Material Coverage Rates Reference
How much one gallon, bag, bundle, or roll actually covers — the standard coverage rates behind every calculator on this site, in one place.
Last updated: May 2026
Paint & Coatings
| Material / Product | Unit | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Interior latex paint (flat/eggshell, smooth walls) | 1 gallon | ~350 sq ft per coat (350–400 typical) |
| Interior semi-gloss / gloss paint | 1 gallon | 300–350 sq ft per coat |
| Exterior paint — smooth siding | 1 gallon | ~350 sq ft per coat |
| Exterior paint — lightly textured wood/fiber cement | 1 gallon | ~300 sq ft per coat |
| Exterior paint — rough stucco/brick/masonry | 1 gallon | ~225 sq ft per coat |
| Primer | 1 gallon | ~300 sq ft |
| Trim paint | 1 gallon | ~150 linear ft of trim |
| Semi-transparent stain (smooth wood) | 1 gallon | ~200 sq ft (~170 on rough deck boards) |
| Solid stain (smooth wood) | 1 gallon | ~250 sq ft |
| Clear sealer | 1 gallon | ~300 sq ft |
| Driveway sealer — first coat | 1 gallon | ~80 sq ft (5-gal bucket ≈ 400 sq ft) |
| Driveway sealer — second coat | 1 gallon | ~100 sq ft |
| Epoxy floor coating (water-based) | 1 gallon | ~250 sq ft per coat |
| Epoxy floor coating (solvent-based) | 1 gallon | ~200 sq ft per coat |
| Polyurea floor coating | 1 gallon | ~300 sq ft per coat |
Rough or porous surfaces absorb more product — textured walls can cut coverage 10–20%, and railings or spindles reduce effective stain coverage by up to 30%. Run your exact numbers in the paint calculator, exterior paint calculator, stain calculator, sealcoat calculator, or epoxy calculator.
Concrete & Masonry
| Material / Product | Unit | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete mix, 80-lb bag | 1 bag | 0.60 cu ft (≈45 bags per cubic yard) |
| Concrete mix, 60-lb bag | 1 bag | 0.45 cu ft |
| Concrete mix, 40-lb bag | 1 bag | 0.30 cu ft |
| Modular brick, wall (3/8-in mortar joint) | per sq ft of wall face | ~7 bricks |
| Queen / king / utility brick, wall | per sq ft of wall face | ~5.7 / ~4.8 / ~3 bricks |
| Standard brick laid flat (patio/walkway) | per sq ft | ~4.5 bricks |
| Mortar mix (brick walls) | 1 bag | ~35 bricks laid |
| Deck mud — 60-lb sand/topping mix | 1 bag | ~0.5 cu ft placed (~4 sq ft at 1.5-in bed) |
One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet; bagged mix is practical below about a yard, and ready-mix delivery usually wins above it. See the concrete calculator, brick calculator, and deck mud calculator for slab, wall, and shower-pan estimates.
Roofing
| Material / Product | Unit | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | 3 bundles | 1 square (100 sq ft of roof) |
| 15-lb felt underlayment | 1 roll | ~400 sq ft (with course overlap) |
| Synthetic underlayment | 1 roll | ~1,000 sq ft |
| Ridge cap shingles | 1 bundle | ~33 linear ft of ridge |
| Roofing nails | ~2.5 lbs | 1 square |
Sloped roofs have more surface area than their footprint. Multiply the footprint by the pitch multiplier for your roof:
| Roof Pitch | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Flat (0/12) | 1.00 |
| 4/12 (standard) | 1.06 |
| 6/12 | 1.12 |
| 8/12 | 1.20 |
| 10/12 | 1.30 |
| 12/12 (45°, steep) | 1.41 |
The roofing calculator applies the pitch multiplier and waste factor automatically and also estimates drip edge, ridge cap, and nails.
Drywall & Interior
| Material / Product | Unit | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Drywall, 4×8 sheet | 1 sheet | 32 sq ft (~32 screws per sheet) |
| Drywall, 4×12 sheet | 1 sheet | 48 sq ft |
| Joint compound | 1 bucket (4.5 gal) | ~460 sq ft of drywall (≈1 bucket per 14 sheets) |
| Drywall tape | 1 roll (500 ft) | ~460 sq ft of drywall |
| Thinset mortar, 50-lb bag | 1 bag | 60–70 sq ft with 1/4-in notched trowel |
| Tile grout, 25-lb bag | 1 bag | 100–200 sq ft (12×12 tile, 1/8-in lines) |
| Carpet | 1 sq yd | 9 sq ft (sold from 12-ft-wide rolls) |
| Wallpaper, single roll (20.5 in × 33 ft) | 1 roll | ~56 sq ft gross; ~50 sq ft usable after pattern match |
| Wallpaper, Euro roll (20.5 in × 16.5 ft) | 1 roll | ~28 sq ft gross |
Smaller tiles with wider grout lines use more grout — the same 25-lb bag may cover only 50–75 sq ft of 4×4 tile. Get exact counts from the drywall calculator, tile calculator, carpet calculator, and wallpaper calculator.
Insulation
| Product (per bag or roll) | R-30 | R-38 | R-49 | R-60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blown-in fiberglass (coverage per bag) | 27 sq ft | 21 sq ft | 16 sq ft | 13 sq ft |
| Blown-in cellulose (coverage per bag) | 32 sq ft | 25 sq ft | 19 sq ft | 15 sq ft |
| Fiberglass batts (coverage per roll) | 40 sq ft | 32 sq ft | 24 sq ft | 18 sq ft |
| Installed depth — blown fiberglass | 10.5 in | 13.5 in | 17.5 in | 21 in |
| Installed depth — blown cellulose | 8 in | 10.5 in | 13.5 in | 16.5 in |
For walls and floors, R-13 batts cover about 40 sq ft per bag and R-19 about 48 sq ft per bag at 16-in stud spacing. The attic insulation calculator and insulation calculator convert your area and R-value target into a bag or roll count.
Landscaping
| Material / Product | Unit | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Mulch, 2 cu ft bag | 1 bag | ~12 sq ft at 2 in deep |
| Mulch or soil, bulk | 1 cubic yard | 324 sq ft at 1 in / 162 sq ft at 2 in / 108 sq ft at 3 in |
| Gravel | 1 cubic yard | ~1.4 tons |
| Gravel | 1 ton | ~160 sq ft at 2 in / ~80 sq ft at 4 in |
| Grass seed — tall fescue / perennial ryegrass | per 1,000 sq ft | ~7 lbs new lawn / ~3.5 lbs overseeding |
| Grass seed — Kentucky bluegrass | per 1,000 sq ft | ~2.5 lbs new lawn / ~1.5 lbs overseeding |
| Grass seed — bermuda / zoysia | per 1,000 sq ft | ~1.5 lbs new lawn / ~0.75 lbs overseeding |
| Lawn fertilizer | per 1,000 sq ft | 1 lb of actual nitrogen per application (lbs of product = 100 ÷ first N-P-K number) |
| Sod, standard piece (16×24 in) | 1 piece | 2.67 sq ft |
| Sod, pallet | 1 pallet | ~450 sq ft |
To convert any area to cubic yards: square feet × depth in feet ÷ 27. Use the mulch & gravel calculator, gravel driveway calculator, grass seed & sod calculator, and fertilizer calculator for project totals.
How to Use These Rates
Every figure on this page is a U.S. manufacturer average — real-world coverage varies with surface texture, porosity, application thickness, and product line, so always check the label on the specific product you buy. When ordering, add 10–15% for waste, cuts, spills, and touch-ups; complex layouts like diagonal tile or steep roofs may need 15–20%. To turn these rates into an exact shopping list for your project — with door and window deductions, pitch multipliers, and waste already factored in — use the free calculators on the DIYCalcTools homepage.