What decorating costs
Wallpapering Cost: Hanging and Removal Prices per Room
Wallpapering is priced by the square metre, by the room or by the hour, and the paper is a cost of its own on top of the labour. Below are the UK prices for hanging new paper and stripping old paper, a worked example for one feature wall, and how long a wall or a whole room takes.
Wallpapering cost per m²
Checkatrade’s wallpapering prices put the labour for hanging wallpaper at £12 to £16 per m², an average of £14, with the paper costing extra.
| Item | Unit | Average | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallpapering, labour only | Per m² | £14 | £12 to £16 |
| Wallpaper | Per m² | £30 | £20 to £40 |
| Labour and wallpaper together | Per m² | £44 | £32 to £56 |
| Wallpapering a 4.4m x 3.3m room, labour only | Per room | £450 | £350 to £500 |
The paper is the larger cost. On Checkatrade’s averages it comes to £30 per m² against £14 for the labour, and the gap between the cheapest and dearest paper is £20 per m², against £4 between the lowest and highest labour rates.
To price a single feature wall, multiply its width by its height to get the area in square metres, then apply the labour rate and the paper rate to that area.
Papering one feature wall, 4m wide and 2.5m high
| Labour, 10m² at £14 per m² | £140 |
|---|---|
| Wallpaper, 10m² at £30 per m² | £300 |
Total £440
Checkatrade's averages, which state no VAT basis. At its low rates the same wall comes to £320 and at its high rates £560, before any old paper is stripped.
Cost to wallpaper a room
Labour to wallpaper a room measuring 4.4m x 3.3m costs £350 to £500, an average of £450, on Checkatrade’s figures, with the paper on top. For a room of a different size, work out the wall area and price it by the m² instead. Where a decorator prices by the hour, Checkatrade puts the average rate at about £34 an hour.
A roll of wallpaper costs £10 to £70 on Checkatrade’s prices, and a standard roll gives about 35 square feet of paper. Hanging it yourself saves the labour, which comes to £140 on the feature wall above at Checkatrade’s average rate, and pre-pasted wallpaper with a basic pattern makes the job simpler for a beginner.
How long it takes to wallpaper a room
Checkatrade’s figures give these times for hanging wallpaper, and preparation or old paper to strip is what stretches them.
| Job | Time |
|---|---|
| Wallpapering one wall | 1 to 2 hours |
| One wall that needs patching and sanding | A few hours longer |
| Wallpapering a room | 6 to 8 hours |
| A room that needs significant preparation or old wallpaper removing | A few days |
On an hourly price, those extra hours of patching, sanding and stripping go straight onto the bill.
Wallpaper removal cost
Checkatrade’s wallpaper removal prices are UK averages that exclude VAT.
| Job | Unit | Average, excluding VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper removal | Per room | £350 |
| Painting | Per room | £400 |
| Removing wallpaper and painting | Per room | £750 |
| Woodchip wallpaper removal | Per person per day | £220 |
If the walls are to be painted instead of papered again, removing the wallpaper and painting the room averages £750 per room plus VAT on Checkatrade’s removal prices.
Woodchip wallpaper removal
Woodchip is priced by time rather than by the room, at £220 per person per day plus VAT on Checkatrade’s figures. The price therefore depends on how many people the job needs and for how many days, so ask for both before you compare quotes.
Asking for a woodchip removal price
Do this
Please price stripping the woodchip from the lounge walls, including any patch repairs to the plaster. How many people will the job need, for how many days, and is VAT included?
Not this
How much to get the woodchip off the lounge walls?
Steaming, chemical stripping and scraping
Wallpaper comes off in one of three ways: steaming, chemical stripping or scraping. Steaming uses an electric steamer to dampen the paper and break down the adhesive, and the paper is scored first. It is typically the most expensive method, while soaking and scraping are the most affordable, Checkatrade says.
After a difficult strip the plaster may need patch repairs, because paint only goes on a flat, even surface.
Do not let stripping damage the plaster
Wallpaper removed badly can damage the plaster and let moisture settle into the walls, leaving repairs to pay for before the wall can be painted.
What a wallpapering quote should include
Two wallpapering quotes only compare when they price the same work on the same basis, so check what each one covers before you look at the totals.
Before you compare wallpapering quotes
- The quote says whether the price is per m², per room or by the hour
- It says whether the wallpaper is included or you are buying it
- It says whether stripping the old paper is included, and by which method
- It says whether patch repairs to the plaster are included
- It gives the hours or days the job will take
- It says whether VAT is included
Then set each line against the UK averages. A price for hanging compares with £12 to £16 per m², or £350 to £500 for a 4.4m x 3.3m room, on Checkatrade’s wallpapering figures. A price for stripping compares with £350 per room plus VAT on Checkatrade’s removal figures.
Among the ten Nottingham decorators ranked with a best pick for wallpapering, Whites Decorators in Watnall removes old wall coverings and hangs wallpaper and textured coverings, and ARD Decor in Rise Park has a team of wallpaper hangers working across Nottingham. Leon Shaw Painting & Decorating in Mapperley Park counts luxury wallpaper among its residential case studies, and all ten decorators give free quotes.
Common questions
How much does it cost to wallpaper a room?
Labour to wallpaper a 4.4m x 3.3m room costs £350 to £500, an average of £450, on Checkatrade's figures. The paper is extra, at £20 to £40 per m² or £10 to £70 a roll, and stripping any old paper first is priced separately.
How much does wallpapering cost per square metre?
Wallpapering costs £12 to £16 per m² for labour only, an average of £14, on Checkatrade's figures. With the paper at £20 to £40 per m², labour and paper together come to £32 to £56 per m², an average of £44.
How much does wallpaper removal cost?
Wallpaper removal averages £350 per room plus VAT, on Checkatrade's figures. Woodchip wallpaper is priced by time instead, at £220 per person per day plus VAT, so its cost depends on how many people the job needs and for how many days.
How much does it cost to strip wallpaper and paint a room?
Stripping the wallpaper and painting a room averages £750 per room plus VAT, on Checkatrade's removal figures. That is £350 for the removal and £400 for the painting, and a difficult strip can add patch repairs to the plaster before the paint goes on.
How long does it take to wallpaper a room?
Wallpapering a room takes about 6 to 8 hours, and one wall around 1 to 2 hours, on Checkatrade's figures. A room can take a few days if the walls need significant preparation or old wallpaper removing.
What is the cheapest way to strip wallpaper?
Soaking and scraping are the most affordable ways to strip wallpaper, and steaming is typically the most expensive, Checkatrade says. Steaming uses an electric steamer to dampen the paper and break down the adhesive, and the paper is scored first.
How much does a roll of wallpaper cost?
A roll of wallpaper costs £10 to £70 on Checkatrade's figures, and a standard roll gives about 35 square feet of paper. If you are new to hanging wallpaper yourself, pre-pasted wallpaper with a basic pattern makes the job simpler.
Where the figures come from
- Checkatrade, wallpapering costs read 2026-09-17
- Checkatrade, wallpaper removal cost read 2026-09-17
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