What is a 'Pattern Repeat'?

Most wallpapers hav a repeating design every few inches (e.g., 24 inches). To make the pattern line up seamlessly from one strip to the next, you often have to cut off and waste a portion of the paper. This calculator accounts for that significant waste.

Single vs Double Rolls?

Wallpaper is priced by the 'Single Roll' but usually sold in 'Double Roll' bolts. This is confusing! Our tool calculates total single rolls, so if you need 10 single rolls, you would buy 5 double roll bolts.

Should I subtract windows?

Usually, no. Unless you have massive floor-to-ceiling windows, pros recommend ignoring openings. You'll need the full strips to maintain the pattern alignment above and below the window anyway.

Wallpaper Calculator | Estimate Rolls Needed | Finmato

The Pattern Problem

Calculating paint is easy; it's just liquid. Calculating wallpaper is hard because of The Drop Match.

If your wallpaper has a pattern (like flowers or geometric shapes), you can't just slap strips on the wall. You have to align the pattern from the left strip to the right strip. This often means cutting off 10-20 inches of "waste" from every single strip to get the alignment right. Our Wallpaper Calculator is designed to solve this specific headache.

Key Factors

To get an accurate count, you need to understand three terms:

Pattern Repeat

This is the vertical distance between where the design starts and where it starts again. Large repeats (24"+) generate huge amounts of waste. Zero repeat (solid color) has minimal waste.

Roll Width

Most US rolls are 20.5 inches or 27 inches wide. European rolls are often 53cm (approx 21 inches). You need to know this to calculate how many "strips" fit across your wall.

Roll Length

Standard American "Single Rolls" contain about 30-36 square feet, but are almost always sold in "Double Roll" bolts of 60-72 square feet.

The Dye Lot

Paper is printed in batches. If you buy 5 rolls today and 1 roll next month, the colors might be slightly different. Always buy all rolls at once (and get an extra!).

Powder Rooms

Small bathrooms are great for bold wallpaper. Remember to account for the door: even the space above the door needs a pattern-matched strip.

Accent Walls

For a single wall, measure the width carefully. If the wall is 100 inches wide and your paper is 20 inches, that's exactly 5 strips. If it's 101 inches, you need 6 strips!

Stairwells

High walls mean you get fewer "full drops" per roll. You might only get 2 strips per bolt instead of the usual 3 or 4.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a "Drop Match" vs "Straight Match"?

Straight match means the pattern starts at the same vertical point on every strip. Drop match means the pattern is diagonal, so the next strip must be lowered (dropped) to align, wasting more paper.

Why don't you subtract doors?

Because you can't stitch together scrap pieces to cover the space above a door unless you are extremely lucky with the pattern. It's safer to treat the wall as solid and use the leftovers for repairs.

Does this work for peel-and-stick?

Yes, the math is identical. However, peel-and-stick is often sold by the "panel" (fixed height) rather than the roll, so check the product description carefully.

Buy Extra

We highly recommend buying 1 extra double roll. Unopened rolls can usually be returned, but running out mid-project is a disaster due to dye lot variations.

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