You can expect to spend close to $2,800 on wood paneling removal, though depending on the size of your job that could range up to $6,200.
Wood paneling is a distinct design choice that invokes feelings of a different period in time. Removing wood paneling is easier than installing it, but it’s important to understand the costs before ripping out any panels. Doing so may not only help save you time during removal, but it could help you save some money, too.
Removing wood paneling isn’t as easy to break down as a simpler task like, say, replacing a faucet. The type of paneling affects removal time and cost, as well as what material the paneling was affixed to. The good news? Material costs are often extremely low or nonexistent, as many removal jobs require only a hammer, crowbar, and eye protection.
The size of the project matters much more when you’re installing, as you need to budget for the material cost, but size has a direct effect on the cost of your project in terms of time. Time is money, as the saying goes, and you can estimate some rough costs of time value when removing wood paneling, assuming each square foot takes 15 minutes.
This includes prep, removal, and cleanup, and is a rough estimation. These are DIY calculations, so let’s assume your rate as a DIYer is $30 per hour.
| Size in Square Feet | Hours Required | Time Value Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 10 | $300 |
| 80 | 20 | $600 |
| 100 | 25 | $750 |
| 160 | 40 | $1,200 |
| 250 | 62 | $1,860 |
| 300 | 75 | $2,250 |
As you can see in the table above, this is an involved job that requires several steps. The total hours could jump drastically if you are dealing with wood paneling with many nails or a type of paneling that requires sanding, such as polyurethane.
There aren’t specialized materials required when removing wood panels. All things considered, it’s a straightforward project. The issues begin when something unexpected occurs, such as finding asbestos under the paneling, or your adhesive paneling starts ripping the substance it’s affixed to.
| Required Items | Cost |
|---|---|
| Pry bar or crowbar | $18 |
| Utility knife | $12 |
| Gloves | $13 |
| Plastic sheeting | $18 |
| Drywall joint compound | $15 |
| Respirator | $25 |
| Garbage bags | $8 |
You may find that you don’t need all of the items listed above, and that’s a good thing. The worst case scenario is that during removal you notice a major issue, and you’re forced to learn the cost to remove an entire wall.
DIY labor is technically free, but what about hiring a pro for removal? Wood paneling removal isn’t demolition work that just anyone can do, so you need to hire either a carpenter or a contractor familiar with wood paneling removal. These professionals charge between $50 and $125 per hour.
While this may seem expensive, their expertise can potentially save you much more than they cost, as would be the case if an improper panel removal done by someone unskilled results in a needed repair to or replacement of a wall.
Prepping a wall for removal is mostly about prepping the room itself. There aren’t many steps but each one is critical to keep the job site clean and ensure a smooth removal.
Remove furniture from the room.
Lay down plastic sheeting to protect the floor.
Turn off the power to the room.
Open all windows to ventilate the room.
Part of your prep work will involve an extremely careful removal of the first panel. Inspect how it’s attached to the wall—nail, adhesive, staples, or screws—and plan your removal accordingly. You don’t want to start crowbarring panels that would come off much easier by using a screwdriver.
You might be wondering if you can skip removal altogether and just install drywall directly over the paneling. While this is technically possible, our recommendation is that you don’t do that, and there are a number of reasons why not.
The drywall is often too heavy for the paneling, and can rip it out.
The drywall usually won’t be uniform or flat.
You may inadvertently create a small gap where mold could grow undetected.
It is much more involved to remodel the room later.
It almost sounds like it makes sense to install drywall directly on top of the paneling, but in practice, it should be avoided. A bit of good news is that removing wood panels is a great DIY job, so you don’t necessarily need to invest much more than time to get the wall ready for new drywall. You may damage the drywall while removing the wood, and you’ll need to replace it.
Repairing drywall is hopefully something you won’t have to do. Unfortunately, removing wood panels can often damage the underlying material and for many builds, this means drywall. For smaller jobs, you may just be able to get by with spackling a few holes.
For more involved work like large cracks, big dents, and ripped drywall beads, expect to pay skilled labor $50 to $75 per square foot to repair. For this reason, any significant drywall damage might actually be more time and cost-efficient to remove it completely and reinstall.
Whether or not you DIY this project or hire a pro will largely depend on how involved the removal process is. If you have simple wooden slats nailed into a solid wall underneath, you may not need to hire a pro as you could—with a pry bar—do it yourself.
On the flip side, if you remove your first panel and notice it uses both an adhesive and fasteners to attach itself to a wall that’s already damaged, you should hire a local, professional handyperson. Consider that the true cost of the project is in the money you spend offset by the money saved by avoiding additional damage.
Because the removal process is mostly demolition work, there aren’t many ways to reduce the cost. You can paint over the paneling instead of removing it, as that can save significant time and dramatically change the look of the room, but for actual removal, the best way to save money is to negotiate the cost with a professional.
If you damage the wall during removal, that will certainly increase the project’s cost. If you’re comfortable handling the project in a managerial capacity, enlist the help of friends or family. Some find demolition work cathartic, so you may do them a favor!
Removing wood paneling can be exceptionally easy or extremely difficult and delicate work. It comes down to two things: how the paneling was affixed to the wall, and the shape and material of the wall underneath. Adhesive paneling is difficult because it often damages the underlying wall, necessitating expensive repairs.
Painting over wood paneling is an option that can save you money and time. However, if you go this route, the style and texture of the wood you paint over will still be evident. Painting over paneling is an excellent way to modernize an otherwise outdated aesthetic. Instead of removing wood panels, consider painting them a bright color–like white or ivory. This is essentially wainscoting, but without any of the required installation.
Light-colored paneling–like white or ivory–can make a room look larger by extending the visual aspect of a room’s size, like a mirror. Dark-colored paneling–like oak and mahogany–can make a room feel small and closed in. However, for those looking to create a more intimate space, this isn’t necessarily a negative.
Wood paneling, especially dark paneling like mahogany, was more common in the past. If such paneling exists it can look excellent, especially in a poker room or library, but it’s not commonly installed in contemporary homes. At the end of the day, what is in style or not matters far less than the subjective emotion that a certain design element elicits in the person who lives in that home.
Common wood choices for paneling are oak, maple, mahogany, cedar, and pine. Mahogany gives that classic library or cigar lounge look and represents luxury and classicism. Pine is often knobbly and is reminiscent of cabins and ski holidays. Maple and oak are less aesthetically dramatic, and can be better for those looking for wood paneling that doesn’t make such a pronounced design statement like mahogany or pine.
