheets).
- Cans: Uline S-7342 1 gallon unlined steel paint can, 6.59 in outside diameter, 7.65 in high, 262 g (±5 g) empty; Container and Packaging C055 1 quart steel paint can, 4.18 in diameter, 4.80 in high, 4.28 oz empty. Empty 5 gallon plastic bucket with lid, about 3 lb: ePackageSupply, How Much Does a 5-Gallon Bucket Weigh. No empty weight was found for pint and half-pint cans, so none is shown.
- Sizes and weights: half-pint is 8 fl oz, pint 16, quart 32, gallon 128, 5 gallon 640. Filled can weights are the gallon weight divided by 128 fl oz per gallon times the can's fluid ounces, plus the empty can where one is shown. Coverage: 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon per coat on a smooth, primed wall, the figure the Renovimo paint calculator uses (350 sq ft); the smaller cans are the same fraction of the gallon and the 5 gallon bucket five times it. Deep and tinted bases and other sheens differ, so check the can label for a specific product. Accessed 2026-10-23.
Good to know
Questions, answered
A gallon of latex paint weighs about 11 lb (5.0 kg) typical; manufacturer sheets list 10.4 to 11.5 lb. A gallon of oil-based alkyd enamel weighs about 10.7 lb and a gallon of primer about 10.7 lb. A full gallon can on the scale is about 11.6 lb.
About 55 lb (25 kg) of latex paint, or 53.5 lb of oil-based. The bucket and lid add about 3 lb, so about 58 lb on the scale.
About 88–100 sq ft per coat, a quarter of the 350–400 sq ft a gallon covers.
About 1,750–2,000 sq ft per coat, five times the gallon figure.
About the same: 10.4 to 11.5 lb per gallon either way. Sherwin-Williams latex sheets run 10.36 to 11.27 lb, Behr 11.0 and Benjamin Moore 11.5, against 10.7 lb for Benjamin Moore alkyd enamel. Sheen and tint base change the weight more than the type of paint does.
More in this series
The rest of the paint job
These charts are what every paint and exterior estimate on the site is built from: coverage, coats, drying times and the siding underneath. Each tool applies them to one surface.
- Paint Calculator Wall and ceiling paint, primer, rollers and tape
- Ceiling Paint Calculator Ceiling paint, stain-blocking primer, roller covers and tape
- Exterior Paint Calculator Gallons of exterior paint and primer by siding type, trim paint, rollers, brushes and tape
- Siding Calculator Squares of siding, panels and boxes of vinyl or planks of fiber cement, J-channel, starter strip, corner posts and nails
- Trim Paint Calculator Quarts of trim enamel and primer for baseboards, casing and crown by the linear foot, brushes, tape and caulk
- Cabinet Paint Calculator Quarts of cabinet enamel and primer for doors, drawers and frames, foam rollers, brushes and degreaser
- Fence Stain Calculator Gallons of stain or paint for both sides of a fence and its posts, by fence type and wood condition
- Primer Calculator Gallons of primer by surface and primer type, with the coats each surface needs, rollers and brushes
- Door Paint Calculator Quarts of enamel and primer for interior and front doors, one or both sides, with frames, brushes and foam rollers
- Paint Coverage per Gallon What a gallon covers on each surface, and gallons for common rooms
- Paint Sheen Chart Flat to gloss: durability, where each finish belongs, and the comparisons
- Paint Drying and Recoat Times Dry to the touch, recoat and cure times for latex, oil-based, primer, polyurethane and stain, and how weather changes them
- Spray Paint Drying Times Dry, handle, recoat and cure times for spray paint by type and surface, and how many cans a job takes
- How Many Coats of Paint and Primer Coats by color change and surface, how long to wait between coats, and coats of polyurethane and stain
- Primer Coats and Coverage How many coats of primer each surface needs, coverage per gallon by primer type, and how long each takes to dry
- Vinyl Siding Sizes and Squares What a square of siding is, vinyl panel lengths and pieces per box, Hardie and LP plank sizes, and trim per square
Tools for the job
What makes this job easier
Tools and materials that suit this kind of job. These are affiliate links: if you buy through one, Renovimo may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the figures on this page.
Garvee
House painting kit, 25 pieces
Rollers, tray, pole and drop cloth for one room — the kit the gallon count assumes you already own.
Check price
Garvee
Pro paint roller kit, 32 pieces
9 in and 4 in rollers on a telescoping pole, for walls and ceilings without a ladder.
Check price
Garvee
Airless paint sprayer, 2900 PSI
Coats whole rooms, fences and siding far faster than a roller.
Check price
Plastic Place
Poly sheeting, 4 mil, 10 × 100 ft
Covers floors and furniture from spatter, and tapes up as a dust wall across a doorway.
Check price
Garvee
Putty knife set, 1–5 in
Taping knives for mudding joints and filling holes before paint.
Check price
Garvee
Telescoping scaffold plank, 69–112 in
Spans two ladders for ceilings, crown and the top of the wall.
Check price
Not the tool you were after? Browse the whole range at Garvee or Plastic Place — the stores these picks come from.