How much stain for a house exterior?
Wall area ≈ 2 × wall height × (length + width) of the building footprint. Divide by coverage on your stain can — often 150–250 sq ft/gallon on porous wood.
Exterior House Stain Calculator
Exterior wood stain on siding, cedar shingles, or log-style walls is estimated from your home’s footprint and average wall height — the same perimeter × height math contractors use before ordering product.
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Enter building footprint (length × width) and wall height. Default coverage is 200 sq ft/gallon for siding.
Default 10% for touch-ups
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Footprint method — what it includes and skips
We treat the building as a rectangle: wall area ≈ 2 × wall height × (length + width). That captures the main four walls. It does not automatically add gables, dormers, or multi-story height changes — bump waste to 15% if your roofline is complex.
Garages and attached breezeways can be added as a second room row with the same footprint logic. Detached structures need a separate run.
Stain absorption on Canadian exteriors
Cedar and pine absorb more stain than factory-primed composite siding. Transparent and semi-transparent stains cover more area than solid stains that film on the surface. Check the sq ft/gallon on your can — 150–250 sq ft/gallon is common on rough wood.
Our exterior stain two coats guide explains when a maintenance recoat needs one pass versus full stripping and two coats on bare wood.
Trim, soffits, and fascia
This calculator focuses on main wall area. Soffits, fascia boards, window trim, and porch ceilings add square footage the footprint method understates. The default 10% waste helps; increase it to 15–20% on ornate Victorian or Craftsman-style trim.
For horizontal deck and porch floors, switch to the deck stain calculator. For fence runs along the property line, use the fence stain calculator.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Is house stain coverage different from paint?
Yes. Stain soaks into wood and typically covers less area than paint. Use the sq ft/gallon printed on your stain label for accuracy.
What about trim and soffits?
This calculator focuses on main wall area. Add extra stain for trim, soffits, and gables — the 10% waste allowance helps cover some of that.
Related calculators
Paint Calculator · https://paint-calculator.ca/exterior-house-stain-calculator/