GARAGE CALCS FOR THE HOME BUILDER

Powder coating calculator

How far a pound of powder goes and how much you need for a part, from the powder's specific gravity and the film thickness you're after.

Free, no sign-upUpdated September 2026
Your numbers
Part and powder
Count both sides of brackets and wheels.
On the powder's data sheet, commonly 1.2 to 1.8.
Share of powder that ends up on the part. Lower for small parts and hobby guns.

Powder needed

Including powder that misses the part.
Coverage at 100%
Coverage in practice

The coverage formula

Coverage (sq ft per lb) = 192.3 ÷ (specific gravity × film thickness in mils)

192.3 is the area one pound of material with the density of water covers at 1 mil thick. Powders are denser than water, which is what specific gravity measures, so heavier powders cover less. This is the theoretical figure. In practice some powder never reaches the part, which the utilization percentage accounts for.