Wallpaper buying guide
How to measure your walls for wallpaper
All you need is a tape measure and about 10 minutes a room. This guide shows how to measure any wall, including walls with doors and windows, slopes and staircases, and how to turn your measurements into a roll count or a mural size.
On this page
What you need before you start
No special tools. Measuring takes under 10 minutes for most rooms.
- Metal tape measure
- Pen and paper
- Your phone, for notes and photos
- Step ladder for high ceilings
How to measure a wall for wallpaper
Follow these steps for every wall you plan to cover. You measure the same way for wallpaper rolls and wall murals.
- Measure the height. Measure from the floor to the ceiling at both ends of the wall and use the larger number. Floors and ceilings are rarely perfectly level. Leave out baseboards and crown molding unless you plan to paper over them.
- Measure the width. Measure from corner to corner at the widest point of the wall.
- Round up. Round each measurement up to the nearest whole inch and write it down with the name of the wall.
- Repeat for every wall. Measure each wall on its own, even if two walls look the same.
- Work out the area. Multiply the height by the width of each wall, then add the walls together. A wall 9 ft high and 12 ft wide is 108 sq ft, so two of them are 216 sq ft.
Papering a single accent wall?
Measure only that wall. For wallpaper rolls, enter just that wall in the calculator. For a mural, add 4 in (10 cm) to its width and height before you enter them on the product page.
Measuring a wall with doors and windows
Measure the full height and width of the wall as if the door or window wasn't there. Don't subtract the openings.
Wallpaper goes up in full-height strips and is trimmed around doors and windows as it's hung. Once the pattern is lined up, the pieces above a door or below a window are rarely long enough to reuse, so subtracting openings is the most common way to run short.
Measuring a full room
Measure each wall separately, then combine them.
- Measure the width of each wall on its own and write the widths down separately.
- Add the widths together for the total.
- Use the height of the tallest wall for every wall.
- For wallpaper rolls, enter each wall in the calculator with + Add another wall.
Planning one mural across more than one wall? Add the widths together and contact us before you order, so we can check the size with you.
Measuring sloped and attic walls
Treat a sloped wall as a full rectangle.
- Measure the height at the tallest point.
- Measure the width at the widest point.
- Ignore the slope. The extra paper is trimmed away when it's hung.
Measuring a staircase wall
A staircase wall is measured as a rectangle too.
- Height: measure the vertical drop from the highest point of the ceiling to the lowest point of the floor.
- Width: measure straight across the wall, not along the slope of the stairs.
- The diagonal along the stairs is trimmed on site.
Wallpaper rolls vs wall murals: using your measurements
You measure the same way for both. What you do with the numbers is different, so check which one you're ordering.
| Compare | Wallpaper rolls | Wall murals |
|---|---|---|
| What you order | Double rolls in a fixed size | One mural, printed to your size |
| What you enter | The width and height of each wall | The wall's width and height, plus 4 in (10 cm) each |
| Where you enter it | The calculator on the product page | The size fields on the product page |
| Trimming and pattern matching | Covered by the calculator's waste buffer | Covered by the extra 4 in |
How many wallpaper rolls do I need?
Every wallpaper product page has a calculator that turns your measurements into a roll count, based on how much one roll of that design covers.
- Open the calculator. On the product page, click How many rolls do I need? next to the quantity.
- Enter your first wall. Type its width and height in feet and inches.
- Add your other walls. Click + Add another wall for each one.
- Check the waste buffer. The result includes a 15% buffer for trimming and pattern matching, which suits most designs. Choose 20% for a large pattern repeat (18 in or more) or a drop match.
- Add to cart. The quantity updates to match the roll count.
Allow for the pattern repeat
The pattern repeat is the height at which a design repeats itself. Each strip is cut a little longer so the pattern lines up with the strip next to it, and the offcut is waste. The bigger the repeat, the more paper you lose. You'll find the repeat and match type in each product's specifications.
The calculator works from your wall area, so choose a bigger waste buffer for a large repeat. For an exact count, count your strips instead.
How to measure for a wall mural
Every Walls Republic mural is printed to the size you enter, so there's no roll count and no pattern repeat to work out.
- Measure the wall. Measure the height and width at the tallest and widest points, as above.
- Add 4 in (10 cm) to each. The extra gives your installer room to trim along the ceiling, floor and corners, since few walls are perfectly square.
- Enter the size. Type the width and height into the size fields on the mural's product page, or create a custom mural from your own image.
Frequently asked questions
Do I subtract doors and windows from my measurements?
No. Measure the full wall as if the door or window wasn't there. Wallpaper is trimmed around openings as it's hung, and subtracting them is the most common way to run short, especially when the pattern has to line up above a door or below a window.
How much extra wallpaper should I order?
Allow 15% for most designs and 20% for large pattern repeats (18 in or more). The calculator on every product page adds the buffer for you. If you're unsure, order one extra roll: color can vary slightly between print runs, so a spare from the same batch is worth having.
What is a pattern repeat and does it change my measurements?
A pattern repeat is the vertical distance before a design repeats itself. It doesn't change how you measure the wall, but it changes how much paper you need: each strip is cut longer so the pattern lines up, and the offcut is waste. You'll find the repeat in each product's specifications.
What if my walls aren't perfectly straight?
Very few walls are. Measure at the tallest and widest points and round up, and the trimming allowance takes care of small irregularities. For bowed walls, uneven ceilings or corners far out of square, contact our team before you order and we'll help you with the quantity.
Do I include baseboards and crown molding?
No. Measure the wall between them, unless you plan to paper over them.
Can someone check my measurements?
Yes. Send your measurements and the design you like to sales@wallsrepublic.com, or call 1-888-990-2250, and we'll confirm the quantity before you order.
Need a hand?
Want us to check your measurements?
Send us your wall measurements and the design you like. We'll work out how many rolls you need, or check your mural size before it goes to print.