Wallpaper Removal in Vancouver
Easily Remove Old Wallpaper and Refresh Your Walls
Please note: we take on projects starting at C$1,050 - this type of work is most often done as part of a larger painting or carpentry project.
Wallpaper Removal: What It Involves & Costs
You're busy. Here is what actually matters, from our own job records - not marketing copy.
What removal really involves
- Score, soak, and strip - top layer first, adhesive layer second. Two different jobs.
- Adhesive residue washed completely: paint over glue and it cracks into alligator texture within months.
- Walls skim-coated where the paper tore the drywall face - common in homes where paper went straight onto unprimed board.
- Prime with the right sealer, then two finish coats.
The glue problem nobody mentions
Half our wallpaper calls are not about removing paper - they're about fixing walls where someone painted over residue glue or tore the drywall face getting paper off. That repair costs more than professional removal would have. If your paper went up before the walls were primed (most pre-1990 homes), assume the drywall face will need work.
What we'll tell you up front
- Multiple paper layers price differently than one - we check at the estimate.
- Paper over unprimed drywall may mean skim-coating whole walls; we'll know within the first hour and tell you immediately.
These lines come straight from our written estimates. Contractors who don't say them up front bill you for them later.
What We Run Into With Vancouver Wallpaper
Wallpaper removal is a small share of our files - mostly West Point Grey and Arbutus Ridge houses - and it is almost always the first step of a repaint, not a job on its own. The variable is what is under it.
Paper on primed drywall. Scores, soaks, comes off in sheets; the glue is washed off, the wall spot-repaired, primed and painted. A day per room.
Paper on unprimed drywall or plaster. The face comes off and the backing stays, or the drywall paper tears with it. Then it is a skim-and-prime job before any colour, and the price is by the hour until we know what we have - which is why we test a corner before quoting.
Painted-over wallpaper. The worst case: seams telegraph through paint and the paper is sealed under it. Sometimes the answer is to skim over it rather than remove it. We tell you which at the walk-through.
Afterwards. Primer-sealer over the whole wall, then two coats. Owners often use the empty room to redo trim and baseboards at the same time.
From Our Job Files
Recent wallpaper work, described the way it was scoped. Names and addresses stay private.
What can change the price after the quote
- The quote is a fixed written price for the scope we walked through. It moves only if the scope moves, and you hear about it first.
- Removal is quoted by the hour when we cannot see what the paper is on; a test corner first turns that into a fixed number.
- Drywall face that tears off with the backing: skim coat on the affected wall, priced per wall and shown to you first.
- More than one layer of paper - each layer is another pass.
- Adding the ceiling, trim or an adjoining room while the furniture is out, at the same rates.
Wallpaper Removal Questions We Get Every Week
Short answers from the crew.
Why is it quoted by the hour?
Because the cost is decided by what is under the paper, and we cannot see that until a corner comes off. We test a corner at the walk-through; after that it is a fixed price.
Can you paint over wallpaper?
If it is tight, sound and the seams are cut and skimmed, yes, with a primer-sealer first. Loose or vinyl-faced paper has to come off.
Will the walls be damaged?
Primed drywall survives fine. Unprimed drywall loses some of its face paper; we skim those areas before priming so the finished wall is flat.
Do you use steam or chemicals?
Warm water with a remover for most paper, a steamer for stubborn glue. No solvents in an occupied house.
What happens to the glue?
Washed off completely. Paint over leftover paste crazes and peels within a year.
How are payments handled?
One third on acceptance, one third at the halfway point, balance on completion. Estimates are valid for 30 days.
What It Really Costs
Honest numbers from our own records - not industry averages.
| Scope | Typical price | Most projects land between |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum project size | C$1,050 | we take on work starting at this size |
| As part of a larger project | most common | bundled with exterior painting or carpentry |
Based on 317 written Renaissance estimates and 794 completed projects as of 20 August 2026. Prices exclude GST. This service is most often done as part of a bigger painting or carpentry project - bundling saves you mobilization costs.
Contact Us
Paying more now will save you money in the long run by ensuring a professional, smooth, and damage-free result. Contact us today for a free estimate, and let us take care of your wallpaper removal and painting needs.
Call or Text
Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-17:00. A real person answers - usually Eric.
Email Us
Attach a few photos of your space and we'll reply with ballpark pricing.
Our Office
1892 West Broadway, Suite 200, Vancouver, BC V6J 1Y9
Serving Vancouver, North & West Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond.
Recent Work
Who wrote this. The Renaissance crew, from our own job files. Owner Eric Goodwill is a Red Seal Painter and Decorator and has run the company since 1992. More about Eric
Ready To Start Your Project?
Free phone consultation with ballpark pricing - just send us a few photos.
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