How much does wallpapering cost?

For hanging new wallpaper on walls that are already prepared, most decorators charge £200–£400 for a small bedroom and £300–£600 for an average living room or double bedroom. Larger rooms, high ceilings and rooms with lots of windows, doors, alcoves or a chimney breast cost more because each obstacle needs careful cutting.

A single feature wall is a popular way to use an expensive paper without papering the whole room. It usually costs £100–£250 in labour, more if the wall has a chimney breast, sockets or a window in it.

Hallways and staircases are the most expensive areas. The drops are long, there is a lot of cutting around banisters and the head of the stairs, and the decorator needs a safe platform or staging over the stairwell. Expect £500–£1,100 for a typical hall, stairs and landing.

These prices are labour only. The cost of the paper, paste and lining paper is extra.

Some paperhangers charge per roll hung rather than per room. For plain papers and small repeats, £25–£40 per roll is typical. Large pattern repeats, wide-width papers, paste-the-wall papers that need careful matching, and specialist papers such as grasscloth, silk or murals cost more, often £35–£60 per roll or a quote per job.

Others charge a day rate of £180–£280. An experienced paperhanger can hang roughly 8–12 standard rolls a day on good walls, fewer on complicated rooms or stairwells.

A standard UK roll is about 10m long and 53cm wide. An average bedroom usually needs 6–10 rolls, depending on height and pattern repeat. Always buy all the rolls from the same batch number, and get one or two spare, as batches can differ slightly in colour.

Preparation often takes as long as the hanging.

Stripping old wallpaper usually costs £100–£300 per room. It depends on how many layers there are, whether it has been painted over, and how well it comes away. A steamer helps, but older plaster can come away with the paper, and that then needs filling or skimming.

Lining paper is hung horizontally under the finished paper to give a smooth, even surface, hide minor cracks and help the top paper adhere evenly. It is recommended under heavier or expensive papers and on poor walls, and usually adds £150–£350 per room including materials. On good, sound plaster it is not always needed.

New plaster must be fully dry and sealed with a mist coat or size before papering. Any damp should be fixed first, as paper will lift and stain on a damp wall.

Room size and ceiling height set the number of rolls and drops.

The type of paper. Plain and small-pattern papers are quickest. Large repeats waste more paper and take longer to match. Heavy vinyls, fabric-backed papers, grasscloth and murals need specialist handling.

The condition of the walls. Stripping, filling cracks, sanding and lining all add time.

Obstacles. Windows, doors, radiators, sockets, alcoves and chimney breasts all need cutting around. Radiators may need to be taken off the wall, which some decorators will do and others will not.

Ceilings. Papering a ceiling is slow work overhead and costs £150–£350 for an average room.

Staircases. Long drops and working over a stairwell need proper staging, which adds to the cost but should never be skipped.

A rough estimate is easy once you know the rolls needed.

1. Measure the height of the walls and the total length round the room, ignoring doors and windows to allow for waste. 2. Use the roll calculator on the wallpaper maker's website or label to get the number of rolls. 3. Multiply by £25–£40 per roll for plain papers, or £35–£60 for large patterns. 4. Add stripping and lining if needed, and the cost of the paper.

Example: a double bedroom needing 8 rolls of a plain paper, with old wallpaper to strip. Hanging at £25–£40 per roll is £200–£320. Stripping adds £100–£300. Lining adds £150–£350. That gives labour of roughly £450–£970. With paper at £20–£40 a roll, budget another £160–£320 for materials.

On BidMyJob you can post the job with the room size, a photo and a link to your chosen paper, and local decorators bid.

Strip the old paper yourself. It is time-consuming but low-skill, and it removes a big part of the labour.

Choose a feature wall rather than the whole room if you have your heart set on an expensive paper.

Pick a smaller pattern repeat. It wastes less paper and is quicker to hang.

Clear the room fully and take down curtains, pictures and shelves before the decorator arrives.

Book several rooms together. Many decorators will give a better price for a run of work than a single room.