9 Standard Paint Can Sizes With Dimensions and Coverage 

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If you’re going to paint your room and want to know exactly how much paint is needed, I’m here to assist you! 

Painters and DIYers alike often buy too much or too little paint for their projects. Choosing the right paint can size be tricky. It relies upon a few parameters such as the size of the painting area, paint type and the desired coverage.

Paint cans are available in different sizes from quarts and pints to gallons and buckets, each having its specific size and purpose. Before starting the project, it’s essential to know paint can measurements to estimate how much paint is required.

So, if you’re confused about how much paint you exactly need, this guide is worth a read! I’ll discuss the common paint can sizes available and how to choose paint can sizes in liters, so you can get the job done right, without any wasted paint.

What Sizes Does Paint Come in?

Paint cans are available in different sizes, you can buy them according to your project needs. They range from small paint cans of 1 pint and a quarter to large buckets of  5 gallons. There are also middle-sized paint cans including half gallons and half pints.

The size of paint you need will depend on the size of the painting area and the paint type that you’ve bought. For instance, if you want to paint a small accent wall, you only need a quart of paint. However, a gallon or more paint will be required to paint a large room.

9 Standard Paint Can Sizes

Here, I’ll discuss Sherwin William’s paint can sizes that you can use for a variety of projects. Paint can sizes at Lowe’s and Home Depot are also the same size and coverage. I’ll also discuss paint can dimensions. You can easily buy these paint can sizes in Canada, UK, Australia and the rest of the countries both online and in-store. 

Quarter-Pint Paint Can

Quarter pint is the smallest paint can size at Sherwin William’s stores.The quarter-pint can measures 2 inches in height and has a diameter of 2.5 inches. It’s ideal for touch-up work or a new colour, as it will cover a wall of about 12 square feet.

Half-Pint Paint Can

The half-pint paint can have a coverage area of approximately 25 square feet, which is significantly larger than the coverage area of a quarter-pint paint can.  This paint can size at Benjamin Moore has a height of 3 inches with a diameter of 2.88 inches. Commonly, it’s utilized for some small projects and touch-ups.

One-Pint Paint Can

This paint can is 3.99 inches tall and 3.5 inches wide. With a capacity of 0.47 litres, it’s enough to paint 50 square feet. It’s perfect for small projects so, you can use it for small or medium projects such as trim work, furniture painting or touch-ups. While talking about a pint of paint vs a quart, a pint is ½ of a quart.

One Quart Paint Can

People ask how big is a quart of paint. Well! With a storage capacity of 0.95 litres, this paint can measure 4.25 inches in diameter and 4.88 inches in height. Are you thinking about how much area is covered by one-quart can? It’s enough to cover 100 sq. feet of wall area_which isn’t a large area. So, this paint can is sufficient for a variety of projects including touch-ups, crown moldings, furniture painting, detailing and closets.

Half-Gallon Paint Can

Are you looking to buy a half gallon of paint? Yes, it’s available! With a height of 5.38 inches and a diameter of 5.88 inches, half gallon paint can has a storage capacity of 1.89 liters. It’s enough to cover a wall area of 200 sq. feet. Usually, they are used to paint a ceiling, small rooms, closets or furniture pieces.

One-Gallon Bucket

Do you want to know how big is one gallon of paint? One gallon paint can is 7.7 inches tall and 6.5 inches wide. Holding a capacity of 3.8 litres, its coverage is 400 square feet. 

A typical room is about 800 square feet, so you’ll need two one-gallon paint cans to paint the whole room. You can use this paint can for painting ceilings, entire rooms, offices, pantry, laundry and bathrooms.

If I talk about quart vs gallon paint, a quart is ¼ of a gallon and is suitable for small projects while a gallon is a good choice for large projects.

Two-Gallon Bucket

With a height of 10.63 inches and a diameter of 6.6 inches, the two-gallon paint can have a storage capacity of 7.57 litres. On average, its coverage is 800 square feet per coat.

A two-gallon paint can is a good choice for multiple coating or large projects such as painting multiple rooms, an entire exterior wall and a large piece of furniture. 

Five-Gallon Bucket

A five-gallon paint can is approximately 12-15 inches in height and 10-12 inches in diameter. With a storage capacity of 18.93 litres, it’s enough to cover an area of 2,000 square feet.

This paint bucket is the right choice for large projects. You can use it for multiple coats and entire home painting. If you’ve got a big painting project on your hands or if you’re repainting multiple rooms in your open-concept home, a two-gallon paint can is the way to go.

Ten-Gallon Bucket

Having a storage capacity of 37.85 litres, a ten-gallon bucket measures 12.75 inches in height and 18.5 inches in diameter. Usually, you’ll not be able to find these buckets at any local stores. Instead, you can purchase them only from professional paint suppliers. Ten ten-gallon bucket is used for commercial projects and has a coverage of 4,000 square feet.

Useful Resource: Learn about using base paint without tint.

Paint Can Size Chart-How many sizes does paint come in?

For your better understanding, I’m going to explain paint can sizes coverage and dimensions in a table. Also, I’ve mentioned paint can sizes in litres.

Paint Can Size	Storage Capacity(in litres)	Height(inches)	Diameter(inches)	Coverage(square feet)
Quarter pint	0.12	2	2.5	12
Half pint	0.28	3	2.88	25
One pint	0.47	3.99	3.5	50
One quart	0.95	4.25	4.88	100
Half gallon	1.89	5.38	5.88	200
One gallon	3.8	7.7	6.5	400
Two gallon	7.57	10.63	6.6	800
Five gallon	18.93	14	12	2,000
Ten gallon	37.85	12.75	18.5	4,000

How Many Cans of Paint for a Bedroom/Room?

The number of cans of paint needed for a bedroom varies depending on the size of the room, the number of coats and the type of paint you’re using. However, a good general rule of thumb is to allow for one gallon of paint per 400 square feet of wall space.

To determine the painting area, you can calculate it by multiplying the length of each wall by its height. Afterward, sum the square footage for each individual wall to estimate the total painting area.

If your room has windows, doors or any other openings, don’t forget to minus their square footage.

Once you’ve calculated the wall’s square footage, divide it by 400 to estimate how much paint is required exactly. 

My Personal Experience

During my first DIY project, I bought the wrong size paint can. I was painting my bedroom and thought one quart of paint would be enough. However, later on, I needed more paint. I ended up having to go back to the store and buy a pint of paint, which was just enough to finish the job.

I understood how essential it is to get the perfect size paint can for the job. If you’re not sure how much paint you need, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and buy more paint than you think you’ll need. 

If you’ve to paint a room with a lot of windows and doors or if you want to apply multiple coats, you’ll need to purchase more paint.

Conclusion

There are a variety of paint can sizes available at hardware stores_ however, they differ slightly in size from brand to brand. You can select a specific wall paint size based on the area of the wall you’re going to paint. If you’re unsure how much paint you need for your project, it’s always best to consult with a professional painter.

Whether you’re planning to paint your room, house, office, laundry or even you just want to use it for refinishing and retouching, paint cans of every size are available. 

FAQs Of paint can sizes and coverage

How big is a 16 oz paint can?

A 16 oz paint can is a pint-sized can that can cover up to 50 square feet of area per coat.

What sizes are paint tins?

The most common sizes are pint, quart, half-gallon, one-gallon and five-gallon. The size you need will depend on the size of your project.

What are the sizes of Benjamin Moore paint cans?

The sizes of Benjamin Moore paint cans are quart, gallon, five-gallon buckets and 1-kit buckets.

How big is a 32 oz can of paint?

A 32 oz can of paint is a quart or 1/4 gallon of paint. It is a common size for small projects and touch-ups.

What is the standard paint by number size?

The standard paint-by-number size is 16 inches by 20 inches. However, paint-by-number kits come in a variety of sizes, from small (8 inches by 10 inches) to large (24 inches by 36 inches).