Behr paints, set up in the calculator
This paint calculator begins with Behr Premium Plus Interior, at 250 square feet per gallon, the bottom of the 250–400 range Behr gives for it. Behr’s pages list quarts, gallons and 5-gallon pails for these paints alongside 8 oz samples; the samples are left out of the can sizes. Choose Marquee or Dynasty for walls, the Premium Plus ceiling paint, or Premium Plus and Marquee Exterior for the outside of the house.
Add each room, count its doors and windows, and the calculator lists the gallons and the mix of containers with the least left over, with a fewer-containers option underneath when there is one.
A range against an upper figure
Behr describes coverage two ways. Premium Plus is a range, 250–400 square feet per gallon, “depending on the application method and substrate porosity”. Marquee and Dynasty are a single figure, up to 400. Working from the bottom of each range, the calculator treats Premium Plus as covering far less than Marquee. Since Behr ties the range to how porous the surface is, a higher figure in the coverage box suits a smooth, sealed wall better than bare drywall, where 250 is the safer number.
One coat, two coats
Marquee and Dynasty carry Behr’s one-coat hide guarantee in colors from its One-Coat Color Collection. Outside that collection, and for untinted Ultra Pure White, Behr says more than one coat may be needed, and it asks for more coats over uncoated, porous or repaired exterior surfaces. Set Coats to 1 only when both conditions are met: a one-coat color, over a sound painted wall.
Behr paints in the calculator: the range sold in the US
| Paint | For | Coverage, as stated | Tins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Plus Interior | Walls | 250–400 sq ft per gallon | 5 gal, 1 gal, 1 qt |
| Marquee Interior | Walls | up to 400 sq ft per gallon | 5 gal, 1 gal, 1 qt |
| Dynasty Interior | Walls | up to 400 sq ft per gallon | 5 gal, 1 gal, 1 qt |
| Premium Plus Interior Ceiling | Ceilings | 250–400 sq ft per gallon | 5 gal, 1 gal, 1 qt |
| Premium Plus Exterior | Outside walls | 250–400 sq ft per gallon | 5 gal, 1 gal, 1 qt |
| Marquee Exterior | Outside walls | 250–400 sq ft per gallon | 5 gal, 1 gal, 1 qt |
What one room takes in each
Two coats. Rooms: 12 × 12 ft room with 8 ft walls, one door, one window, walls and ceiling (ceiling only for a ceiling paint). Outside: 26 × 34 ft house with 17 ft walls and two gables.
| Paint | Area | Paint, 2 coats | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Plus Interior (room, 250 sq ft/gal) | 498 sq ft | 3.99 gal | 4 × 1 gal |
| Marquee Interior (room, 400 sq ft/gal) | 498 sq ft | 2.49 gal | 2 × 1 gal + 2 × 1 qt (fewer cans: 3 × 1 gal) |
| Dynasty Interior (room, 400 sq ft/gal) | 498 sq ft | 2.49 gal | 2 × 1 gal + 2 × 1 qt (fewer cans: 3 × 1 gal) |
| Premium Plus Interior Ceiling (ceiling, 250 sq ft/gal) | 144 sq ft | 1.15 gal | 1 × 1 gal + 1 × 1 qt |
| Premium Plus Exterior (house, 250 sq ft/gal) | 2,092 sq ft | 16.74 gal | 3 × 5 gal + 1 × 1 gal + 3 × 1 qt (fewer cans: 3 × 5 gal + 2 × 1 gal) |
| Marquee Exterior (house, 250 sq ft/gal) | 2,092 sq ft | 16.74 gal | 3 × 5 gal + 1 × 1 gal + 3 × 1 qt (fewer cans: 3 × 5 gal + 2 × 1 gal) |
Coverage per coat for the Behr range sold in the US, from the maker's pages linked above, checked September 2026. Behr and its product names are its owner's trademarks, used only to describe the products; Meadow Tools is not affiliated with or endorsed by Behr.