Planning to line or re-line a whole car park? Tell us how many bays you have and we'll estimate the total line length, then work out how much thermoplastic or paint you'll need.
Estimate your lining project
How this calculator works
We estimate the length of each bay's side line from standard UK bay depths, multiply by the number of lines per bay and total bays, then convert that total length into either thermoplastic rolls or litres of paint:
| Bay type | Typical line length per side (bay depth) |
|---|---|
| 90° standard | 4.8m |
| 60° angled | 5.3m |
| 45° angled | 5.0m |
| Parallel | 2.4m |
For thermoplastic, total length is simply divided by 5m per roll. For paint, we convert the paint's area coverage rate into a linear-metre rate for your chosen line width: a paint that covers 7m² per litre covers roughly 70 linear metres of 100mm-wide line per litre, per coat.
Choosing between thermoplastic and paint
Thermoplastic
Heat-applied and fused into the surface, thermoplastic lasts up to six times longer than paint and is ready for traffic within 5–10 minutes. It costs more upfront but suits car parks with heavy or constant traffic where repainting every year or two isn't practical.
Line marking paint
Lower upfront cost and quick to apply with a brush, roller or line marking machine, paint is a solid choice for lighter-use car parks or where budget is the main driver, accepting it will need refreshing more often than thermoplastic.
Frequently asked questions
Does this include arrows, symbols, or disabled bay markings?
No — this estimates straight bay side lines only. Arrows, numbers, symbols and accessible bay markings should be added separately; see our thermoplastic symbols range.
What if bays share a line with their neighbour?
The default of 2 lines per bay already assumes shared lines between adjacent bays are counted once each side. If your layout only needs an outer boundary line (e.g. bays against a wall on one side), reduce the lines-per-bay figure accordingly.
Can I compare both materials at once?
Run the calculator once for thermoplastic and once for paint (same bay details, different material selection) to compare the two side by side.
Check out our other calculators!
Garage Floor Paint CalculatorCark Park Dimension & Layout CalculatorFirewood Quantity CalculatorUnderground Warning Tape Calculator