How to measure a room for wallpaper (and how much to order)

Getting the quantity right is one of the trickiest parts of a wallpaper project. Order short and you risk a second batch that doesn't match the original dye lot; over-order and you've paid for rolls you don't need. Here's how to measure with confidence.

Step 1: Measure each wall

Measure the width and height of every wall you plan to cover, in feet. Multiply width × height for each wall, then add them together for the total square footage. Don't subtract small openings like windows — that extra material becomes your safety margin and your pattern-matching allowance.

Step 2: Account for doors and large openings

For full-height doorways or very large windows, you can subtract roughly half their area — not all of it. You still need paper above and around openings, and you want continuous pattern flow.

Step 3: Factor in the pattern repeat

This is the step most people miss. Wallpaper with a large pattern repeat needs extra material because each strip has to be aligned to the one beside it, and the offcuts add up. The bigger the repeat, the more waste — sometimes 15–30% extra.

1. Small or random repeat: add about 10–15% to your square footage.
2. Medium repeat: add about 15–20%.
3. Large repeat: add about 20–30%.

Step 4: Convert to rolls

Each wallpaper roll lists its coverage, but usable coverage is always less than the printed figure once you account for trimming and matching. Use the usable coverage, not the total, and always round up to whole rolls.

Order all your rolls at once, from the same dye lot. Colors can vary slightly between print runs, and a mid-project reorder may not match.

Or let us measure for you

If this feels like a lot of margin for error — it is. An experienced installer can measure your space, factor in the specific pattern repeat of your chosen paper, and tell you exactly how much to order. We do this as part of every estimate, so you buy the right amount once.