Popcorn Ceiling Removal
Containment, wet scrape and debris removal for bedrooms, living rooms or the whole house. Painted popcorn handled too.
Removal detailsServing Charleston, Berkeley & Dorchester counties
Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Charleston, SC
Dated, dusty popcorn texture scraped off and replaced with a smooth, paint-ready ceiling. Dust-controlled work, full cleanup and an asbestos-smart process for Lowcountry homes built before 1990.
- Free written estimates
- Containment, wet scraping and full cleanup
- Smooth skim coat or knockdown finish, primed and painted
Get your free quote
- Free estimates
- Fast replies, usually same day
- Dust-controlled work & full cleanup
- Smooth, paint-ready finish
Popcorn ceiling services across the Lowcountry
Everything from the first asbestos sample to the last coat of ceiling paint, handled by one crew.
Smooth Ceiling Finish
Level skim coat, sanded flat, primed and painted. The finish buyers in Charleston look for in an updated home.
Smooth finish details
Knockdown Ceiling Texture
A light, modern texture that hides minor imperfections and costs less than a full smooth finish.
Knockdown details
Asbestos Testing
Lab sampling for pre-1990 ceilings before any scraping. If a test comes back positive, we refer you to a licensed abatement contractor.
Testing details
Ceiling Painting & Drywall Repair
Prime and paint the new ceiling, and fix cracks, water stains and loose seams the popcorn was hiding. See drywall repair.
Painting details
Condo & HOA Ceilings
Work planned around regime rules, elevators and gate access in Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, the beaches and downtown.
Condo detailsHow it works
Four steps from your first message to a finished ceiling. Read the full process.
Free estimate
Send room sizes, the year your home was built and a few photos. We reply with a typical range, then confirm it with a quick on-site look if needed.
Test and prep
Pre-1990 ceilings get a lab test first. Once we have a negative result, we move or cover furniture, protect floors and seal the room with plastic.
Wet scrape and finish
We mist the texture, scrape it down in sheets, bag the debris, then skim coat for a smooth ceiling or apply a light knockdown texture.
Prime, paint and clean up
Flat ceiling paint goes on, plastic comes down, and the room is vacuumed and wiped before we hand it back to you.
What popcorn ceiling removal costs in Charleston
A typical whole project in the Charleston area runs $900–$3,000, with most jobs averaging around $1,700–$2,450 according to Fixr, Angi/HomeAdvisor and Thumbtack. A single bedroom of about 200 square feet is usually $400–$1,300 complete; a 330-square-foot living room is about $650–$2,100.
The biggest price drivers are whether the popcorn has been painted, how high the ceiling is, and which finish you choose. Vaulted living rooms in 1980s Mount Pleasant and Goose Creek homes cost more than a flat eight-foot bedroom.
These are typical ranges, not quotes. Use the calculator on our cost page to narrow it down for your rooms.
See the full cost guide & calculatorWhy homeowners choose Charleston Popcorn Removal
No slogans, just how we run a job.
Real containment
Floors, cabinets and fixtures covered; doorways sealed; HVAC registers masked so wet popcorn never travels into the rest of the house.
Cleanup you will not have to redo
Debris is bagged as it comes down. Before we leave, the room is vacuumed and wiped. We treat a dirty handoff as an unfinished job.
Finish options, explained honestly
Smooth skim coat, light knockdown, or scrape-only if you are painting yourself. We tell you what each costs and what it will look like.
Asbestos-smart process
Test first on any pre-1990 ceiling. We are not an abatement contractor; if a sample comes back positive, we refer you to an SCDES-licensed abatement firm and only return after clearance.
Local scheduling
We plan around Ravenel Bridge rush hours, beach-island gate passes and condo work-hour rules so the job happens on the days we agreed.
We stand behind the finish
If you are not happy with how the ceiling looks once it is painted, we come back and fix it.
Where we work
Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, from the peninsula to the beaches and up to Moncks Corner. See all service areas.
What to expect from us
- A written estimate with the finish option, square footage and typical range spelled out before any work starts.
- A clear answer on asbestos testing before we touch a pre-1990 ceiling.
- A crew that shows up on the scheduled day, contains the room, and keeps the rest of your house clean.
- A smooth or knockdown ceiling that is primed and painted, not left as bare drywall for you to finish.
- If the finish is not right, we come back and fix it.
We do not post reviews or before-and-after photos yet. Ask us for references on a current project, or request a free quote and judge us on the estimate.
Popcorn ceiling questions from Charleston homeowners
More answers on our FAQ page.
How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost in Charleston?
Most Charleston-area projects land in a typical range of $900–$3,000, with scrape-only removal around $1–$2 per square foot and removal plus skim coat, prime and paint around $3–$6.50 per square foot. Painted popcorn and vaulted ceilings add roughly 50% each. These are estimates based on sources like Fixr and Angi; your written quote is based on your rooms. See our cost guide.
Do I need an asbestos test before you remove my popcorn ceiling?
If your home was built before 1990 and the ceiling has never been tested, we recommend a lab test before any scraping. SCDES says ceilings installed before 1980 are the most likely to contain asbestos, and a lab sample is the only way to know. Mail-in tests run about $50–$100 per sample. We only remove texture after a negative result or a clearance from a licensed abatement contractor.
How long does popcorn ceiling removal take?
A single bedroom is usually a one- to two-day job once drying time is included. A whole single-story home with a smooth skim-coat finish often takes three to five working days. Lowcountry humidity slows drying between skim coats, so we build that into the schedule rather than rushing a finish that will show every flaw under paint.
Is popcorn ceiling removal messy?
Scraping is wet, heavy work, but the mess should stay inside our containment. We cover floors and fixtures, seal doorways with plastic, mist the texture so it comes down in sheets rather than dust, and bag debris as we go. When we leave, the room is vacuumed and wiped down, and the only sign we were there is a flat ceiling.
What does the ceiling look like after the popcorn comes off?
Bare drywall with joint seams, nail dimples and a few gouges from the scraper. That is normal and it is why finishing matters. Most homeowners choose a smooth skim-coat finish that is sanded, primed and painted; others prefer a light knockdown texture that hides minor imperfections and costs a little less.
Do you work in condos and HOA communities?
Yes. We handle condos and townhomes across Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, downtown Charleston, Isle of Palms and Kiawah, and we plan around regime work-hour rules and elevator or gate access. Note that in South Carolina, buildings with five or more units fall under SCDES asbestos rules, so testing and paperwork come first. Our condo page explains the process.
Ready for smooth, modern ceilings?
Free, no-pressure quotes across the Charleston tri-county area.