How much does wallpaper removal cost in Virginia?
There is no published Virginia price for wallpaper removal. The cost follows the wall area, the type of paper, the condition of the wall underneath and whether repair and painting are included. Ask at least three businesses for written quotes on the same scope, and tell them if the house was built before 1978.
Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.
By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished
Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.
Step by step
Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.
Step 1: Measure and count
Note how many rooms and how many wall sections you want stripped, and whether ceilings, closets or stairwells are involved.
Step 2: Identify the paper
Lift a corner at a seam: strippable paper comes away in sheets, while vinyl or painted-over paper takes much longer. Photograph what you find.
Step 3: Find out how old the house is
If it was built before 1978, tell every bidder, because it changes the work method.[3]
Step 4: Decide what comes after
Decide whether you want only removal, or removal plus wall repair, primer and paint, so every bid covers the same scope.
Step 5: Ask for three written bids
Ask for at least three written bids on the same scope.[1]
Step 6: Compare line by line
Check each bid for paste removal, wall repair, priming, furniture moving and disposal.
Step 7: Check licence and deposit
Look up the licence if the job reaches the threshold, and keep the deposit within the limit DPOR suggests.[1]
There is no single Virginia price for wallpaper removal, and no government source publishes one. What you pay depends on the size of the room, the kind of paper, the condition of the wall underneath and whether painting follows. The reliable way to find your number is to get several written quotes on the same scope.
What drives the price
How much wall there is. Cost follows wall area and the number of rooms. Stairwells, high ceilings and rooms full of furniture add time.
What kind of paper it is. Strippable paper can come away in sheets. Vinyl, foil and painted-over paper must be scored and soaked, and several layers of paper take longer still.
What is under it. If the paper was hung on unprimed drywall, the face of the drywall can tear when it is wet. The repair, skim coat and prime that follow are often where a quote grows, because the wall then needs more work than the removal itself.
How old the house is. If your home was built before 1978, it is more likely to have lead-based paint.[3] That can change how the work has to be done and who can do it. EPA's advice on lead paint is "Avoid DIY removal of lead-based paint"[3] where it is present, so tell every bidder the age of the house.
What is bundled in. Some quotes cover only stripping. Others include patching, primer, painting, moving furniture and haul-away. Two quotes with the same total can describe very different jobs.
Where the money usually goes
On a typical job the labour is soaking, scraping and washing, and then the wall repair. A room where the paper lifts in sheets can be quick. A room with vinyl over unprimed drywall can turn into a patching and priming job. That is why a fair quote describes the wall condition it assumed and says what happens if the wall turns out worse once the paper is off.
Ask whether the price includes moving furniture, protecting floors and hauling away the old paper, since these are easy to leave out.
Who does the work, and what the law says
In Virginia the Board for Contractors defines painting and wallcovering contracting as including "the installation of surface coverings such as vinyls, wall papers, and cloth fabrics."[2] DPOR's guide says a valid Virginia contractor's licence is required for the licence category in which the contractor is to work when the work is valued at $1,000 or more, and that "Unlicensed contracting is against the law."[1] The regulation's definition names installing wall papers; it does not mention taking them down, so ask any business you are considering to show its licence and what class it holds.
Getting quotes you can compare
Ask each business to price the same scope in writing: which rooms, what wall repair, whether primer and paint are included, and how waste is handled. DPOR's guide says to "Solicit at least three bids for the work you need."[1] It also warns: "Beware of any bid substantially lower than the others."[1] A very low number often leaves out wall repair or priming.
Ask how they plan to keep the room clean while the paper is soaked, and whether they will test or assume lead in an older house.
On deposits, DPOR's advice is to "Limit your deposit to 10% down or $1,000, whichever is less."[1]
Doing it yourself instead
A first-time stripper with a scoring tool and a steamer or a spray bottle can do a small room over a weekend, and the saving is the labour. The trade-off is the repair work after the paper comes off. How to remove old wallpaper walks through the method.
Stop and call a pro if
- The house predates 1978 and the paint beneath is flaking. Do not scrape it yourself.[3]
- The wall is damp, soft or stained under the paper.
- The job is a stairwell or a very high wall that needs scaffolding.
- A bid is far below the others. It probably leaves something out.[1]
Next steps
Browse painting answers or painters in the Loclis directory. If you are also weighing who should put up the new paper, read should I hire someone to hang wallpaper. When you are ready, describe the wall and licensed local painters can quote it.
Common questions
- How much does wallpaper removal cost in Virginia?
- There is no single figure. The price depends on wall area, the kind of paper, the condition of the wall and whether repair and painting are included. Get at least three written bids for the same scope and compare them line by line.
- Is wallpaper removal charged per room or per square foot?
- Both are used. What matters is that the quote states which rooms and which work it covers, so you can compare it with other bids.
- Do I need a licensed contractor to remove wallpaper?
- DPOR says a Virginia contractor's licence is required when the work is valued at $1,000 or more, and that unlicensed contracting is against the law. The Board for Contractors defines painting and wallcovering contracting to include installing wall papers and surface preparation preparatory to coverings. Ask to see a business's licence before you sign.
- How much deposit should I pay?
- DPOR's advice is to limit a deposit to 10% down or $1,000, whichever is less.
- Why is one quote so much lower than the others?
- DPOR warns that an abnormally low bid probably means a mistake or that some of the work is not included, such as wall repair or priming.
Sources
- [1] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [2] 18VAC50-22-30, Definitions of specialty services (Board for Contractors Regulations), Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [3] Protect Your Family from Sources of Lead, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.
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