There are no ballpark estimates. Same with plaster repair. There are just too many variables. Pictures can hide a lot.

While everyone claims to not hold contractors to a ball park price, we all do. Its human nature. Which is why we don’t give ball park prices.

Our removal projects are usually below $10 per square foot, its important for potential clients to understand the process to better understand the costs involved.

Scraping of popcorn ceilings, in our experience can go one of two ways. Easy off, or doesn’t come off. Usually the latter. Also in every case where we have scraped the ceilings, it needed to be skim coated. Some times more than once.

The issue here is 75% of the time, the ceiling isn’t even primed under the popcorn – its just bare drywall, which means the ceilings haven’t been finished! So in order to get them ready to be painted instead of being textured, the ceilings need to be finished.

But because ceilings often incur minor damage in the course of the texture removal, its easier, faster and cheaper to just skim the entire ceiling – with the added benefit of making the ceilings smoother instead of 50 patches everywhere.

Also it is not uncommon to have to address tape issues or joint issues that were masked by the texture or other more significant damage that wasn’t apparent before. Its not really a problem, just adds more time to the job.

During all of this, is the most dust and dirt that you have ever seen, or will see in your house at any one point. Which we are constantly cleaning up, going through a lot of materials in the form of floor protection, wall protection, and dust containment. All the while your family must still live in the home.

Once the popcorn is off, the ceiling must be dry enough to prime it which will seal the surface of the drywall (can be bad if the ceiling isn’t adequately dry prior to priming). Clean up, full clean out of all plastic, and drops. Then set everything back up again – cover everything to prime and then skim coat the ceiling. Then clean everything up again. Then set it all back up again. For each step. Takes a lot of time.

1) Where are you located? Whats the parking situation? Driveway access?

2) Where is the job located? Living room on the first floor with 8’ ceilings? Maybe the great room or foyer with 18’ ceilings?

Ceiling height plays a big part in the removal of popcorn. If working on extension ladders, the risk of getting hurt goes up exponentially due to the slippery-ness of wet popcorn texture on the bottom of our feet. The setting up, and taking down of scaffolding and equipment also plays a role.

3) What is the floor situation? Carpet? Hardwood? Tile? Even though we are working on the ceiling, we are literally working on the floor. For instance, a tile floor will need much more robust protection than carpet.

4) Has the popcorn ceiling been painted? This is a BIG question and will directly affect pricing. Painted popcorn ceilings can be EXTREMELY difficult to remove, as the popcorn has been essentially sealed into the ceiling. Paint, is not made to come off. Add popcorn…

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5) How BIG is the ceiling?

-We do not give a discount on more ceilings to remove. The removal of popcorn, is the most labor intensive part of the painting industry. There are no bulk discounts. If we are bidding on removing popcorn from the living room ceiling, we do not discount the removal of popcorn from the dining room.

6) Drywall or plaster?
Because plaster is so much harder than drywall, removing popcorn from a plaster ceiling, is usually easier than removing popcorn from a drywall ceiling.

7) Are you painting the walls?
Serious question. Often with popcorn removal, the top corner of the walls near the ceiling, will sometimes incur damage.

8) Can we keep the space ‘set up’ over night / through out the job?
Popcorn removal requires the extensive set up and clean up, which can take 60-90 minutes per day to set up & clean up. If we are removing it every night and setting everything back up the next day, that will affect the cost of the job.

Popcorn removal is EXTREMELY messy and dirty. We remove it wet. It sticks to everything, especially our feet! We track it everywhere. After the job is complete, ladders, scaffolding, planks ect. often require cleaning prior to the start of the next job.