Price of removing wallpaper.... - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

SHAWNPAINTS · 12-28-2006, 06:41 AM

Im in the painting business and lately I have had a lot of jobs with wallpaper. How do some of the pros price wall paper removable? I'm in New Jersey and I would just like some feed back on some different ways to price. Thanks again all.

Richard · 12-28-2006, 07:04 AM

About 20% of jobs I land are wallpaper removals. Since I remove a crapload of paper...I have some kind of idea of labor and cost, so I usually just estimate T&M and write up a prop...always estimate a tad more than you think with wallpaper...it's never as easy as it looks or seems...here's a couple recent pics..

ps...what looks like a holiday on the left is just a shadow from the opposite wall

SHAWNPAINTS · 12-28-2006, 09:37 AM

That looks great. Do you charge by the foot for the wallpaper removable? What did you charge to take the wallpaper off in that picture? If you don't mind. Thanks again!

**slickshift** · 12-28-2006, 11:05 AM

I've gotten some cake covering removal jobs (cause everyone else was skeered of them), I've also gotten hosed (job was much worse than I imagined)

Now I do a test section before submitting a bid

The bid then has a waiver that says "...this priced is based on initial testing. Other factors (unkown) affecting cost and time may be uncovered during removal. If this happens, work will cease, and alternatives will be arranged with the Homeowner"

As for what to charge, I have to take it on a case by case basis
I don't have a set sq. ft. price, IMO that'd be nuts
There's way too many variables

I've done enough I can estimate time pretty good from the test
But I bid high and still waiver it

SHAWNPAINTS · 12-28-2006, 11:23 AM

Do you have a sample of your bid sheet/ contract for wall paper and the variables? It would be much appreciated. Thanks again for the help.

**slickshift** · 12-28-2006, 11:31 AM

PM me your email addy, I can probably dig up a file to send you

MattCoops · 12-28-2006, 11:43 AM

it depends on how easy it comes off
sometimes it becomes a pain

I agree with removing a test area before submitting a bid

customers hate change orders

In my opinion once you throw out a number, you're pretty much committed to it

we usually charge around $2 / sq ft to remove wallpaper and spackle/sand any areas needing repair

Richard · 12-28-2006, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHAWNPAINTS

That looks great. Do you charge by the foot for the wallpaper removable? What did you charge to take the wallpaper off in that picture? If you don't mind. Thanks again!

Thanks man...yeah, that pic is like 10% of the work I did in that house...I posted some pics of the kitchen in a thread I started about a month ago--I do not charge by the foot to remove wallpaper...every job is different and most turn out to be WAY more than anticipated, which is exactly what happened this entire job. I charge by estimated T & M. I dont have a set formula on it, but I usually do ok. This job is a tough one to swallow for me. The customers are good friends and I gave them a sweet price. They have kept me busy around their house for months upon months and in the spring I will tackle their exterior trim....sooooo, I didn't really make out at all on their inside, but all the neighbors love it, so in the end it will bring me work I'm sure...

Richard · 12-28-2006, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slickshift

I've gotten some cake covering removal jobs (cause everyone else was skeered of them), I've also gotten hosed (job was much worse than I imagined)Now I do a test section before submitting a bidThe bid then has a waiver that says "...this priced is based on initial testing. Other factors (unkown) affecting cost and time may be uncovered during removal. If this happens, work will cease, and alternatives will be arranged with the Homeowner"

This sounds like something I really need to start doing

...I tend to be nice and take the time to deal with a bigger mess than I thought I would have to tackle and usually dont charge for it, but no more

No more

axnjoe · 12-29-2006, 10:37 PM

We strip a lot of paper too.
I think we have a huge advantage over other painters cuz we also hang a lot of paper too. That helps me decide(estimate) at how hard it will be to take the paper off according to the type of paper and glue used.
Even with that and us hanging drywall and finishing and plastering, I still do not have a good answer on square foot prices to through out cuz I know that there are a lot of unseen variables.
Usually I can hit the numbers pretty close but every once in a while i get burned if I bid it all in one price for the whole job.
Usually, if we get a job stripping, we do the painting and/or repapering.
After doing this so many times I came to the conclusion that our stripping time does not vary that much. What slows the job down so much is if there were to be any damage to the wall from the stripping. What I prefer to do (proposal wise)is to give the home owner the prices that I'm pretty sure will be accurate like the strip and the paint. Then suggest T&M for the wall prep between. I tell them since I cannot acurrately predict the wall prep part that it would be fair to charge T&M for the prep part. They pretty much always agree.

4thGeneration · 12-30-2006, 01:57 AM

This wallpaper guy I network with charges around $10 to 12 per roll for removal.

dougchips · 12-30-2006, 02:05 AM

Look at the stained glass in the pic's above, the glass colors have changed.

dayspring · 12-30-2006, 06:43 AM

Take Slickshifts approach for sure. I done a house last year that had over 15,000 sf of paper, all removed, all different types. There was one type that came off in very, very small pieces, we tried every approach we could find. That particular paper cost me about $28.00 + a sf to remove. Original estimate was about $10.00 sf , Thank God the HO worked with me.

Lesson learned,
Test an area of each type before you bid it, even then it may not come off at the expected speed

Charge more (15 to 25%) for stairwells and high walls.

By all means leave a waiver open. Make sure the HO understands why.

painterofeveryt · 12-30-2006, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougchips

Look at the stained glass in the pic's above, the glass colors have changed.

Actually they did not, the sunlight is more intense in the recent pic.

Danahy · 01-04-2007, 09:15 PM

I charge by the hour, however I give them piece of mind with a min - max price. Most of the time this works good, and is fair to us both.
If I want $200, I'll say X amount per hour with a minimum of $200 to a maximum of $400.

As like the others above, a test piece usually helps with pickin' a range they can live with.

One HO recently called me up, wanted paper removed in the whole house... (She was firm on having a set price - no hourly!) After doing my test patches, I quickly realized that all the paper was put on bare drywall, back when they first had it built. I didn't even submit an estimate, and can't believe that she was demanding a set price, especially since she knew all along that the paper was on bare drywall...

I was happy lettin' that one go.

Dave Mac · 01-05-2007, 08:37 AM

imo charging your man hr rate is the only fair way for you and the client, and do a test spot with a possible idea, but you really have to explain their is now way of telling how long it will take if it was not sized correctly. this is how i do it.

dave mac

zico · 01-05-2007, 07:40 PM

We have be doing wall paper removal based on a 2ftx2ft test patch in each room. The difference with us the testing it is part of the bid. If there are no issues then we continue at the original price based on time. If there are issues then we switch to a T&M cost for that room. So far, I have not had any customer related issues with this approach, however I do spend a lot of time up front explaining the whole approach.

MakDeco · 01-21-2007, 12:32 PM

I have taken a lot of paper off in recent years in the Chicago area, I agree with others who say a sample is the best way to determine price. Also type of paper, vinyl etc. and if HomeOwner knows how it was put up. Once a HomeOwer tells me they put it up I know to charge more!

lornmastro · 01-22-2007, 08:47 PM

i charge by the hour...i've had too many jobs where part of the walls were multiple layers of paper

paintme84 · 01-31-2007, 09:28 AM

Over in the UK here, I normally charge around 10 pound per hour on stripping paper, around 18 US dollars. I've found myself charging by sqft or completion a bit of a hit and miss.