Wallpaper Calculator: How Many Rolls Do I Need?
Measure your wall, enter two figures, and this calculator tells you how many rolls to order.
It works in drops rather than square metres, which is how wallpaper is actually hung. That means it accounts for the offcut left at the end of every roll, and for the vertical repeat on a patterned paper. Those are the two things a simple area sum misses, and they are why people end up a roll short.
Our ready-made rolls are 1.06 m wide and 10.05 m long, which is already filled in below. If you are calculating for a different paper, change the roll figures to match.
Enter your wall measurements to see how many rolls you need.
You will need
0 rolls
- Wall area
- 0 m²
- One roll covers
- 0 m²
- Cut length per drop
- 0 m
- Repeat allowed for
- 0 cm
Worth adding one spare roll. Dye lots vary between batches, so a later repair is hard to match.
How the calculation works
- Drops across the wall Your wall width is divided by the roll width and rounded up. A wall is papered in full-width vertical drops, so a part-width strip still uses a full width of paper.
- Cut length of each drop Your wall height sets the cut length. Where the paper has a vertical repeat, each drop is cut up to the next whole repeat so the pattern lines up with its neighbour.
- Drops per roll The roll length is divided by that cut length and rounded down. What is left at the end of a roll is usually too short for another full drop.
- Rolls required Total drops divided by drops per roll, rounded up. Rolls are sold whole, so anything over a whole number becomes the next roll.
Why not simply divide the areas?
Dividing wall area by roll area under-orders on almost every real wall. It assumes the paper can be used in any shape, when in practice it is hung in full-width drops of a fixed length, and the offcut at the end of each roll is wasted. On a patterned paper it ignores the repeat entirely. This calculator works in drops, which is how a wall is actually papered.
Measuring well
- Add the widths of all the walls you are papering and enter the total.
- Measure the height at the tallest point. Floors and ceilings are rarely level.
- Do not deduct doors and windows. The drop above and beside an opening still comes off a full-length piece.
- For a chimney breast or a stairwell, measure each face separately and add them together.
Common questions
Why did adding a repeat increase the number of rolls?
Because every drop has to begin at the same point in the pattern. A 2.7 m wall on a 64 cm repeat needs a 3.2 m cut, so the offcut at the top of each drop is discarded. That extra length adds up across a wall.
Should I order a spare roll?
It is usually worth it. Rolls are printed in batches and the colour can shift slightly between them, so a roll bought months later may not match. A spare from the same batch also covers a mistake during hanging.
My ceiling is very high. What then?
If a single drop is longer than the roll, the calculator will say so rather than guess. Talk to us and we will quote the right roll length or a custom-printed mural instead.
Is this figure a quotation?
No. It is a guide based on the measurements you enter. Awkward walls, alcoves and stairwells behave differently, so please confirm with us before ordering a large quantity.
Awkward wall? Send us the measurements
Stairwells, chimney breasts, sloped ceilings and murals printed to size all behave differently from a plain rectangular wall. Send us your dimensions and we will work the quantity out for you.
WhatsApp +961 3 746474 · [email protected] · Showroom: Abou Antoon Buildings, Antelias