1. Measure wall area
Measure height and width of each wall in feet. Multiply for wall area.
What is wallpaper square footage?
Wallpaper square footage is the total wall area receiving paper. Measure height × width of each wall in feet. Subtract doors and windows. Add 15-20% extra for pattern repeat. For walls with openings, use the wall with window calculator.
Getting started
How to Calculate Square Footage for Wallpaper
To calculate wallpaper square footage, measure each wall height × width in feet for area. Subtract doors and windows. Add 15-20% for patterned wallpaper or 10% for solid. Each single roll covers 25-30 sq ft. Each double roll covers 50-60 sq ft.
2. Subtract openings
Subtract doors and windows. Add pattern repeat factor (15-20%).
3. Convert to rolls
Single roll covers 25-30 sq ft. Double roll covers 50-60 sq ft. Round up to full rolls.
Quick reference
Reference
1 acre = 43,560 square feet
1 square yard = 9 square feet
1 square meter = 10.764 square feet
1 square inch = 0.00064516 square feet
Material pricing
Calculate Cost of Materials
Wallpaper costs $25-100 per roll. Multiply rolls needed by price per roll for material total.
There are 2 steps to calculate material cost:
- Enter the price per roll and the square footage each roll covers (25-30 or 50-60 sq ft).
- The Square Foot Calculator divides wall area by roll coverage and multiplies by roll price for total cost.
Order 1-2 extra rolls for damage during installation or future repairs needing matching pattern.
Calculating Square Footage for Walls
Measure the wall width and the wall height in feet. Multiply the width by the height to get the total wall area in square feet. Subtract the area of any doors or windows to find the exact paint coverage required. A wall that is 12 feet wide and 8 feet tall has a total area of 96 sq ft. A 3 ft × 4 ft window removes 12 sq ft, leaving 84 sq ft of paintable surface.
To subtract multiple windows of the same size from one wall, multiply the window width by the number of windows. Enter the total as the window width in the Square Foot Calculator. Height remains the height of one window.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate how many rolls of wallpaper I need?
Measure total wall area (height x width for each wall), subtract openings, then divide by usable coverage per roll (about 36 sq ft for single rolls). Add 15% extra for pattern matching.
How many square feet does a roll of wallpaper cover?
A standard single roll covers about 36 square feet of usable wall area. The actual roll is 56 sq ft, but pattern repeat and trimming waste reduce usable coverage. Double rolls cover about 72 usable sq ft.
How do I calculate wallpaper for a room?
Measure room perimeter (total wall length around room) and multiply by ceiling height. For a 12x10 ft room with 8 ft ceilings: perimeter = 44 ft x 8 ft = 352 sq ft minus openings.
Should I subtract windows and doors from wallpaper area?
Yes, subtract all windows, doors, and other openings that will not be wallpapered. A standard window (15 sq ft) and door (21 sq ft) save about 1 roll each.
How much extra wallpaper should I buy for pattern repeats?
Add 15-20% extra for pattern matching and waste. Large pattern repeats (over 12 inches) create more waste. Add 25% for patterns with repeats over 24 inches.
How much does wallpaper cost per square foot?
Wallpaper costs $1-10 per sq ft for the material, plus $2-5 per sq ft for professional installation. A 350 sq ft room (walls only) with mid-range wallpaper at $4/sq ft costs about $1,400 for materials.
REFERENCES
Further Reading & References
Trusted external sources and related sections on this site. External links open authoritative references on Wikipedia and government agencies.
Explore this Square Foot Calculator site
Authoritative external references
- WIKIWallpaper — Wikipedia
- WIKIInterior design — Wikipedia
- WIKIWall — Wikipedia