By the Bouwsector België team, 97 in-house tradespeople · reviewed by Geert Jan Hendrik, director · updated
If your handover documents say “wallpaper-ready” and you have not chosen wall finishing as an extra with the contractor, the contractor is promising that you can hang wallpaper without any extra preparation. The term has no legal definition, and across the 600+ new-build homes we finish each year we see the standard vary from builder to builder. So check the walls yourself before you have anything finished.
New-build home handed over? Have your walls assessed first
Our own tradespeople check whether your walls really are wallpaper-ready, then finish them in one schedule.
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What does “wallpaper-ready” promise in your handover documents?
By wallpaper-ready, a contractor usually means the walls are closed and flat enough to hang wallpaper on. The joints between plasterboard sheets are filled, screw heads are covered and large holes are patched. Wallpaper will go over the top, so small imperfections are allowed.
Wallpaper-ready is therefore not the same as paint-ready. A wallpaper-ready wall is not meant to be painted straight away. Anyone who does so will see the joints and imperfections show through the paint. Whether a wall is wallpaper-ready, paint-ready or plaster-ready makes a real difference to what can go on it.
Why is a wall delivered as wallpaper-ready sometimes not ready after all?
Because the term is not fixed, every builder interprets it differently. On large projects several crews also work on the plasterboard, so the finish can differ from home to home and even from room to room. One room is fine, while the room by the stairwell still has visible joints.
The misunderstanding is that “wallpaper-ready” on paper means you no longer need to check anything. In practice you only see the differences in raking light, or when you run a flat hand over the joints. A joint you can barely see now may still show through after painting.
A new-build home also keeps releasing construction moisture at first, and it settles. That explains why shrinkage cracks can appear in the first year. Such shrinkage cracks in a new build are therefore usually normal.
What should you check on your walls at handover?
Walk through each room separately, preferably when daylight falls across the walls at an angle. Note what you see, so you can report it to the contractor or include it in the quote for the finishing work. Ideally do this already at the handover inspection, keeping these points in mind.
What to look for
How you see it
What it means
Joints between plasterboard sheets
You feel an edge or see a slight step
Joint is not finished flat, needs filling first or a skim coat
Screw heads
Small bumps or dimples in raking light
Not properly covered, will show through thin wallpaper
Holes and damage
Visible in daylight, often around sockets and windows and doors
What happens if your walls turn out not to be wallpaper-ready?
Then a preparation step comes first. We fill and sand small spots. If the imperfections are larger, our plasterers apply a skim coat, and the wallpaper goes on only once that is dry.
A skim coat costs €17.49 per m² for 100 to 200 m² with us, falling to €14.49 per m² from 401 m², materials included. Renovation fleece wallpaper is charged separately on top, from €14.99 per m² including sanding, hanging, filling the joints and one coat of paint.
Prices exclude VAT. For new builds, VAT is usually 21%.
Such a thin levelling layer is also known as a skim layer. The larger the area, the lower the price per m², following the tiers in our price list.
Our own wallpaper hangers and plasterers, 40 and 32 of the 97 tradespeople we employ permanently. If a skim coat turns out to be needed, we schedule the plasterer and the wallpaper hanger one after the other in a single job.
At the job survey we check whether what the contractor promises is true. Are the walls really wallpaper-ready, how are the ceilings finished and what condition are the windows and doors in? We assess that room by room, regardless of what the handover documents say. After that the final price and schedule are fixed.
If you already noted down points at handover, such as open joints by the stairwell, send them with your request. The free quote you receive within 24 hours will then take them into account.
No, there is no legal or uniform definition. Every contractor interprets the term slightly differently in their handover documents. That is why it is wise to assess the walls yourself before having them finished.
Can you paint wallpaper-ready walls straight away?
We advise against it. A wallpaper-ready wall is meant for wallpapering, and joints or imperfections remain visible in a coat of paint. If you want to paint straight away, you need a paint-ready finish.
Can you report defects in wallpaper-ready walls to the contractor?
If the walls differ from what your handover documents say, you can note this at handover and report it to your contractor. What happens next depends on your purchase or building contract.
What does it cost if wallpaper-ready walls still need a skim coat?
A skim coat costs €17.49 per m² for 100 to 200 m² with us, falling to €14.49 per m² from 401 m², materials included and excluding VAT. The renovation fleece wallpaper is charged separately on top, from €14.99 per m².
Do you check every home in a new-build project separately?
Yes. Even within the same project the finish differs from home to home and room to room, so we assess every room individually. If neighbours have their work done at the same time, a neighbour discount per m² also applies.
By the Bouwsector België team, 97 in-house tradespeople · reviewed by 
