How Much Does it Cost to Install Wallpaper?

On This Page:

1. Types of Wallpaper
2. Customized Wallpaper & Wall Coverings
3. Installation Considerations
4. Alternative Options

Wallpaper as we know it today has been a popular home addition that has enjoyed stylistic renaissances continually since the 1930s. The use of allover wallpaper, once a virtual requirement in any interior decorating plan, largely fell out of favor in the latter half of the 20th century. However, since the early 2000s, decorators and homeowners have re-embraced wallpaper in a new and more modern way, often using it as an accent or faux finish meant to quickly and inexpensively transform a room and make it much chicer.

Like any home improvement job, estimating the cost of wallpapering one or more rooms of your home is highly specific and dependent on a combination of everything from the size of the room to the quality of the paper to the intricacies of your architectural design. In general, the cost of wallpaper and hangers will typically range between $287 and $729, with an average cost of $507.

Types of Wallpaper

There are many types of wallpaper, but four of the most popular kids are vinyl-coated, coated-fabric, paper or solid sheet-backed vinyl, and fabric-backed vinyl. Each one has its own benefits and disadvantages, and each type is better than others for specific rooms.

Vinyl-Coated Wallpaper

Vinyl-coated wallpaper is one of the most diverse types, suitable for most any room but particularly the kitchen and bathroom due to its improved water resistance. This type of paper is made when printed paper product is sprayed or coated with acrylic vinyl or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) on its surface. This coating makes washing easy and also makes the surface resistant to grease and moisture penetration.

This type of paper is also easy to hang and strip due to its paper backing. A popular and easy-to-find wallpaper, vinyl-coated paper generally sells for around $40 per roll.

Coated-Fabric Wallpaper

Coated-fabric wallpaper is made by printing patterns directly onto a vinyl- or acrylic-coated fabric. Considered more breathable and of higher quality than vinyl-coated paper, and thus up to twice as expensive per roll, coated-fabric paper tends to absorb moisture rather than repel it. Therefore, this type is a poor choice for kitchens and bathrooms as well as for homes in climates with sustained high humidity levels and no air conditioning.

Paper-Backed or Solid-Sheet Vinyl Wallpaper

Paper-backed vinyl wallpaper, also known as solid-sheet vinyl wallpaper, is incredibly durable and easy to clean. It is made when a paper substrate is laminated into an acrylic to create a single, solid decorated surface. Solid-sheet vinyl papers are also often embossed to give texture to a wall surface, making them a more dynamic alternative to vinyl-coated paper while remaining available at a similar price point of about $45 per roll on average.

Because they are easy to peel, removing this paper is simple, but that also means that paper-backed or solid-sheet vinyl does not hold up well in high-traffic areas such as mudrooms.

Fabric-Backed Vinyl Wallpaper

Similar to the vinyl-coated paper, fabric-backed vinyl wallpaper has a strong, moisture-resistant surface of acrylic or vinyl. However, as the name implies, this type has a fabric backing rather than a paper one. As a result, fabric-backed vinyl paper is incredibly durable and tear-resistant as well as impervious to moisture and humidity. Because of these traits, it is common to find fabric-backed vinyl wallpaper in commercial applications and in high-traffic residential rooms. Depending on its design, the price of fabric-backed vinyl ranges from about $45 to $70 per roll.

Less Common Wallpaper Types

In addition to these common types of wallpaper, there are many other premium and traditional types to note, including the velvet-like flock wallpaper, the polished-looking foil wallpaper, natural bamboo wallpaper, and even just plain paper that resembles kraft paper. These less common types are generally more expensive (with the exception of plain paper) and usually more fragile than the modern vinyl and coated varieties found in most home improvement and decor stores.

As a result, choosing a premium or less common paper type includes balancing the look and effect with price and durability given the factors affecting each room in your home.

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Customized Wallpaper & Wall Coverings

If you are looking for a more personalized or stand-out effect, choosing custom wallpaper and wall coverings, such as wall murals, is a popular way to add modern design elements and visual interest to the rooms of your home. A wall mural typically covers an entire wall with a large scene or image, whereas custom wallpaper can be of a repeated pattern or color that is simply made to your specifications. Custom wallpaper may also form a mural.

Prices for this kind of wall decoration vary depending on the quality of the final product, the materials used, and the work put in by the designing staff. Unlike traditional wallpaper, custom wall coverings and murals are often charged based on the whole project or design rather than the roll, since the design must be fitted to your wall. Average costs of murals range from $150-$250 for a full wall image and $60-$100 for a narrower wall image.

As a result, the installation of this custom job may easily cost more than the average of $507; using a professional wallpaper installer is necessary because the paper can be more difficult to line up or handle and be much more expensive than normal wall coverings.

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Installation Considerations

Figuring out the exact cost of your wallpaper installation job is tough because there are various factors in your home that affect labor rates, including high ceilings, soffit areas above cabinets, and architectural details like crown moldings and archways.

In addition, contractors will vary in the way they quote pricing. Some charge by the roll of paper, while some charge by the job. Others still will charge by the square footage of the area that needs to be covered. Some charge more for borders on high ceilings, and others charge by the type of paper you've selected. The final cost all depends on the type of paper you choose, the complexity of the design, and the intricacies of your room, which is why it is critical to get quotes from several different installers.

If you need to have old wallpaper removed before installing new paper, that adds to the cost of your installation. The type of paper currently on the walls as well as how it was installed matter. For example, professionally installed paper is generally easier to take down because professionals tend to use higher-quality primers than DIYers. If you are worried about this aspect of the cost, ask your pro to give you a quote on the removal of the old paper before you begin. In some, but not all, cases, you can install the old paper over the new paper without having to remove what was there previously. Discuss this possibility with your installer to see if this is an option.

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Alternative Options

If you’re unsure whether or not wallpaper is right for you, there are still many different wall covering options that you can add to your home to impart interest and design sensibilities to each room. Aside from standard paint, stencils or freehand murals are a more elegant, lasting way to add true art to your walls.

Alternately, wall stickers are a temporary yet effective alternative to wallpaper that add the same patterns and scenes for a fraction of the price. They are typically made of vinyl and can be repositioned multiple times or placed on a variety of surfaces, including tile and wood. Although they are less durable and tend to look less finished because they primarily come in solid colors, wall stickers are a great way to transition from plain paint to wallpaper without making as much of a time or financial commitment, and they are easy to DIY.

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