How To Measure Wallpaper?

If you’ve landed on this page then you’re trying to find out how many rolls of wallpaper you need for a particular room. And we understand, it’s very confusing! 10 different websites will give you 10 different calculations.

However, we have a shortcut for all of that. There is an industry standard that will almost never fail in quickly and easily finding out how much wallpaper you need.

First, ask yourself if the pattern you want has a repeat. Yes or no.

If the answer is no, then you do this:

1. If the width is 27 inches then you divide the square footage by 63 to find out how many double rolls you need.
2. If the width is 20.50 inches or 21 inches then you divide the square footage by 56 to find out how many double rolls you need.
3. If the with is 36 inches (only natural grasscloth patterns are this size) then you will divide the square footage by 72 to find out how many double rolls you need.

If the answer is yes, then you do this:

1. Take your square footage and divide by 42 to find out how many double rolls you need.

Now, we know you’re thinking that it can’t be that difficult but it is. If there is any type of repeat, just divide by 42 to figure out how many double rolls you require.

Historically wallpaper in the United States has been priced in single rolls and packaged in double rolls. We, ourselves, are in the process of moving everything to double roll quantities (as of 10-14-20) but if you’re used to single rolls then just divide by 21. It ends up being the same thing.

Example #1 No Repeat

You want to hang a vinyl faux grasscloth wallpaper on a wall in your master bath. This is a random match with no repeat. The width is 27 inches.

The wall is 8 feet high x 10 feet long.

8 ft x 10 ft = 80 square feet

In this scenario, you do 80 ÷ 63 = 1.26

You round up so you will order 2 double rolls (4 single rolls if that is what you are used to).

Example #2 Repeat

You want to hang a gorgeous turquoise damask wallpaper on a wall in your master bath. This is a straight match with a 20.90 inch repeat. The width is 27 inches.

The wall is 8 feet high x 10 feet long (same as before).

8 ft x 10 ft = 80 square feet

In this scenario, you do 80 ÷ 42 = 1.90

You round up so you will order 2 double rolls (4 single rolls if that is what you are used to).

The quantity didn’t change much because the wall is small but the larger the area, the more rolls you will need for a pattern with a repeat due to the waste involved with matching up the pattern.

And that is it. You really do not need a fancy calculator. For residential patterns you take your total square feet and divide by 63, 56, 72 or 21. Those are the four golden numbers needed to figure out how many double rolls you need and when used we never have any problems.