Wallpaper Calculator
Rolls of wallpaper for a room, including pattern-repeat waste.
Wallpaper Calculator
| Room perimeter | 44.0 ft |
| Gross wall area | 352 sq ft |
| Area incl. pattern waste | 352.0 sq ft |
| Rolls to buy | 7 |
A 12 × 10 ft room with 8 ft walls has a 44 ft perimeter and 352 sq ft of wall. With a no-repeat paper at 56.75 sq ft usable per roll, you need 7 rolls; a large pattern repeat pushes that to 8.
Enter the room length, width and wall height: the calculator works out the perimeter and gross wall area, adds a waste allowance for your pattern repeat, and divides by the usable coverage of one roll. A standard US single roll covers about 56.75 sq ft of usable paper after trimming — that is the default here; European rolls are smaller, so check the roll label and adjust the coverage input.
Pattern repeat drives waste because each strip must start at the same point in the pattern: no repeat needs no extra, a small repeat adds roughly 10%, and a large or half-drop repeat can add 20% or more. Rolls are always rounded UP to whole rolls, and buying all rolls from the same dye lot is essential — colors vary noticeably between lots.
The formula
Worked example
A 12 × 10 ft room with 8 ft walls has a 44 ft perimeter and 352 sq ft of wall. With a no-repeat paper at 56.75 sq ft usable per roll, you need 7 rolls; a large pattern repeat pushes that to 8.
The example is pre-loaded in the result panel — press Calculate with your own numbers to replace it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does one roll of wallpaper cover?
A standard single roll typically yields about 56.75 sq ft of usable coverage after trimming and squaring the ends — the default used here. Roll sizes vary (European rolls are usually smaller), so always confirm against the coverage printed on your roll and adjust the input.
Should I subtract doors and windows?
Professional hangers usually estimate on gross wall area: the paper around openings is largely consumed by cuts and pattern matching, and the surplus covers mistakes. For a wall that is mostly window, subtract it manually.
Why does the same room need more rolls for patterned paper?
Each new strip must align with the previous strip's pattern, so part of every length is trimmed away. The longer the repeat, the more is trimmed — large repeats can waste a fifth of the paper.
Category: Construction & Home calculators
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