How Much Does It Cost to Remove Wallpaper in 2025?
On average, you’ll pay $791 to remove wallpaper
Wallpaper removal costs range from $200 to $2,000, averaging $791, or $0.60 to $3 per square foot.
The total price depends on various cost factors, including the location, type, condition of the wall, and the method of removal.
Hiring a professional wallpaper removal service prevents damage and preserves the condition of your walls.
Removing wallpaper preps the surface for fresh paint or new finishes and can enhance the aesthetics of your home.
This article was updated using automation technology and thoroughly reviewed for accuracy by HomeAdvisor Editor Ryan Noonan.
Whether you’re stripping a single accent wall or every room in the house, wallpaper removal costs an average of $791, with most projects landing between $422 and $1,191—or $0.60 to $3 per square foot. Prices fluctuate with your location, the quantity of paper, its age, and the frequency of the room’s updates, so leave a little wiggle room in the budget for unexpected expenses. Hiring an experienced wallpaper-removal pro keeps the drywall intact, finishes the job faster, and sets you up for paint or fresh wallcoverings with far less hassle.
Wallpaper Removal Cost Factors
When budgeting for wallpaper removal, several factors will influence the total cost. Understanding these variables can help you anticipate your final bill.
Wall Type
Removing wallpaper can be more challenging and costly if your walls are made of drywall. Drywall soaks up water and requires extra care to prevent damage. On the other hand, plaster walls tolerate more water, making wallpaper removal quicker, easier, and more budget-friendly.
Wallpaper Type
Different types of wallpaper have varying levels of difficulty when it comes to removal, with the easiest being modern peel-and-stick varieties. Traditional porous wallpapers are a bit more challenging but manageable since they absorb liquids well for steaming or soaking. Vinyl-coated wallpaper is the toughest to remove because it’s non-porous. The process requires additional steps, such as scoring before removal, which can increase your costs.
Wall Condition
If your walls need repairs after removing the wallpaper, this can increase your overall costs, especially if you plan to paint afterward. Damaged walls require patching or smoothing to prepare for a fresh coat of paint. Drywall repair costs an average of $880, depending on the severity of the damage.
Wall Height
The higher your walls, the more labor costs you'll incur for wallpaper removal. Aside from covering a larger surface area, additional charges often result from a remover having to use special equipment, such as a ladder, to reach the top.
Age
Removing your wallpaper might be more challenging if it has been on the walls for decades. Old adhesives can harden over time or use stronger formulas, making the wallpaper more challenging to remove. Additionally, older wallpaper can become brittle, making it difficult to strip away, which results in higher labor costs to complete the job.
Number of Layers
It’s common for homeowners to layer new wallpaper over old wallpaper to change up the look. Since these additional layers make removal more difficult, they’ll often incur extra labor charges.
Labor
Labor costs range from $0.60 to $10 per square foot, depending on the project size and the method used for removal. Some contractors charge by time instead, costing $30 to $40 per hour. On average, expect to pay between $500 and $700 per room, depending on the complexity of the job. If your wallpaper is hard to remove or your room has high ceilings, labor costs might be higher.
Materials
You can expect to spend between $50 and $100 on materials for wallpaper removal. These costs often appear on your bill for items such as scrapers, wallpaper strippers, scoring tools, and even equipment rentals, like steamers for stubborn wallpaper or tall ceilings. If your contractor needs to rent a steamer, it could add $50 to your costs.
Painting
Many homeowners paint their walls after removing wallpaper. The cost to paint a room can range between $2 and $6 per square foot.
Many local painters and handypeople provide these services, so you can hire the same pro for both jobs. Keep in mind that it may take a few days before you can paint since the wall may be wet after you remove the wallpaper.
Cost of Removing Wallpaper per Square Foot
Most contractors charge between $0.60 and $3 per square foot to remove wallpaper. For a standard 12-by-12-foot room, the average cost is $535. The exact price depends on factors like the condition of your wallpaper and the size of your room.
If your pro discovers unexpected layers of old wallpaper or particularly stubborn paper, they might increase the price per square foot due to the extra time needed.
| Total Sq. Ft. | Average Cost Range |
|---|---|
| 100 | $60–$300 |
| 200 | $120–$600 |
| 300 | $180–$900 |
| 400 | $240–$1,200 |
| 500 | $300–$1,500 |
Wallpaper Removal Cost by Method
The removal method can impact your wallpaper removal cost. Stripping the wallpaper is the most straightforward and inexpensive option, while soaking and steaming will increase your project's price.
| Removal Method | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Stripping | $0.60–$1.50 per sq. ft. |
| Soaking and scraping | $0.60–$1.50 per sq. ft. |
| Steaming | $50 |
Stripping
Stripping is the simplest and least expensive wallpaper removal method, costing between $0.60 and $1.50 per square foot. There is little prep work or cleanup required, which saves labor costs.
Soaking and Scraping
You might pay between $0.60 and $1.50 per square foot if your wallpaper isn’t strippable, as there’s much more work involved in removing it. Your local wallpaper removal pro will start by scoring the paper and adding water or an agent to dissolve the glue. Once the paper is loose, the contractor will either peel the panels off the wall or use a putty knife to scrape the paper and any remaining adhesive off the wall.
Steaming
Steaming wallpaper is a similar process to scraping, but uses an electric steamer to loosen the paper instead of a liquid agent. If a contractor must rent a steamer, this could increase the cost by $50.
DIY vs. Hiring a Wallpaper Removal Service
You can trim labor costs by taking the DIY route, but scraping wallpaper is a messy, time-consuming task that's easy to botch if you’re new to it. One slip of the scraper can gouge drywall and add repair bills you hadn’t planned on. Hiring a seasoned wallpaper pro means having the right tools, a cleaner finish, and a job done in a fraction of the time, so you can move on to painting instead of scraping.
Contact a local wallpaper removal company near you to receive a quote for your project.
Budgeting Tips for Wallpaper Removal
To keep wallpaper removal costs within budget, consider the following tips:
Get at least three quotes from local professionals to compare pricing and services—this prevents sticker shock and helps identify potential hidden fees.
Consider tackling smaller, less complex areas yourself while hiring pros for challenging spaces like high ceilings or textured walls.
Schedule your project during contractors' off-seasons (typically fall or winter) when many offer competitive rates to fill their calendars.
Ask about bundled services—many contractors offer discounted rates if you combine wallpaper removal with painting or other wall preparation work.
How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data
No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. We surveyed thousands of real customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can determine your wall type through tactile and visual tests. Start by checking the surface by inserting a thumbtack, feeling the texture, tapping to listen for a hollow sound, and examining cut edges under outlet covers. Drywall feels soft with a hollow sound, while plaster is hard and solid. These checks are especially useful in older homes where plaster is more common.
After removing wallpaper, you can dispose of small amounts in your household trash. However, if you are removing wallpaper from your entire home, you’ll need to contact a waste removal service, rent a dumpster, or arrange a special pick-up with your municipality’s waste service. Wallpaper cannot be recycled, so it is important to keep it separate from the recycling stream to comply with local waste guidelines.
It takes a professional from several hours up to a full day to remove wallpaper from a single room. The removal duration depends on the type of adhesive, the age of the wallpaper, the condition of the wall, and the number of layers present. High ceilings and additional layers increase the time required, as extra care is taken to protect the wall surface while ensuring a complete removal.
Using fabric softener with water is an option for removing wallpaper, but its effectiveness is limited and depends on the type of wallpaper being used. This low-cost method is most effective on modern, less porous wallpaper and may not yield optimal results on vintage or textured varieties. It might also affect wall surface preparation for new coverings if the residue is not completely removed. For stubborn adhesive or textured surfaces, professional solutions are recommended to ensure a thorough removal without damaging the underlying wall.
Get our Angi-powered app
