Wallpaper Calculator
Work out how many rolls of wallpaper you need for a room or feature wall, allowing for the pattern repeat.
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- Rolls to buy
- 7 rolls
- Strips (drops) needed
- 27
- Strips per roll
- 4
- Length of each strip
- 2.5 m
- Wall area
- 33.6 m²
What it does
Find how many rolls of wallpaper you need. Enter the total width of the walls, their height and the roll size, plus the pattern repeat if there is one. Doors and windows aren't taken off: you still paper above and below them, so leaving them in is the safer way to avoid running short. For a very large opening, take its width off the walls yourself. It counts the strips (drops) you'll hang and how many fit on each roll, the way decorators work it out, so it allows for the waste at the end of every roll.
How to use it
- Total width of walls
Add up the full width of every wall you'll paper, including doors and windows: for a whole rectangular room, that's 2 × (length + width). For a feature wall, just that wall. You still paper above and below openings, so they aren't taken off.
- Wall height
From the top of the skirting board to the ceiling or coving.
- Roll width
Standard UK and European rolls are 53 cm wide; some are 70 cm or wider. US rolls are often 20.5 or 27 in.
- Roll length
Standard UK and European rolls are 10.05 m long. US double rolls are often 33 ft.
- Pattern repeat
On the roll's label, such as 53 cm. Use 0 for plain papers and "free match" patterns that don't need lining up.
Common uses
- Papering a whole room.
- Pricing up a feature wall.
- Checking whether a big pattern repeat means buying extra rolls.
- Painting the other walls or the ceiling. Try the Paint Calculator
- Working out flooring for the same room.
The formula
Strips = wall width ÷ roll width, rounded upStrip length = wall height + 10 cm trimming, rounded up to a whole number of pattern repeatsStrips per roll = roll length ÷ strip length, rounded downRolls = strips ÷ strips per roll, rounded upWhere:
- Pattern repeat
- the distance before the pattern starts again, which each strip has to line up with
Only whole strips can be cut from a roll, so the leftover at the end of each roll is waste. Big pattern repeats waste more.
Worked example
Walls 14 m wide and 2.4 m high, with 53 cm × 10.05 m rolls:
- Strips: 14 m ÷ 53 cm = 26.42, rounded up to 27
- Each strip: 2.4 m + 10 cm trimming = 2.5 m
- 10.05 m ÷ 2.5 m gives 4 whole strips per roll
- Rolls: 27 ÷ 4, rounded up = 7 rolls
Questions people ask
How many rolls of wallpaper for a feature wall?
For a typical wall 3.5 m wide and 2.4 m high with standard 53 cm × 10.05 m rolls, you need 7 strips. Each roll gives 4 strips, so 2 rolls. A large pattern repeat can cut that to 3 strips per roll, needing 3 rolls.
Should I buy a spare roll?
Yes, it's worth buying one extra with the same batch number, which is printed on the label. Rolls from different batches can differ slightly in colour, and a spare covers mistakes and future repairs.
What does "free match", "straight match" or "offset match" mean?
Free match patterns, such as stripes or plain textures, don't need lining up, so enter 0 for the repeat. Straight and offset (drop) matches need each strip lined up with the last: enter the repeat from the label. Offset matches can waste a little more than this allows.
Last checked 2 November 2026 · Last rev. 31 October 2026 · 2e9e