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House Wrap Calculator

Estimate how many rolls of house wrap (weather barrier) you need for your exterior wall area.

Computed in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded. Figures are presented for United States against IRC 2024, and every formula is cited under regulatory standards below.

Last verified 2026-08-25 · v1.0.0

Market
Imperial · sales tax

House wrap rolls needed

2 rolls

High confidence
Area to wrap (with overlap allowance)
2368.06 sq ft

Running these inputs gives 2 as the house wrap rolls needed. Note that exterior wall area sits at the low end of the range this calculator was checked against, so treat the output as indicative rather than settled. Currently reading for United States under IRC 2024 — pick a different market above and the figures re-cast accordingly.

Estimated cost — your price

This site holds no price list for this material — local prices vary too much to publish honestly. Enter your supplier's price and the result is costed with it.

Preliminary estimate, not certified engineering. This tool produces an indicative quantity calculation for planning purposes only — it is not a certified structural analysis, a guaranteed material takeoff, or a substitute for building department approval. Always verify measurements on-site and have a licensed contractor or structural engineer review any load-bearing, code-sensitive, or safety-critical work before purchasing materials or starting construction. Spotted an arithmetic or standards error? Report it to contact@craftquantities.com with your inputs — confirmed fixes become pinned regression tests.

[Schema Verified] Computed in alignment with American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-19) formulas and International Residential Code (IRC 2024) spatial boundaries.

Regulatory standards & verification citations

  • A standard house wrap roll (9 ft x 150 ft) covers approximately 1,350 sq ft, per common manufacturer roll sizes

Your workspace

Most jobs need more than one number. Add the calculators you need next and they open right here, underneath this one — your figures stay on screen and nothing is lost to a page change.

Frequently asked questions

Which way do house wrap laps go, and why does getting it backwards matter more than the quantity?
Wrap is shingled like roofing: upper courses lap OVER lower ones by at least 50-100 mm horizontally, and vertical seams lap 150 mm or more in the drainage direction, taped per the manufacturer. Reverse laps funnel wind-driven rain INTO the assembly — a failure no amount of extra material fixes. Order enough to keep laps generous around openings, where the wrap integrates with flashing tape in a specific sequence: sill first, jambs over sill, head flashing over jambs, wrap over head.
Why isn't window/door area subtracted?
House wrap is installed over the full sheathing surface first, then cut open at openings on site — subtracting openings up front would understate the roll footage actually needed to cover the wall runs.
Why does the 10% factor matter for house wrap specifically?
Courses of house wrap need to overlap each other (commonly 6+ in horizontally, more at seams) to shed water correctly, which uses more material than the flat wall area alone.
Does house wrap replace a vapor barrier?
No — house wrap is a water-resistive air barrier on the exterior sheathing; a separate interior vapor barrier (or none, depending on climate zone and wall assembly) is a distinct decision made with your local energy code in mind.