Decorating & finishing
Wallpapering cost calculator
Wallpapering is the most searched DIY job in the UK, and it rewards patience. Good prep and careful measuring matter far more than skill. A beginner can hang a feature wall in an afternoon.
- Full DIY
- £250
- Smart Hybrid
- £250
- Full Trade
- £920
Typical mid-range job, Midlands rates. Yours updates below.
Updated November 2026. Estimates based on typical UK prices.
Cost calculator
Price this job three ways
Answer a few questions and watch the numbers move. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Smart Hybrid saves £670 against a full trade job.
Smart Hybrid
You take on what you can, a trade handles the rest.
£250
- Materials
- £222
- Labour
- £0
- Extras
- £25
- You take on: strip old wallpaper, hang the wallpaper.
- Everything else stays with a trade.
- Buy every roll from the same batch number so the shade matches from drop to drop.
Turn this into a plan
Get the order of work, who to book and a budget tracker, all editable.
Order of work for this job
A typical order. Always confirm timing with whoever you book, since some steps can overlap.
- 1
Strip out
- Strip old wallpaperYou · ~1.11 days
- 2
Decorating
- Hang the wallpaperYou · ~2.08 days
How we worked out the materials›
- Wallpaper£19614.1 m of wall ÷ 0.53 m = 27 drops of 2.5 m (2.4 m + trim); 4 drops per roll = 7 rolls
- Wallpaper paste£141 tub per 5 rolls × 7 rolls
- Sundries£12Spare blades, sponge, seam roller and sandpaper
Estimates only, based on regional averages. Always get 2 to 3 written quotes from local trades.
The price
What affects the cost?
- 1
Wall area and roll size
A standard UK roll is about 10.05 m long and 53 cm wide. Pattern repeat adds waste.
- 2
Pattern match
Large drop or offset patterns need extra rolls to line up at every join.
- 3
Paper type
Lining paper, vinyl, non-woven and premium or hand-printed paper vary enormously in price.
- 4
Wall prep
Stripping old paper, filling and sizing add time if you are paying a decorator.
- 5
Doing it yourself
Hanging is mostly labour, so DIY saves a lot, but a mistake on expensive paper is costly.
Be honest with yourself
Can you do this yourself?
You can do
- The whole job, with practice on a small wall first
- Stripping old paper, filling and sizing
- Hanging lining paper
- Hanging a feature wall
Leave to a pro
- Expensive hand-printed or very large-pattern papers
- Awkward spaces like stairwells and high ceilings
- Walls in poor condition that need re-skimming first
The rules
No regulations apply. Switch off the power before removing socket covers.
DIY guide
How to wallpaper a room, step by step
Tools you'll need
- Plumb line or spirit level
- Pasting table and brush
- Smoothing brush or squeegee
- Sharp trimming knife and straight edge
- Seam roller
- Sponge and bucket
Materials
- Wallpaper (all rolls from the same batch)
- Wallpaper paste
- Lining paper if the wall is poor
- Size or primer
- Filler
- 1
Measure and buy enough rolls
~0.5 daysMeasure the wall height and the width to be covered. Work out how many drops you can cut from a roll after allowing for pattern repeat, then divide into the number of drops needed. Buy one extra roll.
Tip: Keep every roll from the same batch number. Shades can vary between batches.
- 2
Strip and prepare the walls
~1 dayScore and soak old paper, then scrape it off. Wash away residue, fill and sand any holes, and apply size or a coat of diluted paste so the new paste has something to grip.
- 3
Mark a plumb start line
~0.25 daysDo not trust the corner, because walls are never straight. Hang a plumb line or use a long level and mark a vertical line a roll-width from the corner or the centre of the feature wall.
- 4
Cut and paste the first drop
~0.25 daysCut the first length 10 cm longer than the wall height. Paste the paper (or the wall, for non-woven paper) right to the edges and, if the paper needs it, fold and leave to soak for the time on the packet.
- 5
Hang and smooth
~0.5 daysLine the edge up to your plumb line, leave the spare at ceiling and skirting, and smooth outward from the centre with a brush to push out air bubbles.
- 6
Trim top and bottom
~0.25 daysPress the paper into the ceiling and skirting line with the back of the scissors or a wide filling knife, and trim along the crease with a sharp blade. Change blades often.
Tip: A sharp blade is the difference between a neat edge and a torn one.
- 7
Match and butt the next drop
~0.5 daysSlide the next piece against the first, matching the pattern, and join the seams edge to edge without overlapping. Wipe away excess paste immediately with a damp sponge.
- 8
Go round sockets and corners
~0.5 daysSwitch off the power and loosen the faceplates. Cut a small cross over the socket, trim neatly and tighten the plate back over. Turn corners by wrapping the paper round by about 1 cm and starting the next drop on a new plumb line.
Turn off the power at the consumer unit before loosening socket plates.
- 9
Finish and clean up
~0.25 daysRun a seam roller along joins if the paper allows it, check for bubbles, wipe off paste, and leave the room well ventilated while it dries.
Learn from others
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the corner as a straight edge when walls are rarely plumb
- Pasting too much or too little paste on the paper
- Not matching the pattern and discovering it after the third drop
- Overlapping seams on vinyl and non-woven paper, which should butt up
- Skipping the wall prep, so the paper lifts at the seams
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to wallpaper a room?
For a typical 4 × 3.5 m room with all four walls papered in mid-range non-woven paper and the old paper stripped, expect from around £250 hanging it yourself to £920 with a decorator. A single feature wall costs far less.
How many rolls of wallpaper do I need?
Count the drops (strips) you need and how many each roll yields once you allow for the pattern repeat. For the typical room above that comes to 7 rolls. A standard UK roll is 10.05 m long and 53 cm wide, and a larger pattern repeat means more waste. The calculator does the sums for your room.
How much does wallpaper cost per roll?
Mid-range non-woven wallpaper costs around £28 a roll. Budget paper-backed vinyl is cheaper, and designer or heavyweight paper costs several times more.
Can I wallpaper a room myself?
Yes. It is one of the most DIY-friendly decorating jobs, and no certificates or regulations apply. The keys are good wall preparation, a plumb line for your first drop, and buying all rolls from the same batch. Practise on a small wall or a feature wall first.
How long does it take to wallpaper a room?
A confident decorator does a room in about a day. A first-timer should allow a weekend for a full room, plus time to strip old paper and prepare the walls beforehand.
Ready to plan it?
Add this job to your renovation plan to get the order of work, who to book and a budget you can track.