Wallpapering Cost Calculator
Wallpapering is priced per roll hung, not per square metre — a decorator hangs 10–12 rolls in a day whatever shape the room is. A patterned paper that has to line up across every drop is slower, and wastes more, than a plain one of the same size.
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4 steps. How much, which paper, what is on the walls now, and region.
How this calculator works
Wallpapering is sold by the roll hung, not by the square metre. A decorator gets through 10–12 rolls in a day more or less whatever the room shape, so a room is about a day and a feature wall is a small job with the same set-up — which is why one wall is never a quarter the price of four.
The paper you pick changes the rate, but not for the reason people expect. It is the pattern repeat, not the price tag: a design that has to line up across every drop is slower to hang and wastes part of each length.
The prep is where quotes diverge: stripping old paper is £150–£300 a room and lining is £80–£150, and some decorators quote them as one line and some as two. A quote that is £200 cheaper than the others is usually a quote that has left one of them out.
Wallpapering cost by paper and by job (2026)
| Paper / work | Typical 2026 cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plain or random match | £30/roll hung | No pattern to line up |
| Patterned | £45/roll hung | Pattern repeat means waste and slower hanging |
| Heavy, textured or grasscloth | £60/roll hung | Paste-the-wall care, delicate seams |
| One feature wall | £140–£250 | Small job, full set-up |
| A whole room, all-in | £400–£900 | Four walls plus the usual prep |
| Strip the old paper | +£150–£300/room | Strip, wash down and make good |
| Lining paper | +£80–£150/room | A flat base over tired plaster |
| The wallpaper itself | £25–£100/roll | Bought by you, not the decorator |
Rates match our wallpapering cost guide and the figures already published on our painting pages.
What changes a wallpapering quote the most
The number of drops is the real measure, not the floor area — a tall stairwell wall can hold as much paper as a whole small bedroom. Wall height, chimney breasts and the number of windows and doors to cut around all raise the drop count and the labour, so a plain box room is always cheaper per square metre than a broken-up one.
The paper changes the job. Paste-the-wall papers hang faster than traditional paste-the-paper types; a heavy or delicate paper needs more care; and a large pattern repeat means real waste, because every drop has to be matched and the offcuts are dead. Lining the walls first, which many good papers need, adds a whole extra hang.
Preparation is the hidden cost: stripping old paper, filling and sanding, and lining poor walls can take longer than the papering itself. Access to stairwells and high ceilings adds towers or boards. For the wider decorating picture, the wallpapering cost guide sets out the rates.
Wallpapering calculator FAQs
Because the set-up is the same. Dust sheets, paste, plumb line, trimming and clearing up happen whether you hang three rolls or eleven, so a single wall carries a minimum charge of roughly £160 rather than a per-roll price.
About 11 for a typical room, and a decorator hangs 10–12 in a day. Measure properly before you buy and add 10–15% for pattern repeat and mistakes — and buy it all at once so the batch numbers match.
Strip it. Papering over old paper looks fine for a few weeks and then the new paste softens the old and both start lifting at the seams. Stripping is £150–£300 a room and is the difference between a job that lasts and one that does not.
On older walls, yes. It gives a flat, even base so the finish paper does not telegraph every hairline crack in the plaster, and it is £80–£150 a room. On sound modern plaster you can usually skip it.
Normally you do. Budget £25–£100 a roll, and remember the trade discount is rarely passed on anyway — what you gain by supplying it yourself is the choice.
Related cost guides
- Wallpapering costs — per roll, per room, all-in
- Painting & decorating costs — day rates and per-room prices
- House painting costs — inside and out
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