Calculate how many linear yards of wallpaper you need for a wall or room from its size, with pattern repeat, extra allowance and the number of rolls.
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Wallpaper Yardage Formula
This calculator plans full vertical strips for one wall, a combined width at one height, or a rectangular room perimeter. It includes total top and bottom trim, straight vertical pattern repeat, and extra stock. It also estimates coverage from one continuous available length. Random and straight-match paper are supported; offset and half-drop layouts need a separate cutting plan.
Here W is total wall width, R is wallpaper width, and C is the cut length, all in inches. C is wall height plus total trim, rounded up to a whole straight vertical repeat when entered. The ceiling rounds the strip count up. Y is base linear yardage before extra stock.
| Variable | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Y | Required wallpaper length in linear yards |
| W | Wall width in inches |
| H | Wall height in inches, before trim and repeat adjustment |
| R | Wallpaper roll width in inches |
| 36 | Number of inches in one yard |
How the Estimate Works
The calculator rounds wall width divided by wallpaper width up to a whole strip count, then multiplies by the cut length. For a rectangular room, total width is 2 ร (length + width). It includes openings and assumes one common wall height.
If you are measuring in feet, convert dimensions before applying the formula:
If you work entirely in metric, the same idea gives linear meters directly:
That metric form returns base linear metres when all dimensions, including cut length C, are in metres. Individual input unit controls convert the entered quantity. Result units can be selected in Optional settings.
Coverage from Available Length
Coverage mode counts complete strips from one continuous available length L. It does not solve for wall height or wallpaper width, and it does not join separate roll offcuts.
How to Calculate Wallpaper Yardage
- Measure the full width of the wall.
- Measure the wall height at the tallest point.
- Confirm the wallpaper roll width from the product specification.
- Convert all measurements to a consistent unit system.
- Round width divided by wallpaper width up to full strips; multiply by the trim- and repeat-adjusted cut length.
- Use Optional settings for total trim (default 4 in), straight repeat (blank means none), and extra stock (default 10%; blank means 0%).
- Round up to a practical purchase quantity.
For walls with different heights, plan each wall separately. Area totals alone can underestimate full-strip cutting losses. The following area identities are useful as a lower-bound cross-check, not the delivered strip calculation:
If all walls have the same height, you can also add the widths together and treat them as one long wall.
Adding Waste and Pattern Repeat
The strip model accounts for the entered trim and straight repeat. Extra stock may still be needed for:
- Top and bottom trimming
- Pattern repeat and pattern matching
- Outside corners and difficult layouts
- Sloped ceilings or uneven floors
- Mis-cuts and installation errors
A simple way to account for this is to apply an allowance factor:
Here, a is the waste allowance written as a decimal. For example, use 0.10 for ten percent or 0.15 for fifteen percent. Plain or lightly textured papers may need less extra material than papers with large, repeating patterns.
Converting Yardage to Number of Rolls
If you know the length of wallpaper contained in one roll, you can convert the final yardage estimate into a roll count:
P is the number of full strips per roll, S is the required strip count, and C and roll length use the same unit. A roll shorter than one cut strip is rejected. Minimum rolls are rounded up first, then the extra-stock percentage is applied and rounded up again. This conservative roll convention may exceed the linear-length allowance. Initial motif alignment can reduce actual roll yield; confirm your cutting plan.
Example
Suppose a wall is 10 feet wide, 8 feet high, and the wallpaper roll is 24 inches wide.
With the default 4 in total trim and no repeat, the base is about 13.8889 linear yards. The default ten percent extra gives:
A 9-yard (324-inch) roll yields floor(324/100) = 3 full strips. Five strips require 2 minimum rolls. Applying 10% extra stock to that rounded count gives ceil(2 ร 1.10) = 3 rolls, or 27 purchased linear yards.
Practical Measuring Tips
- Measure height in more than one location and use the largest value.
- Measure full wall width before subtracting openings.
- Keep doors and windows in the combined-width model; use a separate installer cutting plan to reduce quantities around large openings.
- Keep widths and heights in the same unit system throughout the calculation.
- Double-check whether the product is labeled by single roll or double roll.
- For expensive wallpaper, always round up rather than down.
When This Calculator Is Most Accurate
This estimate is most useful when:
- The wall is rectangular
- The wallpaper width is known
- You want a quick linear yardage estimate
- You enter trim, repeat and extra stock before calculating
This is a simplified strip plan. Initial motif alignment, corners, murals, sloped walls and offset patterns can require more material. Confirm pattern position and roll yield with your supplier before purchase.
Common Questions
- What is linear yardage?
- Linear yardage is the length of wallpaper measured along the roll. It is different from wall area because roll width affects how much area each yard can cover.
- Why does roll width matter so much?
- A wider roll covers more wall area per yard of length, which reduces the total yardage required.
- Should openings always be subtracted?
- This combined-width calculator includes openings to preserve continuous full-strip planning. A separate cutting plan is needed to credit material around doors or windows.
- Why should I add extra wallpaper?
- Wallpaper is installed in vertical drops, not as one continuous sheet. Extra material helps cover trimming losses, matching waste, and mistakes during installation.
