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Wallpaper Calculator

Enter the room size and your paper's pattern repeat. We deduct doors and windows, then convert the wall area to double rolls using the industry's usable-yield figures, not the optimistic number on the roll.

Diagram of a wall showing its length and height, with a door and a window
One wall at a time: length × height is the area every wall material covers.

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Enter your measurements

How wallpaper rolls are calculated

A standard US double roll is 20.5 in wide × 33 ft long = 56.4 sq ft of paper. You never get to use all of it: every strip must be cut to wall height, and with a patterned paper each strip drops by up to a full pattern repeat so the design lines up. The wallpaper industry's estimating chart turns that into a usable yield per double roll:

Repeat 0–6 in → 50 sq ft usable · 7–12 in → 44 sq ft · 13–18 in → 40 sq ft · 19–23 in → 36 sq ft · 24 in or more → 28 sq ft. (Solids and random-match papers use the 50 sq ft figure.)

The wall area itself is the perimeter × ceiling height, minus 21 sq ft per door and 15 sq ft per window, the standard deductions in the same industry guides. Rolls = wall area ÷ usable yield, rounded up. Your paper's repeat is printed on its label; when in doubt, pick the larger repeat band.

Sources

The figures behind this calculator come from published manufacturer data and industry standards:

Worked examples

12 × 12 ft room, 8 ft ceiling, small repeat

Walls 384 sq ft − 1 door − 2 windows = 333 sq ft; ÷ 50 sq ft usable per roll.

Buy 7 double rolls

10 × 15 ft room, 9 ft ceiling, 13–18 in repeat

Walls 450 sq ft − 2 doors − 3 windows = 363 sq ft; ÷ 40 sq ft per roll.

Buy 10 double rolls

8 × 10 ft room, 8 ft ceiling, solid paper

Walls 288 sq ft − 1 door = 267 sq ft; ÷ 50 sq ft per roll.

Buy 6 double rolls

Frequently asked questions

How many rolls of wallpaper do I need for a 12×12 room?
With 8 ft ceilings, a door, two windows and a small pattern repeat: 7 double rolls. A 19–23 in repeat takes 10, and a repeat of 24 in or more takes 12. The repeat is the single biggest factor after room size.
What is a double roll of wallpaper?
US wallpaper is priced and packaged as double rolls: 20.5 in wide and about 33 ft long, 56.4 sq ft gross. 'Single rolls' (half the length) exist in some lines, but the shelf price almost always refers to the double roll.
Why does pattern repeat change how much I need?
Each strip is cut long by up to one full repeat so the pattern matches the strip beside it. A 24 in repeat on an 8 ft wall can waste close to 2 ft per strip. That's why usable yield drops from 50 sq ft (small repeat) to 36 sq ft at 19–23 in, and about 28 sq ft for repeats of 24 in or more.
Should I buy an extra roll?
Yes, if you can. Dye lots vary between print runs, and an extra roll from the same lot is the only guarantee of a match for future repairs. Most retailers accept returns of unopened rolls, so an extra roll is low-risk.
Does this work for peel-and-stick wallpaper?
The area math is the same, but peel-and-stick is sold in shorter rolls of varying sizes. Read the sq ft printed on your product, then plan on using roughly 85–90% of it once cuts and pattern matching are counted. A typical 24 in × 16.5 ft roll states 33 sq ft, so expect about 28–30 sq ft of finished wall per roll.

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Estimate disclaimer: results are planning estimates based on standard manufacturer yields and coverage figures. Site conditions, product choice and installation method change actual quantities. Verify before you buy, and follow local building code for structural work. This tool does not replace professional engineering advice.

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