Reference
How many coats of primer on new drywall
Primer is not weak paint. It seals, it bonds and it blocks, and which of those the surface needs decides the type and the number of coats — usually one, sometimes two, often none.
How many coats of primer on new drywall? 1 coat of PVA drywall primer. 1 coat of white or light-tinted high-hide primer over a dark color going light; 1 coat of shellac or oil stain-blocker over stains; none over a sound wall in a similar color.
How many coats of primer on new drywall
One coat of PVA drywall primer evens the paper and the compound. Every other surface is in the table below.
How many coats of primer by surface
| Surface | Coats | Primer | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| New drywall | 1 | PVA drywall primer | One coat of PVA drywall primer evens the paper and the compound. |
| Painted wall, similar color | 0 | — (spot-prime patches with latex) | No primer; two coats of paint. Spot-prime patches. |
| Dark color going light | 1 | Latex all-purpose primer | One coat of a white high-hide primer, or one tinted toward the new color; a second only if the old color still reads through. Gray primer is for going to a deep color. |
| Bare wood, trim and doors | 1 | Oil-based primer | One coat; tannin woods (cedar, redwood) take a stain-blocking oil or shellac primer. |
| Glossy or enameled surface, cabinets | 1 | Bonding primer | One coat of bonding primer after de-glossing. |
| Water, smoke or tannin stains | 1 | Shellac primer | One coat of shellac or oil stain-blocker over the whole surface, not the patch. |
| Bare metal | 1 | Oil-based primer | One coat of rust-inhibiting metal primer. |
| Masonry, concrete, stucco | 1 | Masonry primer / block filler | One coat of masonry primer or block filler on porous block. |
Coats of the paint that goes on top are on the coats guide.
Primer coverage per gallon by type
| Primer | One gallon covers | Use |
|---|---|---|
| PVA drywall primer | 350 sq ft · 33 m² | New drywall only; no hide, no stain blocking. |
| Latex all-purpose primer | 300 sq ft · 28 m² | Most walls; tintable toward the finish color. |
| Oil-based primer | 350 sq ft · 33 m² | Wood, metal, stains; strong odor. |
| Shellac primer | 450 sq ft · 42 m² | Best stain and odor blocker; thin, dries fast. |
| Bonding primer | 300 sq ft · 28 m² | Glossy surfaces, laminate, tile, PVC. |
| Masonry primer / block filler | 100 sq ft · 9 m² | Block filler covers far less; smooth concrete is nearer 250. |
How long does primer take to dry
| Primer | Dry to touch | Paint over after |
|---|---|---|
| PVA drywall primer | 30 minutes | 1 hour |
| Latex all-purpose primer | 30 minutes | 1 hour |
| Oil-based primer | 30 minutes | 1 hour |
| Shellac primer | 15 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Bonding primer | 30 minutes | 1 hour |
| Masonry primer / block filler | 1 hour | 4 hours |
The primer calculator takes the surface and the area and gives the gallons, with the coats from this table filled in.
Work out your primer →Figures: Coverage and dry times: Kilz 2 All-Purpose data sheet (300–400 sq ft per gallon, touch 30 minutes, paint over in 1 hour); Sherwin-Williams PVA Drywall Primer data (touch 30 minutes, recoat in 1 hour); Kilz PVA Drywall primer (300–400 sq ft per gallon). Coats by surface follow general manufacturer guidance (one coat of PVA primer over new drywall; one coat of a white or light-tinted high-hide primer over a dark color going light, with gray primer reserved for deep new topcoats). Oil-based primer times: Kilz Original data sheet (touch 30 minutes, topcoat after 1 hour). Other rows are typical ranges.
Primer questions
Do I need two coats of primer?
Rarely. One coat does new drywall, bare wood, metal and masonry, and a stain needs one coat of stain-blocker over the whole surface. Over a dark color going light, one coat of a white high-hide primer, or one tinted toward the new color, is usually enough; add a second only if the old color still reads through. Gray primer is for going to a deep color, not away from one.
How long does Kilz take to dry?
Kilz 2 latex: dry to the touch in 30 minutes, paint over after 1 hour. Kilz Original oil-based: dry to the touch in 30 minutes, topcoat after 1 hour; the low-odor version takes about 1 hour and 2 hours.
How much primer do I need?
Area divided by the coverage in the table, times coats. A 12 × 12 room with 8 ft walls is about 384 sq ft of wall — a little over one gallon of latex primer per coat.
Can I use paint and primer in one on new drywall?
It covers, but new board still wants a PVA primer first: the self-priming paint is a hide product, not a sealer, and the joints flash through.
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
- 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
- Paint Can Sizes and Weights What a quart, gallon and 5 gallon bucket of paint weigh and how many square feet each one covers
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
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
6 in random orbital sander
Smooths stair treads, rails and trim before finishing.
Check price
Garvee
Dehumidifier, 50 pint
Pulls the water out of a room so slabs, mud and new floors dry on schedule.
Check price
Garvee
Putty knife set, 1–5 in
Taping knives for mudding joints and filling holes before paint.
Check price
Garvee
Handheld paint sprayer
Small and cheap — right for furniture, railings, fences and deck stain.
Check price
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
Not the tool you were after? Browse the whole range at Garvee — the store these picks come from.