How many rolls of wallpaper for a feature wall?
3 rolls a wall 4 m (13 ft 1 in) wide · 1 spare roll included
A feature wall 4 m (13 ft 1 in) wide and 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) high needs 3 rolls of standard wallpaper: 8 drops from 2 rolls, plus 1 spare roll. With a pattern that repeats every 53 cm, a roll gives 3 drops and the same wall needs 4 rolls.
A feature wall is where people choose the boldest paper, and bold papers have the biggest pattern repeats. Check the repeat before the price: a cheap roll with a large repeat can cost more per wall than a dear one with none.
Start the first drop in the middle of the wall, not at a corner, so that the pattern sits evenly and any narrow strip falls at both edges alike.
Worked out for One wall 4 m (13 ft 1 in) wide and 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) high with no door in it, and standard rolls 10.05 m × 53 cm of a paper with no pattern to match. Change the numbers
The working
- Feature wall: 4 m wide
- 4 m ÷ 53 cm roll width = 7.5, so 8 drops
- Each drop: 240 cm + 10 cm trim = 250 cm
- 10.05 m roll ÷ 250 cm = 4 drops per roll
- 8 drops ÷ 4 = 2 rolls, plus 1 spare = 3
Buy every roll with the same batch number, the spare too: a later batch can differ in colour.
Windows save no paper: the pieces above and below them use most of a drop.
The rules, and their sources
Standard UK wallpaper roll
A standard UK roll is 10.05 m long and 53 cm wide (about 5.3 m²). Check the label: some are 52 cm wide or 10 m long.
Shop sizes Sources: B&Q, GoodHome Kerria wallpaper (checked 31 October 2026); Which?, How to wallpaper (checked 31 October 2026); PracticalDIY, Estimating the number of rolls (checked 31 October 2026).
Trim allowance per drop
Cut each drop about 10 cm longer than the wall is high, to trim at the ceiling and the skirting.
An industry guideline Source: Which?, How to wallpaper (checked 31 October 2026).
Spare roll from the same batch
Buy every roll from one batch number, plus a spare: rolls from different print runs can differ in colour, and a later order may not match.
An industry guideline Sources: Which?, How to wallpaper (checked 31 October 2026); PracticalDIY, Estimating the number of rolls (checked 31 October 2026); Graham & Brown, How to measure for wallpaper (checked 31 October 2026).
Other wall widths
The same wall height and roll each time. A roll gives 4 drops, so the count steps up each time the wall needs one drop more than the rolls hold.
| Wall | Drops | Rolls to buy |
|---|---|---|
| 2 m (6 ft 7 in) | 4 drops | 2 rolls1 spare roll included |
| 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) | 5 drops | 3 rolls1 spare roll included |
| 3 m (9 ft 10 in) | 6 drops | 3 rolls1 spare roll included |
| 4 m (13 ft 1 in) this page | 8 drops | 3 rolls1 spare roll included |
| 5 m (16 ft 5 in) | 10 drops | 4 rolls1 spare roll included |
Change the numbers
Your sizes will differ. The wallpaper calculator opens with these numbers filled in: change any of them and the answer, the working and the drawing follow.
Editorial notes
Worked out by the Snuug team on 12 November 2026 with the same code as the wallpaper calculator, so the two cannot disagree. Every rule cites its source, with the date we last checked it. A rule designers use is a convention, not a study.
Other sources the calculator draws on:
- Howarth Timber (Green, 14 Sep 2026), UK door sizes, checked 31 October 2026