Parking and Highway Improvement (C-32) · Lesson 3 of 7

Striping Paint Quantity: Linear Feet to Gallons

"Striping Paint Quantity: Linear Feet to Gallons" is lesson 3 of 7 in the Parking and Highway Improvement (C-32) Learning Hub. It opens with "A Stripe Is a Long Thin Rectangle" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. A Stripe Is a Long Thin Rectangle
  2. Use the Published Coverage Rate
  3. Divide Area by Rate, Then Round Up
  4. Turn a Gallon Into Linear Feet
  5. Beads, Weather and Checking the Tank

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 6 steps, from "Convert width to feet" through "Compare a new surface".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Striping Paint Quantity: Linear Feet to Gallons" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Divide Area by Rate, Then Round Up".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Turn a Gallon Into Linear Feet".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Beads, Weather and Checking the Tank".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Striping Paint: Linear Feet to GallonsWHAT THE CREW PAINTSEach white line is 4 in wide2,400 LF of 4 in stall linesArea = 2,400 x (4 / 12) = 800 sq ftCALTRANS 84-2.03B(5) PAINT RATESExisting pavement:1 coat at about 107 sq ft per galNew pavement:2 coats, about 215 sq ft per gal each(1st coat dry before the 2nd)Glass beads: about 5 lb per gal of paintNo paint if it could drop below 50 FGALLONS NEEDED FOR 800 SQ FTExisting, 1 coat800 / 1077.48 galNew, 2 coats800 / 215800 / 2153.72 + 3.72 = 7.44 galOrder 8 gallons either way (round up to a whole gallon)One gallon covers 107 / (4/12) = 321 LF of 4 in line on existing pavementBeads, if specified: 7.48 x 5 = 37.4 lb2025 Caltrans Std. Specifications 84-2.03B(5); CA MUTCD 3A.04 (normal line 4 to 6 in)CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: A Stripe Is a Long Thin Rectangle

Paint is sold by the gallon and covers an area, but a striping take-off is measured in linear feet. Convert every line to area: length in feet times width in feet. A 4-inch line is 4 / 12 = 0.333 ft wide, so 2,400 LF of 4-inch line is 2,400 x 0.333 = 800 square feet. The 2026 California MUTCD Section 3A.04 describes a normal line as 4 to 6 inches wide and says lines on local agency roadways are a minimum of 4 inches wide (6 inches on State highways).

Step 2: Use the Published Coverage Rate

The 2025 Caltrans Standard Specifications, Section 84-2.03B(5), give the paint rates: apply traffic stripes and pavement markings in 1 coat on existing pavement at an approximate rate of 107 sq ft/gal. On a new pavement surface apply 2 coats, the 1st coat must be dry before the 2nd, at approximately 215 sq ft/gal for each coat. The stated rates are approximate, so they are an estimating basis, not a guarantee.

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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