Wallpaper Calculator – Estimate Wallpaper Needed

A Wallpaper Calculator can help work out exactly how much wallpaper you\'ll need to cover a wall. Use our tool by submitting information about the area and the rolls of wallpaper to find an estimate.

Use this calculator if you\'re planning a room refresh or decorating your own home, office or a commercial space too. It can support homeowners, professionals, and enthusiastic amateurs alike in their decorating work. Seebelow for instructions.

How to Use the Wallpaper Calculator

To start with, follow each of the steps listed below to give an approximate idea of how much wallpaper you may require.

1. Submit the height, length, and number of each wall to cover.
2. Enter the overall length, and width per roll of your chosen wallpaper.
3. Submit any door or window widths and heights if this option is offered.
4. Add a sum extra percentage for wastage, trimming, and mistakes. This can be inputted if available.
5. Click on the calculate button to find an estimate of your overall wallpaper coverage, and rolls required.
6. Check what the width, length, and coverage per roll of your wallpaper is before buying to make sure. Different brands can roll out very different areas.

Your wallpaper calculator formula should look something like this:

Wallpaper Calculator Formula

Step 1 - Work out the area of each wall
You can use the equation:
Total Wall Area = Width Wall X Height Wall X Number of Walls
Step 2 - Work out the coverage of your wall
Now use:
Net Wall Area (without doors/windows) = Total Wall Area (from step 1) - Doors/Windows Area
Step 3 - Use your Net Coverage Figure to work out required rolls
You can use the equation:
Number of Rolls = Net Wall Area (from step 2) ÷ Coverage of Roll Per Roll
Then round this number up to get rid of that decimal place - you can\'t buy 0.5 of a wallpaper roll!
Step 4 - Finally, allow for the extra, patterned or textured wallpaper required

Equation:

Required Rolls with Allowance = Base Roll (from step 3) X (1 + Extra Allowance%)
A wallpaper calculator example
A room of 4 walls with 12foot widths and 9foot height with no door/windows to cut out. Coverage per wallpaper roll = 50squarefoot
Step 1 - Work out the area of each wall
Total Wall Area = 12 × 9 × 4 = 432 squarefoot
Step 2 - Work out the coverage of your wall
Required Rolls = 432 ÷ 50 = 8.64 rolls
You now need to round this up to 9 rolls before you allow for anything else.
Step 3 - Allow for extra material
432 × 1.10 = 475.2 squarefoot
475.2 ÷ 50 = 9.50 rolls

You should therefore plan for around 10 rolls, subject to coverage per roll of wallpaper, and pattern matching. That\'s it! Try our free online wallpaper calculator out for yourself.

Understanding the result

Your wallpaper calculator will hopefully give an idea of the area of a wall to cover, the coverage per roll and the total number of rolls required. The higher the number of rolls, the higher coverage area, and the lower pattern repeat distance your wallpaper will have.

Your final purchase should always allow for a pattern repeat, texture, and extra cuts. If your tool has the option for an allowance multiplier already, it might be worth using.

Considerations in the outcome

Factors such as the size of the room, door/window widths, size of each wallpaper roll, and the shape of the wall (i.e. how easy it is to measure out and cut), and even wastage, can all impact on the final outcome of rolls of wallpaper we will need.

In addition, a more complicated wallpaper such as with a pattern requiring matching, or a textured or 3-D effect, are likely to require extra, and possibly smaller, strips of wallpaper to match up properly. Always factor in any errors in your measurements, and the possibility of any damage occurring to a roll of wallpaper.

Practical uses, advantages, and value

Using a wallpaper calculator has advantages to the home decorator and can help with working out how much decorating material will be required before buying them, evaluating the price difference between brands, and establishing an expenditure budget.

It can be useful in both small decorating jobs or large home renovations. You could use it for a bedroom, living room, or even for an accent wall in your home. It is also suitable for commercial use.

Using it as part of a larger quotation to provide a clearer material budget for a homeowner could also be a beneficial use.

You could also use the tool to find how many rolls of wallpaper to purchase at once to avoid having to buy more wallpaper in a different batch and having the tones of each set match up.

Accuracy, assumptions, and limitations

A wallpaper calculator is accurate as long as the information provided to it is too, and it also makes some assumptions. Always be prepared for some wallpaper wastage, pattern matching, and difficulties when installing your wallpaper.

Remember that while the base formula only takes the dimensions and roll size into account it may not consider cutting, pattern matching and the fact that your walls or room could quite possibly not be perfect. Always measure each wall individually to get the best idea of the surface area you\'re going to cover.

Double-check your roll sizes in accordance with the given supplier, use the instructions supplied with the wallpaper, or, if you\'re buying patterned or textured wallpaper, consult it or an installer first.

FAQs

1. What is a Wallpaper Calculator?

A wallpaper calculator is an instrument used to determine how many rolls of patterned or plain are necessary to cover a certain area of walls.

2. How do I calculate the amount of wallpaper I need?

The total area of walls can be worked out by using width x height for each of the walls, and adding up these results. From here the number of rolls can be worked out by dividing the total area by the area that one roll of wallpaper will cover.

3. Should I take out areas for doors and windows?

Doors and windows should be taken out of the total wall area when determining how much wallpaper is required, but the areas should be allowed for when cutting the wallpaper, as cutting can involve waste.

4. How many rolls of wallpaper do I need for a room?

For your room\'s dimensions and with the roll size you\'ve selected you should input these figures into the calculator tool.

5. Do I need extra wallpaper?

Yes! Always allow for some extra. A 10% allowance would be appropriate for many straightforward wallpapering projects. For patterned or textured paper, or for more difficult walls, you may need more.

6. Does matching up patterns in wallpaper affect the outcome?

Matching patterns means that the pattern in the wallpaper must be matched from one strip of wallpaper to the next. This will require more wallpaper, and a certain amount of extra waste.

7. Can the calculator be used for one wall?

Yes, you simply input the width and height of the accent wall you\'re going to cover, and the width, length and coverage per roll of your chosen wallpaper.