Wallpaper Calculator
Estimate how many rolls of wallpaper a wall needs.
Standard European roll ≈ 1.73 ft (0.53 m).
Standard roll ≈ 33 ft (10 m).
Results update as you type.
How it works
A wallpaper calculator estimates how many rolls you need to cover a wall, and it works the way a decorator actually hangs paper: in full-height vertical strips cut from each roll. You enter the wall's width and height and the roll's width and length, and the tool first works out how many strips it can cut from one roll by dividing the roll length by the wall height and rounding down, because any remainder that is shorter than the wall cannot be used as a full drop. It then counts how many strips are needed to cover the wall's width, dividing width by roll width and rounding up, and finally divides the strips needed by the strips per roll to reach the number of rolls. Estimating in strips rather than dividing raw areas matters because the offcut left at the top or bottom of each drop is usually wasted, so a simple area calculation understates the real requirement. This estimate does not subtract doors and windows, which is deliberately conservative and helps absorb the extra paper lost to pattern matching, where repeating designs force you to line up motifs between strips and trim more from each drop. For a bold pattern with a long repeat, or a wall with many openings, buy an extra roll from the same batch so colours match, and check the dye-lot number on every roll before you start.
Strips per roll = ⌊roll length ÷ wall height⌋; strips needed = ⌈wall width ÷ roll width⌉; rolls = ⌈strips needed ÷ strips per roll⌉
Wallpaper hangs in vertical strips cut from a roll, so the estimate works in whole strips rather than raw area. Dividing the roll length by the wall height and rounding down gives how many full-height strips one roll yields, discarding the leftover that is too short to reach the ceiling. Dividing the wall width by the roll width and rounding up gives how many strips are needed to span the wall side to side, since a partial strip still requires a full-width piece. Dividing the strips needed by the strips each roll provides, and rounding up, gives the number of whole rolls to buy.
Source:Standard construction estimation
We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.
Worked example
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your values
Enter wall width and wall height.
- 2
Adjust the options
Adjust roll width and roll length if they apply — sensible defaults are already set.
- 3
Read your result
Rolls needed updates instantly as you type — no button to press.
Frequently asked questions
How many rolls of wallpaper do I need?
It depends on the wall size and the roll dimensions. The calculator counts how many full-height strips one roll yields, then how many strips span the wall's width, and divides one by the other. A taller wall yields fewer strips per roll, so it needs more rolls for the same width. Enter the exact roll size printed on the packaging, since standard European and American rolls differ in both width and length.
Should I subtract doors and windows?
This calculator does not subtract them, which keeps the estimate conservative and helps cover the extra paper lost to pattern matching and mistakes. For a wall with a single door or window, leaving them in is the safe choice. Only for very large openings, such as a wide patio door or floor-to-ceiling window, is it worth reducing the width you enter, and even then keep a generous margin.
How does pattern repeat affect how much I need?
A repeating pattern must line up between neighbouring strips, so you trim waste from the top of each drop to align the motif. The longer the repeat, the more you lose per strip and the more rolls you need. Plain or random-match papers waste the least. If your paper has a large repeat, add an extra roll beyond this estimate and check the repeat length on the label before ordering.
Why buy rolls from the same batch?
Wallpaper is printed in production runs, and colour can shift subtly between batches, so paper from different batches placed side by side may show a visible seam in shade. Every roll carries a batch or dye-lot number; buy all your rolls with the same number, and buy one or two spare at the same time. Matching a colour later from a different batch is the most common cause of a mismatched feature wall.
Does roll width and length vary between products?
Yes, considerably. A common European roll is about 0.53 metres wide and 10 metres long, roughly 1.73 by 33 feet, while American rolls and specialty papers use different sizes. Because the strip count depends directly on these dimensions, using the wrong figures throws off the whole estimate. Read the exact width and length from the roll's packaging and enter them here rather than relying on a generic default.