Hiring a wallpaper hanger in the Netherlands

A wallpaper hanger in the Netherlands usually charges a fixed price per m², not an hourly rate. With us, a complete renovlies package costs €14.99 to €18.99 per m² excl. VAT depending on the area, and we only use a day or hourly rate for small jobs.

If you are used to tradespeople quoting a day rate, a Dutch quote can be hard to read at first. It is full of square metres, staffels and words like sauzen and kitten that no translation app handles well. This page explains how the price is built up, what the terms mean and what is expected of you before the team arrives.

Our 32 wallpaper hangers are permanently employed by Behangservice Nederland. We do not subcontract. The company has been hanging walls since 2010 and works nationwide from its one location in Almere, Transistorstraat 7.

What does a wallpaper hanger cost?

There are three ways a hanger can charge: per m², per day or per hour. Which one applies depends on the size of the job. Most of our work is the walls of a whole house or several rooms, so the price per m² is our standard.

Two examples. Two bedrooms with 60 m² of wall together fall into the 30 to 100 m² band: 60 × €18.99 = €1,139.40 excl. VAT, including materials and one coat of paint. A whole house of 160 m² falls above 150 m²: 160 × €14.99 = €2,398.40 excl. VAT. Each order has a one-off travel charge of €99.99.

Compare the two: more than two and a half times the wall area for just over twice the price. That is why it pays to give the whole job in one go rather than room by room. Removing old wallpaper is priced separately, from €6.99 per m² for a single layer of standard paper.

How do you read a Dutch quote?

These are the words you are most likely to find in a quote from us, and what they mean in practice:

• Behangklaar — ready for wallpaper. The wall is flat, without holes or bulges. Our prices assume this.
• Sausklaar — ready for paint without wallpaper. A stricter standard, because paint hides nothing.
• Renovlies — the paintable fleece on most Dutch walls. Our page on new-build wallpaper explains it in full.
• Sauzen — painting walls or ceilings with wall paint. Lakken is lacquering woodwork.
• Kitten — sealing the joints between wall, ceiling and frames with acrylic sealant, so no gaps show after painting.
• Klusopname — the site visit before the final quote. With us it is free.
• Voorrijkosten — the travel charge, €99.99 once per order, however far away you live.
• Staffel — a price band: the more m², the lower the price per m².
• Excl. btw — excluding VAT. Dutch business prices are often shown without it.

On that last point: in a new build you pay 21% VAT. In a home older than two years, labour is charged at 9% and materials at 21%. Your quote calculates the amount including VAT for your specific home.

Is the lowest price per m² the cheapest option?

Not always, and the reason is usually what is left out. A low m² price that excludes sanding, sealing or paint is not comparable to a complete package. Check whether the price covers the whole chain: preparing the wall, hanging, sealing the joints and at least one coat of paint. Ours does, with the materials included.

Also look at who does the work. A company that subcontracts to whoever is free that week cannot promise the same standard on every wall. With us, the hanger who cuts your seams is an employee who does this every day. And check the small print on repairs: if the wall is not ready for wallpaper, who fixes it, and at what price? We agree that in writing before we start.

A few questions are worth asking any company before you sign. Are the people on site employees or subcontractors? Is the paint included, and how many coats? What happens if the wall turns out not to be ready for wallpaper? How long is the quote valid, and what warranty do you get? With us the answers are: our own staff, paint included for one coat, repairs agreed in writing beforehand, a quote valid for one year and 12 months’ warranty on the work.

Decorative wallpaper is a different job from renovlies. There you pay for the hanging and buy the wallpaper yourself, and the price depends on the type. Patterned wallpaper has to line up at every seam, which takes more time per roll, so luxury patterned wallpaper starts at €23.99 per m². Vinyl has its own rate depending on the kind of vinyl; tell us which wallpaper you chose and you get a price on request.

For a single small wall, a specialist company is rarely the smartest choice. On small orders a surcharge of €249.99 applies on top of the travel charge, and with some practice you can do one wall cheaper yourself.

What do you arrange before the hanger arrives?

Our teams start in an empty room, or an empty house when the whole house is being done. Electricity and water have to be available. You remove socket covers, lamps, skirting boards and radiators beforehand; that work is not part of our package. Waste disposal and covering floors and kitchens are your responsibility too.

We work up to a height of 3.5 metres. A void or a stairwell higher than that needs scaffolding, which you hire yourself. You choose the paint colour, and many colours need two or three coats; extra coats are charged separately.

How does it work from request to delivery?

You request a quote and have it in your inbox within 24 hours. We then visit for the free site visit and you receive a fixed price, valid for one year. Price and start date are confirmed by e-mail; only what is agreed in writing is binding.

On site, our own team does the work. You pay 50% on the first working day and 50% on the last. At the end we walk through the walls with you, and you get 12 months’ warranty on the work. If your walls need a skim coat first, our plasterers do that in the same planning, and if you are finishing a brand-new house, our page on new builds shows the full order of work.