Shopping list for painting a 3 × 4 m bedroom

How this example was made

It was worked out when this page was built, by the same room planner and formulas as the editable list. The room figures are round examples. Product coverage, pack and allowance figures are the planner’s labelled generic examples, not figures for a product.

AI tools drafted the page and automated tests compare its list with the planner. It has not been checked by a tradesperson or anyone outside the build. No price is shown or used.

The room and assumptions

Room: 4 m × 3 m, 2.4 m high; 1 door, 1 window. Work: painting.

One rectangular room, 4 m × 3 m, 2.4 m high, measured in metres.
1 door, 1 window taken off the wall area; nothing is taken off the ceiling or the floor.
Wall paint and ceiling paint are separate products and are never added together.
Every quantity is rounded once, at the end, up to whole packs. Working uses unrounded figures.
Wall paint and Ceiling paint use generic example figures, not the figures of any product. Enter the figures from the tin or pack for a closer answer.

The shopping list

11 lines marked Need and 3 marked Check first. Lines that this job does not need are left out here; the full planner shows them too.

Need

Wall paint
Need
3 × 2.5 L tin (7.5 L)
Why?
Walls: 30.77 m², 2 coats at 10 m² per litre, plus 10% for waste and touch-ups.
Working: Least left over among the pack options in this example (no prices to compare): 3 × 2.5 L = 7.5 L, about 0.73 L more than the 6.77 L needed.
Ceiling paint
Need
2 × 2.5 L tin (5 L)
Why?
Ceiling: 12 m², 2 coats at 10 m² per litre, plus 10% for waste and touch-ups.
Working: Least left over among the pack options in this example (no prices to compare): 2 × 2.5 L = 5 L, about 2.36 L more than the 2.64 L needed.
Sugar soap or wall cleaner
Need
Why?
Paint grips a clean surface. One container does a room.
Abrasive paper or sanding sponges
Need
Why?
For rubbing down filler and keying the surface.
Dust sheets or protective sheeting
Need
Why?
To cover the floor and furniture: the floor is 12 m².
Roller frame and sleeves
Need
Why?
One frame; a sleeve for each paint (2 here) is the usual way to avoid washing out between them.
Roller tray or scuttle
Need
Why?
One, with liners if you want to skip washing up.
Brush for cutting in
Need
Why?
For edges, corners and around fittings.
Extension pole
Need
Why?
Ceiling work from the floor rather than steps.
Filling knife and scraper
Need
Why?
For filling and for removing anything loose.
Dust mask, eye protection and gloves
Need
Why?
Sanding makes dust; cleaners and fillers are best kept off skin and out of eyes.

Check first

Filler for cracks and holes
Check first
Why, and what to check
Small cracks and screw holes are filled and sanded before painting.
Check: How much depends on the walls: a small tub or a tube is usual for a sound room, more where paint is flaking. Look at the walls before you buy.
Decorator's caulk
Check first
Why, and what to check
Seals the gaps where walls meet skirting, architraves and ceiling: about 38.086 m of edges in this room.
Check: How many tubes depends on the size of the gaps and how much of that edge needs sealing; the tube says how far it goes.
Masking tape
Check first
Why, and what to check
To protect skirting, frames and fittings: about 38.086 m of edges in this room. Rolls are commonly 25 m or 50 m.
Check: How much you mask is your choice; a cutting-in brush replaces most of it. Buy by the roll length against the edge length above.

Before you use it

Measure the room, door and window again.
Use the coats, coverage and tin sizes from the paint you choose.
Check whether the walls need filler, caulk, primer or another treatment.

Built and checked with AI tools, not yet by a tradesperson or anyone outside the build. Estimates are arithmetic on your measurements and the figures shown with them: follow each product's own instructions.

All example shopping lists · How the estimates are worked out