Pipe and Drape Calculator: How Much Pipe and Drape Do You Need for Your Booths?
Enter your booth size and how many booths sit in inline rows, back-to-back blocks and perimeter runs. Get feet of backwall and sidewall, uprights, bases, crossbars and drape panels by height, with spares. Built for vendor fair, craft fair, expo and trade show organizers.
Work Out the Pipe and Drape for Your Booths
107
Uprights and bases to order
96 before 10% spares, for 48 booths and 55 sidewalls.
360 ft
Backwall
8 ft high.
550 ft
Sidewall
3 ft high.
101
Crossbars
301 drape panels with spares.
| Line | Feet | Uprights | Bars | Panels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backwall, 8 ft | 360 | 46 | 40 | 119 |
| Sidewalls, 3 ft | 550 | 61 | 61 | 182 |
| To order | 910 | 107 | 101 | 301 |
Counts include spares; one base per upright (107). Crossbars are 10 ft on the backwall and 10 ft on sidewalls. Panel length is the line’s height.
The formula
Booths in a row × width = backwall; booths + 1 = sidewalls (back to back: both sides).
Length ÷ crossbar span, rounded up = crossbars; backwall crossbars + 1 per row, plus one per sidewall crossbar = uprights = bases.
Section × (1 + fullness) ÷ panel width, rounded up = panels per section.
Each count × (1 + spares), rounded up = to order.
Planning estimate, not a rental quote. Heights, crossbar span, panel width and fullness are editable assumptions; your venue and decorator confirm the order. What pipe and drape is and what goes in a base booth package is in our pipe and drape guide; flooring is in the trade show carpet calculator.
How the Pipe and Drape Calculator Works
Worked through at the defaults: 48 booths of 10x10 ft, with an 8 ft backwall and 3 ft sidewalls.
1. Count the booth lines
Two inline rows of 6, two back-to-back blocks of 6 a side (24 booths) and one perimeter run of 12 along a hall wall. That is five lines of backwall, each 60 or 120 ft long: 360 ft in all.
2. Count shared sidewalls
Neighbors share a sidewall, so a row of 6 has 7, not 12. Inline rows: 2 x 7 = 14. Back-to-back blocks have sidewalls on both sides: 2 x 2 x 7 = 28. The perimeter run: 13. That is 55 sidewalls of 10 ft, or 550 ft.
3. Count uprights, bases and crossbars
With 10 ft crossbars, each booth’s backwall is one section: 36 crossbars and 36 + 5 = 41 uprights at 8 ft. Each sidewall adds one 10 ft crossbar and one 3 ft upright at the aisle, since its back post is the backwall’s: 55 more of each. 96 uprights, 96 bases, 91 crossbars.
4. Count drape panels by height
A 10 ft section at 50% fullness needs 15 ft of fabric, or three 5 ft panels. Backwall: 36 x 3 = 108 panels 8 ft long. Sidewalls: 55 x 3 = 165 panels 3 ft long.
5. Add spares
10% on each count, rounded up: 107 uprights and bases (46 at 8 ft, 61 at 3 ft), 101 crossbars and 301 panels (119 at 8 ft, 182 at 3 ft).
New to pipe and drape? Our pipe and drape guide covers the parts, common heights and what goes in a base booth package. Still choosing a booth size? See trade show booth sizes, and check how many booths fit your hall with the booth capacity calculator.
Inline, Back-to-Back and Perimeter Booths
Common 10x10 booth lines before spares, with closed row ends, 10 ft crossbars and 5 ft panels at 50% fullness. Panels are backwall and sidewall together.
| Layout | Booths | Backwall ft | Sidewall ft | Uprights | Crossbars | Panels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One booth on its own | 1 | 10 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 9 |
| Inline row of 5 | 5 | 50 | 60 | 12 | 11 | 33 |
| Inline row of 10 | 10 | 100 | 110 | 22 | 21 | 63 |
| Inline row of 20 | 20 | 200 | 210 | 42 | 41 | 123 |
| Back-to-back, 5 a side | 10 | 50 | 120 | 18 | 17 | 51 |
| Back-to-back, 10 a side | 20 | 100 | 220 | 33 | 32 | 96 |
Uprights are half at backwall height and half at sidewall height in an inline row; a back-to-back block has two short uprights for every tall one. Each upright needs a base.
Check Heights and Parts Before You Order
The 8 ft backwall and 3 ft sidewall are a common US trade show convention, not a rule. Confirm heights, drape color and fire rating with your venue and general service contractor, ask which crossbar lengths and panel widths they stock, and put the heights in your exhibitor manual so exhibitors design to them. Island booths usually get no drape, and corner booths are often sold open on the aisle side.
Draw Your Booth Rows to Scale with Map D
Map D doesn’t rent, sell or order pipe and drape. It helps with the count: lay out inline rows, back-to-back blocks and perimeter booths to scale in our event floor plan software, then read off the rows and booth sizes to enter here. Running a craft fair or market? Start with our vendor fair software. You can build one event’s floor plan free; publishing it and sharing it with exhibitors needs a paid plan, with Basic starting at $3,499 (plus a one-time $250 onboarding fee).
What this assumes
Every figure the calculator starts with, and where it comes from. Where the honest answer is that a number depends on your venue, it says so rather than inventing one.
- Backwall and sidewall heights
- An 8 ft backwall and 3 ft sidewalls are the common US trade show convention for inline booths, not a rule. Vendor fairs, craft fairs and venues vary, so check your venue and general service contractor (GSC) before you order. Heights are inputs.
- Shared walls
- Booths in a line share one backwall, and each pair of neighbors shares one sidewall, so a row of n booths has n + 1 sidewalls (n - 1 if the corner booths are left open). A back-to-back block shares one backwall between both sides, with sidewalls on each side. Perimeter booths against a hall wall are counted like an inline row, with their own backwall.
- Uprights, bases and crossbars
- Each straight run is split into crossbar sections no longer than the span you enter, starting at 10 ft (adjustable crossbars that reach 10 ft are a common rental size; check what your supplier stocks). Sections are counted per booth and per sidewall, so posts land on booth lines. Backwall uprights are sections + 1 per line at backwall height; each sidewall adds one short upright per section at the aisle, because its back post is the backwall's. Every upright gets a base.
- Drape panels and fullness
- Panels are counted per section, because a panel can't cross a post: section length x (1 + fullness) / flat panel width, rounded up. The starting values, a 5 ft (60 in) flat panel and 50% fullness for a light pleat, are this calculator's planning assumptions; use 0% for flat drape and 100% for a full, gathered look. Panel length is the wall height.
- Masking drape and spares
- Masking drape hides storage, loading doors or back-of-house and is entered as total feet, height and the number of separate straight runs; each run gets an upright at both ends. Spares, starting at 10%, are added to each count and rounded up to cover bent pipe, missing hardware and last-minute booths.
What it does not model
- Corners, islands and peninsulas. Island booths usually have no drape, and peninsulas and corner booths vary by show; adjust the row ends setting or count them by hand.
- Perimeter booths using the hall wall. Some venues let perimeter booths skip the backwall or allow a taller one. If so, leave them out of the perimeter run or adjust the backwall height.
- Weight and wind. Taller backdrops and outdoor pipe and drape need heavier bases or extra ballast; the rental company sets the base weight.
- Fabric, color and fire rating. The venue or fire marshal may require flame-retardant drape; this calculator counts panels, not fabric types.
- Tables, chairs, carpet and booth signs aren't counted. Use the trade show carpet calculator for flooring.
Estimate only, from the figures you entered. Not a quote. Last reviewed November 2026.
Stop reading about it. Build one.
Upload the floor plan you already have and place your booths on it yourself, in Map D’s editor. Free to build, no contract, and nothing to install.
- 900+
- Organizers who have run shows on Map D
- 9,000+
- Events powered since 2011
- 1.8M+
- Booths drawn to date
“I am really excited about this. The staff met with me this morning and we all LOVE the platform. People are already filling out their booths.”
Frequently asked questions
How much pipe and drape do I need for a 10x10 booth?
One 10x10 booth with an 8 ft backwall and 3 ft sidewalls needs 10 ft of backwall and two 10 ft sidewalls: 4 uprights (2 at 8 ft, 2 at 3 ft), 4 bases and 3 crossbars. With 5 ft panels at 50% fullness, that's 3 panels at 8 ft and 6 at 3 ft. In a row, neighbors share sidewalls, so each extra booth adds only 2 uprights and 2 crossbars.
How do I calculate pipe and drape for a row of booths?
Count shared walls. A row of n booths has one backwall n booths long and n + 1 sidewalls. A row of ten 10x10 booths takes 100 ft of backwall, 110 ft of sidewall, 22 uprights and bases and 21 crossbars before spares. Two rows back to back share the backwall: 10 booths a side takes 100 ft of backwall, 220 ft of sidewall, 33 uprights and 32 crossbars.
How many drape panels do I need?
Divide each section's length, times 1 plus the fullness, by the panel's flat width and round up. A 10 ft section with 5 ft panels takes 2 panels hung flat, 3 at 50% fullness and 4 at 100%. Panels are counted per section because they hang between posts. Panel length is the drape height, 8 ft for a common backwall and 3 ft for sidewalls.
How tall is pipe and drape for trade show booths?
In the US, inline trade show booths commonly have an 8 ft backwall and 3 ft sidewalls, but it is a convention, not a rule. Vendor fairs and craft fairs often use the same, or drape only the back. Your venue and general service contractor confirm the heights, and the show rules in your exhibitor manual should state them.
Can Map D help me plan booth rows for pipe and drape?
Yes, for the layout, not the drape. Draw your booths to scale in Map D's floor plan editor and you can count the inline rows, back-to-back blocks and perimeter runs to enter here. Map D doesn't rent, sell or order pipe and drape. You can build one event's floor plan free; publishing it and sharing it with exhibitors needs a paid plan, with Basic starting at $3,499.
Sources
- Map D help center: the free plan and how to upgrade · checked 2026-11-10
- Map D pricing · checked 2026-09-18