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How to Round Up

Learn when and how to always round numbers upward

What Does "Round Up" Mean?

Rounding up means always increasing to the next value, regardless of what digit follows. Unlike standard rounding which uses the "5 rule," rounding up ALWAYS goes to the higher number.

Round Up Rule

ANY decimal rounds UP

Even 0.01 rounds to the next whole number

Standard Rounding

3.1 → 3 (rounds down)

3.5 → 4 (rounds up)

3.9 → 4 (rounds up)

Always Round Up

3.1 → 4 (rounds up)

3.5 → 4 (rounds up)

3.9 → 4 (rounds up)

When to Round Up

📦 Inventory & Materials

Can't order 23.7 boxes — you need 24 complete boxes

23.7 boxes needed → Round UP to 24 boxes

👥 People & Staffing

Can't hire 5.3 employees — you need 6 people

5.3 staff needed → Round UP to 6 people

🏗️ Construction & Projects

Better to have extra materials than run short

15.2 boards needed → Round UP to 16 boards

⏰ Time & Billing

Round time up to the next 15-minute increment

1 hour 12 minutes → Round UP to 1 hour 15 minutes

How to Round Up in Different Tools

Excel

=ROUNDUP(12.3, 0) → 13

=CEILING(12.3, 1) → 13

Python

import math

math.ceil(12.3) → 13

JavaScript

Math.ceil(12.3) → 13

Manual Calculation

If there's ANY decimal, add 1 to the whole number part

12.3 → 12 + 1 = 13

Quick Reference

📌 The Rule

ANY decimal → Round UP

✓ Best For

Inventory, people, materials, time