How Much Does a Gallon of Paint Cost?

Costs for paint can vary dramatically. Lower-quality flat finish paint typically costs around $15. But high-end paints can cost as much as $30 or $40. Some designer brands of paint may even cost as much as $120 per gallon.

The finish of a paint matters, too.

• Flat finish paints are typically used for living areas and ceilings. These are traditionally the least expensive.
• Satin or eggshell paints are best for bathroom ceilings, cabinets, and interior or exterior walls.
• Semi-gloss paints are best for trim.
• High-gloss paints work best for hallways, kitchens, and doors and vary widely in price due to their unique materials.

When pricing paint for your project, it isn’t necessarily productive to think about the price per gallon. Instead, try to think in terms of price per square foot. This way, you’ll account for some brands’ better coverage. This is particularly useful if you’re working on a large project, such as painting the entire exterior of a building.

By doing the math on how much area you need to cover and taking this into account when you buy paint, you can make sure you’re spending your project’s budget wisely.

Also, remember that some paints are of higher quality than others. A higher-quality paint will be made with better ingredients, such as “prime” pigments, a high-quality binder, and more pigment and binder than liquid components. In other words, it’s more concentrated and will likely better withstand the test of time.

A more expensive, higher-quality paint may seem like an unreasonable investment, but as with so many things, you get what you pay for.

When you buy high-quality paint, you’ll need to apply fewer coats to achieve good coverage, using less paint overall. Plus, its high-quality materials mean it will be less likely to peel or flake over time, so you won’t have to repaint as often. For these reasons, it’s typically less expensive, in the long run, to buy high-quality paint than it is to buy a low-quality one.