Professional Popcorn Ceiling Removal for a Modern, Clean Look
Refresh your home with a clean, updated ceiling. Providing homeowners in Vancouver and surrounding areas with quality painting and custom carpentry services since 1992
Popcorn Ceiling Removal: Process & Facts
You're busy. Here is what actually matters, from our own job records - not marketing copy.
How removal actually works
- Everything below is sealed: floors, cabinets, fixtures - containment first, scraping second.
- Texture is wetted and scraped; stubborn painted-over texture takes skim-coating instead.
- Ceiling is skim-coated and sanded to a flat, modern finish - this is where cheap jobs stop early.
- Prime and two coats of flat ceiling paint.
- If your home predates 1990, we discuss asbestos testing before anyone scrapes anything.
Why this is not a weekend DIY
Wet-scraping above your head sounds simple until the drywall face tears, and every tear becomes a patch you can see in raking light. We also see DIY jobs abandoned mid-room when owners discover the texture was painted over - it stops absorbing water and has to be skimmed. Budget your weekend for something better.
What we'll tell you up front
- Texture patches from past repairs may hide surprises - pricing covers what's visible.
- Pre-1990 texture should be tested for asbestos before disturbance; we arrange it.
- Furniture needs to be out or centred - we mask everything that stays.
These lines come straight from our written estimates. Contractors who don't say them up front bill you for them later.
What We Run Into With Vancouver Ceilings
Textured ceilings in our files are West Point Grey, Kitsilano, South Cambie and Dunbar houses from the 1960s to the 1980s, usually done one floor at a time: every bedroom and hallway ceiling, the stairwell left textured because it is the one nobody looks at.
Asbestos first. Texture applied before 1990 can contain it. We ask for the test result; if there is none, a sample goes to the lab before anyone sands. A positive result makes it an abatement job, not a painting job, and we say so.
Removal. Floors, furniture and doorways sealed; texture wetted and scraped; the ceiling skimmed with compound to take out the scrape marks and old imperfections, sanded, primed with a drywall sealer, two coats of flat ceiling paint. Where a ceiling is too far gone to skim we talk about new board.
What comes with it. Most owners have the walls and trim done in the same visit while the room is already emptied - the ceiling is a third of the work.
From Our Job Files
Recent ceiling projects, described the way they were scoped. Names and addresses stay private.
What can change the price after the quote
- The quote is a fixed written price for the scope we walked through. It moves only if the scope moves, and you hear about it first.
- A positive asbestos test: removal becomes an abatement job by a licensed contractor; we come back afterwards to finish and paint.
- Ceilings that were painted before texturing: paint seals the texture and it comes off in chips instead of sheets - slower, priced per room if we find it.
- Damage under the texture - cracked board, old water damage - skimmed or replaced, shown to you first.
- Adding walls and trim while the room is empty, at the same rates.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal Prices
Transform your ceilings with our professional popcorn ceiling removal services, tailored to the room's condition and texture for a smooth, modern finish.
Basic Removal Package
Perfect for 10x15 rooms with light, unpainted texture. This package includes straightforward popcorn removal and a clean finish, ensuring an affordable upgrade for rooms in good condition.
Get StartedStandard Removal Package
Ideal for previously painted popcorn ceilings. The additional preparation involves extra scraping and sanding, delivering a smooth, updated look while maintaining value.
Get StartedPremium Removal Package
Designed for rough, previously painted ceilings or those with possible asbestos concerns. This package includes intensive removal, asbestos testing (if needed), and a premium finish, ensuring safety and quality results.
Get StartedPrices are averages and may change depending on the scope, finishes, and current condition of your home.
Popcorn Ceiling Questions We Get Every Week
Short answers from the crew.
Do I need an asbestos test?
If the texture went on before 1990, yes. A lab test costs about a hundred dollars and takes a few days. We do not sand an untested ceiling.
How messy is it?
Wet scraping keeps the dust down; floors, furniture and doorways are sealed. Expect the room to be out of use for the duration and a full cleanup at the end.
Can you paint over popcorn instead?
Yes, and it is much cheaper, but it seals the texture so it cannot be wet-scraped later. If you think you will ever want it smooth, remove it now.
Will the ceiling be perfectly flat?
Smooth, not glass. A skim coat takes out the scrape marks and old imperfections; a level-5 skim on the whole ceiling is available where light rakes across it.
How long does it take?
One to three days per area including the refinish and paint. A whole floor is usually a week.
How are payments handled?
One third on acceptance, one third at the halfway point, balance on completion. Estimates are valid for 30 days.
Recent Work
Who wrote this. The Renaissance crew, from our own job files. Owner Eric Goodwill is a Red Seal Painter and Decorator and has run the company since 1992. More about Eric
Ready To Start Your Project?
Free phone consultation with ballpark pricing - just send us a few photos.
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