Labels on 1-gallon cans of paint usually indicate the drying...get 9 Labels on 1-gallon cans of paint usually indicate the drying time and the area that can be covered in one coat. Most brands of paint indicate that, in one coat, a gallon will cover between 250 and 500 square feet, depending on the texture of the surface to be painted. One manufacturer, however, claims that a gallon of its paint will cover 400 ...