If you are starting a home renovation or a DIY project, you might be asking yourself, "How much a gallon of paint actually weighs?"
The precise weight for one gallon of paint will depend on what type of paint you are using and the paint brands name.
Knowing how much your oil based paint or acrylic paint weighs will help you determine how much you might need to finish a particular home improvement painting project.
One gallon of paint weighs between 6 to 12 pounds per gallon, vary depending on what paint type you have and what brand of paint you are using.
The best way to calculate the paint's weight is by looking at the product information found on the bucket or website if you are purchasing online. You can also ask someone at the local hardware store for advice on how to calculate it.
The standard paint measurements in pounds per gallon. You can convert the per gallon to pounds by knowing the density of the liquid. This can still be complicated, though, and most people choose to use an online calculator for help.
A gallon of latex paint weighs will usually 11.3 pounds per gallon and will cover about 400 square feet. Determining how much a bucket of sherwin williams paint weigh depends on the size of the bucket and what kind of paint is it in.

What About 5 Gallons?
5 paint gallons will weigh between 40 and 60 pounds per gallon. The bucket can add on a final dry weight of paint or dry paint weight 10 pounds. 5 gallons of paint will cover about 1,800 square feet.
What About a 55 Gallon Drum Of Paint?
This depends on the brand and type of paint, but it's usually around 800 pounds. It will cover up to 5,500 square feet. This is usually needed when you are painting furniture or large areas or large painting job.
How Much Does 1 Liter Of Paint Weigh?
One liter of paint usually weighs three pounds. One liter of paint usually covers about 6 to 6.5 meters.
Different Types Of Paints & How It Affects The Weight
The type of paint you choose will affect how much your per gallon weighs. For example, oil-based, enamel, latex and acrylic paint change the weight and density of paint. Latex paints, and acrylic paints are made of acrylic resin and water.
However, acrylic paints feature an acrylic polymer emulsion and higher amounts of acrylic latex paint. Some paint pigments might also be mixed, which can change the weight of the paint.
The paint weight varies because of how the paint is made and whether its oil based paints or water-based or wet paint.

Acrylic Paint
Acrylic is a water-based paint that’s similar to dry latex paint. Water based paints are always paint heavier than oil-based paint, so acrylic paint will always weigh more than a gallon.
Acrylic paint is often mixed with latex paint and then sold in gallon sizes. If you see acrylic paint not mixed with latex, it’s probably only sold in ounces.
Latex Paint
Latex paint is also water-based, with an average gallon weight of around 11.3 pounds.
Latex paint is often the most popular choice for homes because it’s durable and much easier to clean up than oil-based paints.
Enamel Paint
The weight of enamel paint is often harder to measure because it can be acrylic or oil-based. The density and overall weight of enamel paints or interior paints will also depend on the brand you are buying.
If you aren’t sure if your paint is oil based paint or acrylic, you can multiply the density by the volume.
Oil Based Paint
Since oil has a lower density than water, the gallon oil based paint weight will weigh less than other types of paint that are water-based. Some oil paint is also dry paint or oil-based.
Oil-based paint has natural linseed oil and synthetic solvent, and other harsh chemicals than water-based paint. This has an even lighter weight and is often used for crafts rather than home painting or fixture painting.
Paint Bucket Standard Measurements
Most paints that are sold in gallons are in one gallon or five gallon bucket. The gallon is a consistent measurement because it's not affected by the liquid you are measuring—a gallon of water for insistence.
The gallon measurement is the standard measurement for all paint sold in the United States. Add either paint thinner or mineral spirits or nail polish remover to improve consistency of thick paint.
In other countries, though, there are different measurements for gallons, and the gallons might be bigger or smaller than the US gallon.
Common Paint Weight FAQs
How many gallons of paint does it take to paint a Boeing 747?
To paint a Boeing 747, you will need about 160.87 gallons of paint. This means you need about 1850 pounds of paint!
How much does an empty gallon of paint weigh?
This depends on the material that the bucket or container is made out of. Usually, it will weigh around 0.89 pounds.
Does dark paint weigh more than white paint?
White paint will weigh less than dark paint. This is one of the main reasons that airplanes are normally painted white.
Does adding water to paint make it lighter or heavier?
Adding water to paint can make it heavier. However, the color will become lighter because you are thinning down the paint and giving it a different color. It might also become more matte in appearance.
Conclusion
The exact weight varies based greatly according to the material and the paint brand.
You will often need to consult the paint manufacturers details to see the exact weight given by paint manufacturer. Most paint manufacturers list the paint density on the labels.