Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Folly Beach, SC
Folly Beach is a town of 1980s and 1990s elevated houses, front-beach condos and a core of 1940s cottages, and many of those ceilings were sprayed. We remove the texture, smooth the drywall and work around your rental calendar.
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Why popcorn ceilings are common in Folly Beach
Folly's housing mix is unusual. The median home was built in 1990. The 1990s are the biggest construction decade at 23.3%, the 1980s add 19.2% and the 1960s 6.5%, for about 51% of the town built between 1960 and 1999; the 1970s contributed just 2.2%. Another 21% went up in the 2000s, only 6.3% since 2010, and 10.2% are original 1940s beach cottages. Folly is laid out on a numbered street grid: East Folly along Arctic Avenue and East Ashley, West Folly along West Ashley and Indian Avenue, Sunset Point and the Center Street core.
It is also one of the most rental-heavy towns in the state: 2,221 housing units for 1,267 year-round residents, with 72.1% of units vacant on a typical day because they are seasonal or short-term rentals. Roughly 65% of homes are detached, mostly no-HOA cottages and elevated houses; about 21% are in buildings of five or more units, the condo regimes along the front beach and toward the Washout.
What we do in Folly Beach
Folly is 11 miles south of downtown on Folly Road and about 15 minutes from James Island.
- Popcorn ceiling removal with full containment in furnished rentals.
- Condo ceilings in front-beach regimes, coordinated with the building manager.
- Smooth ceiling finish for a bright look that shows well in listing photos.
- Ceiling drywall repair for salt-air stains and loose seams in 1980s elevated houses.
Asbestos and older Folly Beach homes
SCDES says buildings built before 1980 are the most likely to contain asbestos and names popcorn texture among them. On Folly that points to the 1960s houses and the 1940s cottages, many of which have been re-ceilinged over the decades. Because leftover products stayed in use through the 1980s, one of Folly's biggest decades, we recommend a lab test for any ceiling textured before 1990. Our asbestos testing service collects the sample; results typically cost $50–$100 each.
A detached cottage or elevated house, or any residence with four or fewer units, is generally exempt from state notification. A negative result means we schedule removal right away. A positive result means an SCDES-licensed abatement contractor removes the material first; we are not an abatement contractor and never remove asbestos. We return after clearance to finish.
Front-beach condo buildings with five or more units are regulated: licensed inspection, licensed abatement and SCDES notification are required if asbestos is present. We finish the ceiling once the unit is cleared.
Pricing in Folly Beach
Elevated beach houses often pair 8-ft bedrooms with a vaulted living space; vaulted ceilings add about 50% to the Fixr, Angi/HomeAdvisor and Thumbtack ranges. Estimates until we measure.
| Item | Typical range (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Scrape-only removal (unpainted, standard height) | $1–$2 per sq ft |
| Removal + skim coat + prime and paint | $3–$6.50 per sq ft |
| Single bedroom (~200 sq ft), complete | $400–$1,300 |
| Living room (~330 sq ft), complete | $650–$2,100 |
Try our cost page calculator, then request a free estimate for your unit or house.
Folly Beach popcorn ceiling questions
Our Folly house is a licensed short-term rental. When should we schedule?
Folly Beach capped short-term rental licenses at 800 after a 2023 referendum, and the cap has been in court since, so owners guard their booking calendars. We quote the job as a block of consecutive days in the off-season or a gap between guests, with an extra day for the skim coat and paint to cure before check-in.
Who do we need to notify in a front-beach condo building?
The regime or its property manager. Condo buildings with five or more units are regulated for asbestos, so the manager will usually want the lab result before scraping starts, plus a work schedule and parking plan. We supply the test report and a short work plan, and we keep to the building's quiet hours.
Our 1940s cottage has been renovated before. Does it still need a test?
Yes. A cottage that old may have had a new ceiling added over the original, and we cannot tell by looking whether the texture dates from the 1960s or the 1990s. One mail-in sample for about $50–$100 answers it in a few days. If negative we proceed; if positive, a licensed abatement contractor removes it and we finish after clearance.
Nearby areas we serve
Folly Road runs straight back through James Island to downtown, with West Ashley and Johns Island a short drive west.
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