Hanging wallpaper may seem simple, but in practice it requires significant planning and finesse to make it look professional. To start, you need to get an even application of wallpaper paste across all of your wallpaper, which requires experience and large pasting tables to get right. You also need to plan out your design and match it exactly so that you don’t have imperfections in the finished product. It’s often better to hire a professional wallpaper hanger who can get the job done properly for a clean, smooth finish.

The average cost to hire a professional wallpaper hanger is around $575 per room, but it’s not uncommon to see prices range from $175 to $1,400 or more for a single room. Your total project cost depends on the wallpaper quality, room type and size, and whether you must remove old wallpaper. Since room size is one of the most significant cost factors, you can use a price between $1 and $7 per square foot to estimate your wallpapering labor cost.

It depends: You can wallpaper over non-coated wallpaper, but you should never wallpaper over vinyl-coated wallpaper. This non-recommended method will cause the new wallpaper to fail to stick, which can lead to bubbling, imperfections, and even mold growth between the layers of wallpaper. Consult a professional wallpaper hanger to determine your existing wallpaper type or remove the current wallpaper and paste residue so that the new wallpaper will adhere properly.

Spring and fall are the best seasons to apply wallpaper because excessively hot or cold temperatures can cause issues with the paste used to attach the paper to the wall. A professional wallpaper hanger can help you decide if your home is too hot, cold, humid, or dry for the wallpaper to stick properly.

Hiring a professional wallpaper hanger is usually a worthwhile idea because, while the application of wallpaper itself is easy, getting the finished product to look good is complicated and takes a lot of practice and patience. A professional wallpaper hanger will not only be able to hang your wallpaper seamlessly, but they will also get an even application of wallpaper paste to avoid bubbling and imperfections immediately and over time. Plus, they can provide their professional opinion on whether to remove or wallpaper over an existing layer of wallpaper.