How many rolls of wallpaper do I need?

Work out the wall area by multiplying the perimeter of the room by the height, then divide by the usable area of one roll, allowing for waste from pattern matching and trimming. The calculator does this from the measurements and roll size you enter.

What size is a roll of wallpaper?

A standard roll is about 10 metres long and 0.53 metres wide, covering roughly 5 square metres. Patterned papers waste more because each strip must line up, so the usable coverage is lower than the full roll area.

Should I buy extra wallpaper?

Yes. Always round up to whole rolls and buy a little spare, ideally from the same batch so the colour matches. Large pattern repeats need a bigger allowance, so increase the waste percentage for those.

Wallpaper Calculator

Work out how many rolls of wallpaper to buy. Enter the distance around the room, the wall height, the roll size, and a waste allowance for pattern matching. The calculator shows the wall area and the number of rolls needed. Always round up and keep a spare roll from the same batch.

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Room perimeter (m)

Wall height (m)

Roll length (m)

Roll width (m)

Waste

0 rolls

to buy

Wall area0 m²

Roll covers0 m²

Excludes doors and windows, which gives a small safety margin. Increase waste for large pattern repeats.

How it works

The wall area is the perimeter times the height. One roll covers its length times its width, less the waste from trimming and matching the pattern. Divide the wall area by the usable roll coverage and round up to whole rolls.

Worked example

A room 16 metres around and 2.4 metres high has 38.4 square metres of wall. A 10 by 0.53 metre roll is 5.3 square metres, but with 15% waste it usefully covers about 4.5 square metres, so you need about 9 rolls.

Related calculators

Paint Calculator: paint for walls.
Square Metre Calculator: work out an area.
Tile Calculator: tiles for a surface.
Plasterboard Calculator: sheets for a room.

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