Wall Area Calculator

Calculate wall surface area for painting, plastering, rendering, and tiling. Enter wall dimensions and openings to get net area instantly.

Area & Materials Calculator

Calculate floor, wall, and sloped surface areas from dimensions

Enter plan-view dimensions, slope applied

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Wall area calculation tips

Measuring walls for paint

Measure wall width and height in metres. Multiply to get gross area, then subtract doors (typically 1.9 m² each) and windows (typically 1.5 m² each). One litre of paint covers approximately 10 m² per coat on smooth walls.

Plastering quantities

Undercoat plaster: 2mm thickness requires about 2kg/m². Skim coat: 2mm requires about 2kg/m². A 25kg bag of multi-finish covers about 10 m² at 3mm thickness. Order 10% extra for waste.

Rendering calculations

Scratch coat (10mm): about 18kg/m² of render. Top coat (6mm): about 11kg/m². A 25kg bag of render covers about 1.5 m² at 10mm. Add 10-15% waste for uneven walls.

Tiling wall area

Calculate net wall area, then divide by tile size (including grout gap). For 300×600mm tiles: 1/(0.3×0.6) = 5.56 tiles/m². Add 10% waste for straight lay, 15% for diagonal. Order extra — dye-lots change between batches.

Formulas used

Gross wall area

A = width × height

Net wall area

A_net = A - (doors × door_area) - (windows × window_area)

Paint needed

litres = A_net / coverage_per_litre × coats

Tiles needed

tiles = ceil(A_net × (1 + waste%) / tile_area)

Worked example: 5m × 2.4m wall with 1 door and 1 window, painting 2 coats

  1. 1Gross area = 5 × 2.4 = 12.0 m²
  2. 2Door area = 0.9 × 2.1 = 1.89 m²
  3. 3Window area = 1.2 × 1.0 = 1.2 m²
  4. 4Net paintable area = 12.0 - 1.89 - 1.2 = 8.91 m²
  5. 5Paint (10 m²/L, 2 coats): 8.91 × 2 / 10 = 1.78 litres
  6. 6Buy 2L tin (nearest available size)

Assumptions & limitations

When to ask a professional

For rendering over 15mm thick, external wall insulation systems, or damp-proofing, consult a specialist contractor. Structural wall modifications (removing walls, enlarging openings) require a structural engineer and building control approval.

Frequently asked questions

How much paint do I need for a 4m × 2.5m wall with one door?

Gross area = 10 m². Minus door (1.9 m²) = 8.1 m². At 10 m²/L per coat, 2 coats: 8.1 × 2 / 10 = 1.62 litres. Buy a 2L tin.

How do I calculate render quantity?

Net wall area × thickness in mm × 1.8 kg = kg of render needed. For 20 m² at 10mm: 20 × 10 × 1.8 = 360 kg = 15 bags of 25kg. Add 10% waste: 17 bags.

How many tiles do I need per square metre?

For 300×600mm tiles: 1/(0.3×0.6) = 5.56 tiles/m². For 600×600mm: 1/(0.6×0.6) = 2.78 tiles/m². For 150×150mm: 1/(0.15×0.15) = 44.4 tiles/m². Add 10% waste.

Should I subtract skirting boards?

Skirting boards are typically 100-150mm tall. For a 4m wide wall, that's 0.4-0.6 m² — usually negligible for paint calculations but worth subtracting for expensive tiles.