Brick, Stucco & Concrete Painting Reference
Masonry is porous and eats paint. Pick your surface, enter the area and coats, and get labeled coverage plus a gallons estimate — brick, stucco and block all cover far less than smooth drywall.
Brick (unpainted) covers about 100–200 sq ft/gal — masonry is porous and eats paint, so expect a sealer/primer and a masonry or elastomeric coating; painting brick is often a one-way decision, and moisture problems are a pro’s call. These are labeled planning values — confirm on the product’s data sheet.
Calculator inputs
Masonry is a different animal from drywall. Brick, stucco and concrete block are porous and rough, so they drink paint — coverage that would be 350–400 sq ft/gal on smooth drywall collapses to as little as 100–200 sq ft/gal on unpainted brick. If you size a masonry job with a drywall coverage number, you will run out.
This reference gives the labeled coverage band for each surface and a gallons estimate from your area and coats, using the mid-band as a planning figure. Almost all masonry also wants a masonry primer/sealer and a masonry or elastomeric coating — and it needs a word of caution: painting brick is often a one-way decision, and moisture behind masonry is a pro’s call. These are labeled planning values, not a certified spec; confirm the spread rate on the product’s data sheet.
Formula
Gallons from the mid-band coverage, rounded up:
coverage_mid = (band_low + band_high) ÷ 2
gallons = ceil(area_sqft × coats ÷ coverage_mid)
- Brick (unpainted) — ~100–200 sq ft/gal; very porous, often permanent once painted.
- Stucco — ~150–250 sq ft/gal; rough and porous, masonry or elastomeric coating.
- Concrete / block — ~200–300 sq ft/gal; etch/clean, masonry primer + masonry paint.
Worked example
Unpainted brick, 400 sq ft, 2 coats, using the mid of the labeled 100–200 band (150 sq ft/gal):
gallons = ceil(400 × 2 ÷ 150) = ceil(800 ÷ 150) = ceil(5.33) = 6 gallons
So plan for about 6 gallons for the finish coats — plus a masonry primer/sealer coat on top of that. The same 400 sq ft on smooth drywall would be barely 2 gallons; the porosity is the whole story.
Measure first, avoid re-orders
Prime and seal before you count finish coats. Bare masonry needs a masonry primer/sealer to bind and to even out the porosity — budget it as a separate coat, and remember it uses its own gallons.
- Confirm coverage on the data sheet. These bands are labeled planning typicals; the product’s stated spread rate on rough masonry is the number that governs. Round gallons up.
- Painting brick is often permanent. Once coated, brick is very hard to return to bare — treat it as a one-way decision.
- Moisture is a pro’s call. Trapped moisture behind a coating causes peeling and spalling; if the wall is damp or efflorescing, get a professional opinion before you paint.
- Pre-1978 paint may contain lead. Do not sand or blast old masonry paint yourself — follow the EPA RRP rule and hire a certified firm. Lead-paint abatement and structural repairs are not engineered here.
Reference table
Labeled masonry coverage (spread rate) and the prep each surface wants — planning typicals, NOT a certified spec. Confirm on the product’s data sheet.
| Surface | Coverage (sq ft/gal) | Prep |
|---|---|---|
| Brick (unpainted) | 100–200 | Very porous — masonry primer/sealer; painting brick is often a one-way decision |
| Stucco | 150–250 | Rough & porous — masonry or elastomeric coating |
| Concrete / block | 200–300 | Etch/clean; masonry primer + masonry paint |