Learning to wrap a car takes a lot of practice, a number of tools, a healthy dose of technique, and—you guessed it—vinyl wrap. Asking yourself: “How much vinyl do I need to fully wrap my car?” You’re in the right place. 

 

We’ve done a lot of wraps in our time serving businesses in and around Winnipeg, so we’ve got calculating how much wrap we’ll need down to a science. We’re here to share that science with you:

Step 1: Measure Your Vehicle

The first step in determining how much vinyl wrap you’ll need is measuring your vehicle. You can measure your vehicle using a tape measure or a digital measuring device.

 

The rule of thumb you’ll usually hear is the length of your vehicle x 3, but that can lead to your vehicle not having enough wrap. We like to measure the vehicle, add a foot to the total calculation (6 inches on the front, 6 inches on the back), and then multiply the amount of vinyl based on the vehicle. For example, a sedan uses the length of the vehicle + a foot x 4, while a truck uses a 3.75 multiplier. 

You might be asking yourself why we only need the length of the vehicle—it’s because vinyl wrap comes in standard 60-inch sizes, so there’s always enough vinyl for the height of the vehicle (except in special cases where the vehicle is particularly big)

 

Note that these measurements are for full wraps; for partial wraps, you’ll only need to measure the parts of the vehicle you’re wrapping. We use a detailed vinyl wrap calculator to ensure we can cover the entire vehicle with minimal waste, whether you’ve got a Ford Mustang or a RAM 1500. 

Step 2: Calculate The Amount Of Vinyl You’ll Need

The next step is to determine how much vinyl you’ll actually need. The multipliers we’ve provided are an excellent starting point. Later in this article, we’ll tell you how much wrap you’ll need on average for different types of vehicles. 

 

Order the amount of vinyl you’ll need based on your vehicle measurements, then start measuring out all of the areas you’ll cover: Bumpers, doors, and more. Mark down the length of all of these areas. For areas that don’t span the full width of the vehicle (like bumpers), you can cut the vinyl in half, because you won’t need the entire 60”. 

Step 3: Round Up And Add Extra To Account For Mistakes

We’ve already accounted for some mistakes by adding an extra foot to the vehicle’s length in our initial calculation, but if you’re new to wrapping your vehicle and opting to do it yourself (which we don’t recommend), consider adding another foot of vinyl wrap to account for mistakes. You should also add about an extra 2” to 4” when calculating each part of your car to give you a bit of breathing room. 

The Average Amount Of Wrap Needed For Different Vehicles

Assuming a standard 60” wide roll, here are the average amounts of wrap a professional will use for different types of vehicles.

 

Compact Cars (e.g., Hatchbacks, Sedans)

50–65 feet 

 

Mid-Sized Cars (e.g., Sedans, Crossovers)

65–75 feet

 

SUVs

75–90 feet

 

Trucks (Standard Pickup)

80–100 feet

 

Vans (e.g., Cargo Vans)

100–120 feet

 

Motorcycles

25–35 feet

 

Wrapping the vehicle yourself? Be prudent and add an extra 5 feet of wrap to these numbers. Keep in mind that these are very general estimates; larger vehicles, vehicles with odd curvatures, specialty vehicles, trailers, and more can vary widely from these estimates.

 

Wrap Your Vehicle Without Waste: Call SpeedPro Winnipeg North

We really recommend hiring professionals to wrap your vehicle. Doing it yourself can lead to a lot of material waste, a less professional look, and other problems. For vinyl wraps Winnipeg residents can count on, choose SpeedPro Winnipeg North. 

 

We wrap vehicles quickly and professionally, with minimal waste leading to beautiful, flawless results. We specialize in commercial vehicles, so if you’re looking for a vinyl graphic wrap to advertise your vehicle without wasting a lot of extra material, contact us today.