How many rolls of wallpaper do I need?
Enter your room size or wall width, roll size, and pattern repeat to get how much wallpaper you need — in rolls, yards, and square feet — plus the cost. Free, no signup, and it handles the pattern-repeat waste other calculators miss.
Short answer
To estimate wallpaper, divide the wall width (room perimeter) by the roll width for the number of strips, work out how many full-height strips come from one roll (roll length ÷ wall height, rounded up to a whole pattern repeat), then divide strips by strips-per-roll and round up. A 12×12 room at an 8-ft ceiling needs about 7 standard US double rolls with a plain pattern; a pattern repeat adds one or two more.
US double roll
~60
sq ft/roll
Strips/roll
3
8-ft wall
Doorway
−3 ft
off wall width
Buy spare
+1 roll
same batch
Wallpaper roll coverage
How much wall each standard roll format covers, and full-height strips per roll on an 8-ft wall.
| Roll format | Size | Paper area | Strips (8-ft wall) |
|---|---|---|---|
| US double roll | 27 in × 27 ft | 61 sq ft | 3 |
| US single roll | 27 in × 13.5 ft | 30 sq ft | 1 |
| Euro roll | 20.9 in × 33 ft | 57 sq ft | 3 |
| UK roll | 20.5 in × 33 ft | 56 sq ft | 3 |
Wallpaper by room size
Wallpaper rolls by room size
| Room | Wall width | Strips needed | Rolls (plain pattern) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 | 37 ft | 17 | 6 |
| 10 × 12 | 41 ft | 19 | 7 |
| 12 × 12 | 45 ft | 20 | 7 |
| 12 × 14 | 49 ft | 22 | 8 |
| 12 × 16 | 53 ft | 24 | 8 |
| 12 × 20 | 61 ft | 28 | 10 |
| 14 × 16 | 57 ft | 26 | 9 |
| 16 × 16 | 61 ft | 28 | 10 |
| 16 × 20 | 69 ft | 31 | 11 |
| 20 × 20 | 77 ft | 35 | 12 |
Standard US double rolls at an 8-foot ceiling with a plain (no-repeat) pattern, before deducting doors and windows. Rolls do not scale smoothly with room size because you can only cut whole strips from a roll — which is why a slightly bigger room sometimes needs the same number of rolls, and sometimes two more. A pattern repeat typically adds one or two rolls on top.
How we calculate this
Every number on this page comes from the strip method professional hangers use — not the naive area-divided-by-roll-coverage estimate that under-buys patterned paper:
- Strips. the wall run ÷ the roll width. Each wall is hung in vertical strips one roll-width wide; doorways are subtracted from the run.
- Drop length. wall height + 4″ trim allowance, rounded UP to a whole pattern repeat (straight match) or a repeat plus half (drop match) so the pattern aligns across strips.
- Strips per roll. roll length ÷ drop length, rounded down — a roll only yields whole strips.
- Rolls. total strips ÷ strips per roll, rounded up to whole rolls.
Assumptions
- Straight walls hung floor to ceiling; stairwells and sloped ceilings need longer drops.
- Windows are not subtracted — strips run past them and offcuts cover above and below.
- Buy all rolls from one batch/dye lot; a later top-up roll may not color-match.
Sources
Last reviewed: July 13, 2026
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
How much wallpaper do I need?
Measure the total wall width (the room perimeter) and divide by the roll width to get the number of vertical strips. Work out how many full strips you can cut from one roll (roll length ÷ your wall height, rounded down), then divide strips needed by strips per roll and round up. A 12×12 room with an 8-foot ceiling needs about 7 standard US double rolls with a plain pattern.
How much wallpaper do I need in yards or square feet?
The calculator shows both. Total length in yards is the number of strips times the drop (wall height plus trim and any pattern repeat), divided by three. Square feet is that length times the roll width. For a 12×12 room at an 8-foot ceiling that is roughly 55 linear yards, or about 330 sq ft of wall — you buy a bit more paper than that because of trimming and matching waste.
How does a pattern repeat change how much wallpaper I need?
A patterned wallpaper has to line up across strips, so every strip is cut to the next whole pattern repeat above your wall height. That wastes part of each drop and means fewer usable strips per roll — often one or two extra rolls. A drop (offset) match wastes a little more than a straight match. Enter the repeat in inches and the match type above and the calculator adds it automatically.
How many rolls of wallpaper for one wall?
For a single wall, use the wall-width mode: enter just that wall’s width and height. Divide the width by the roll width for the strips, then by the strips you get from one roll. A typical 12-foot-wide, 8-foot-high wall takes about 6 strips, or 2 standard US double rolls with a plain pattern.
How much does it cost to install wallpaper?
Material is rolls times your price per roll — anywhere from $25 for a basic roll to $100+ for designer paper. Professional hanging typically adds $25–$60 per roll in labor (more for high ceilings, pattern matching, or removing old paper first). This calculator estimates the paper cost; multiply your roll count by a local hanging rate to budget installation.
How much does a roll of wallpaper cover?
A standard US double roll (27 in × 27 ft) has about 60 sq ft of paper but realistically covers 45–56 sq ft once cut into full-height strips. A Euro roll (20.9 in × 33 ft) has about 57 sq ft. You always lose some to trimming and pattern matching, so plan on the lower end — and buy one spare roll from the same batch or lot number so the color matches.