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CalcBelt

Wallpaper calculator

Enter the walls, their height and the pattern repeat to get how many rolls of wallpaper to buy, counted in whole drops as they're cut, plus a typical cost to hang it.

Units
Papering

Along the walls. Where to measure

Baseboard to ceiling.

Openings

20 sq ft each (Sherwin-Williams)

20 sq ft each

Wallpaper

On the label or the product page.

On the label. 0 for a random or free match.

Buy every roll with the same run or lot number; colors can vary between batches. Sherwin-Williams suggests an extra roll for patches.

Wallpaper needed

9 double rolls

3 drops of 8 ft 4 in per double roll · about 31 drops around the walls

Wall area
356 sq ftDoors and windows taken off
Usable per roll
41 sq ftOf 56.4 sq ft on the roll
Drop length
8 ft 4 inWall height + trim
  • US wallpaper is priced by the single roll but sold in double rolls, so 9 double rolls is 18 single rolls on a price tag (Sherwin-Williams).

Cost estimate

per double roll
per sq ft of wall

Hanging: $1,602 for 356 sq ft (range $712 to $2,492)

Typical US price $2 to $7 per sq ft of wall (HomeGuide, Fixr, October 2026). Labor only. Removing old wallpaper is extra.

How it's calculated
  1. Walls: 2 × (14 ft + 12 ft) = 52 ft × 8 ft = 416 sq ft
  2. Less 3 doors and windows × 20 sq ft = 356 sq ft
  3. Drop: 8 ft + 4 in trim = 8 ft 4 in
  4. 33 ft roll ÷ 8 ft 4 in = 3.96, so 3 whole drops per roll
  5. 3 × 20 1/2 in × 8 ft = 41 sq ft usable per roll
  6. 356 sq ft ÷ 41 sq ft = 8.68, rounded up to 9

Estimates use manufacturer data sheets and industry guides (sources). Check local codes and your supplier's figures before you order.

How to use the wallpaper calculator

  1. Choose a whole room or one or more walls, and enter the size and the wall height.
  2. Count the doors and windows; each takes 20 sq ft off.
  3. Pick the roll size and enter the pattern repeat from the label, or 0 for a random match.
  4. Read the rolls to buy and how many drops each roll gives.

How to calculate wallpaper

Wall area = wall width × height − 20 sq ft per door and window
Drop = height + 4 in, rounded up to whole pattern repeats
Drops per roll = roll length ÷ drop, rounded down
Usable per roll = drops per roll × roll width × height
Rolls = wall area ÷ usable per roll, rounded up

Example: a 12 × 14 ft bedroom with 8 ft walls, one door, two windows and a 21 in pattern repeat, papered with 20.5 in × 33 ft double rolls.

  • Walls: 2 × (12 + 14) × 8 = 416 sq ft, less 3 × 20 = 356 sq ft
  • Drop: 96 + 4 = 100 in, rounded up to five 21 in repeats = 105 in
  • Drops per roll: 396 in ÷ 105 = 3.8, so 3
  • Usable per roll: 3 × 20.5 in × 8 ft = 41 sq ft
  • Rolls: 356 ÷ 41 = 8.7, so 9 double rolls
  • Hanging at a typical $4.50 per sq ft: about $1,600
Wallpaper calculator diagram: a wall seen from the front with its width and its height from baseboard to ceiling measured, strips of wallpaper one roll wide hung side by side, and one drop showing 2 inches of trim at the ceiling and at the baseboard and the pattern repeat.
Where to measure: the width of the walls and the height from baseboard to ceiling. Each drop is the height plus 4 in of trim, in whole pattern repeats.

Why the calculator counts whole drops

A roll can’t be used to the last inch: each drop is cut to the wall’s height plus trim, and what’s left at the end of the roll may be too short for another drop. A 33 ft roll gives three drops on an 8 ft wall, using 300 of its 396 inches. Counting whole drops per roll is closer to how the paper is cut than dividing by the 56 sq ft on the label, and it can come out above Sherwin-Williams’ rule of thumb of about 25 usable sq ft per single roll.

Pattern repeat

Each drop has to line up with the one beside it, so a pattern with a long repeat wastes more at the top or bottom of every drop. The calculator rounds each drop up to a whole number of repeats. With a 21 in repeat on 8 ft walls, a drop grows from 100 in to 105 in; on 9 ft walls, from 112 in to 126 in.

Before you buy

Buy all the rolls from the same run or lot number, and an extra roll for patches, as Sherwin-Williams suggests. To paint the other walls instead, the paint calculator uses the same room measurements. Removing old wallpaper costs extra.

Questions and answers

How much wallpaper do I need?

The wall area less 20 sq ft per door and window, divided by what one roll really covers once each drop is cut to length. A 12 × 14 ft room with 8 ft walls, one door and two windows has 356 sq ft to cover. A 33 ft double roll gives three drops of 100 in, or 41 sq ft, so buy 9 double rolls.

How do you measure for wallpaper?

Measure the width of each wall and the height from the baseboard to the ceiling, and count the doors and windows. York Wallcoverings allows about 4 in extra on each drop, 2 in at the ceiling and 2 in at the baseboard, for trimming; the calculator adds it.

How many square feet does a roll of wallpaper cover?

A US double roll, 20.5 in × 33 ft, is about 56 sq ft, but less is usable once the drops are cut. Sherwin-Williams counts about 25 usable sq ft per single roll with a 0 to 6 in repeat, 22 at 7 to 12 in, 20 at 13 to 18 in and 18 at 19 to 23 in. A double roll is two single rolls.

What is a pattern repeat?

The height of the design before it starts again, printed on the label. Sherwin-Williams describes it as the paper lost when matching patterns, usually 0 to 23 in. Drops have to line up with the pattern, so the calculator rounds each drop up to a whole number of repeats. A random or free match has none.

What's the difference between a single and a double roll of wallpaper?

A double roll is two single rolls in one piece. Sherwin-Williams notes that US wallpaper is priced by the single roll but sold in double or triple rolls, so check which one a price is for.

How much does it cost to hang wallpaper?

$3 to $7 per square foot for labor, according to HomeGuide, or $2 to $6 according to Fixr, which also quotes $30 to $70 per roll. Paper is extra: HomeGuide puts vinyl at $20 to $50 a roll, and grasscloth and other specialty papers cost more.

Should I buy an extra roll of wallpaper?

Sherwin-Williams suggests it, to avoid running out and to keep some for patches. Buy every roll with the same run or lot number, because colors can vary slightly between print batches.

Do I take off doors and windows?

Yes, at 20 sq ft each, as Sherwin-Williams does for standard sizes. For a wall that's mostly glass, use the One or more walls option and leave that section out.

Sources

Figures checked October 2026.