How wall texture and paint grade change interior-paint coverage

Texture is hidden surface area: smooth drywall ≈375 sq ft/gal, light/orange-peel ≈325, heavy/knockdown ≈275, stucco/popcorn ≈250. Paint grade matters too — on smooth drywall, economy 350 vs standard 375 vs premium 400 sq ft/gal.

Four wall surfaces are shown edge-on as section profiles next to a bar of how many square feet a gallon of paint covers on each. Smooth drywall is nearly flat and a gallon covers 375 square feet. A light orange-peel texture drops coverage to 325, a heavy knockdown texture to 275, and stucco or popcorn to 250 square feet per gallon, because the bumps and valleys hide extra true surface area that a flat wall does not have. Paint grade matters too: on smooth drywall an economy paint covers about 350, a standard paint 375, and a premium paint 400 square feet per gallon. — Source: Coverage rates per the calculator’s getCoverageRate() (PDCA / MPI ranges)

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Four wall surfaces are shown edge-on as section profiles next to a bar of how many square feet a gallon of paint covers on each. Smooth drywall is nearly flat and a gallon covers 375 square feet. A light orange-peel texture drops coverage to 325, a heavy knockdown texture to 275, and stucco or popcorn to 250 square feet per gallon, because the bumps and valleys hide extra true surface area that a flat wall does not have. Paint grade matters too: on smooth drywall an economy paint covers about 350, a standard paint 375, and a premium paint 400 square feet per gallon.

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