Popcorn ceilings are everywhere. Every house built between 1960 and 1990 seems to have them, and homeowners hate them. That's good news for you, because popcorn ceiling removal is steady, profitable work if you price it right.
I've seen too many guys lose money on these jobs because they didn't account for the prep, the mess, or the surprises hiding under that texture. Here's how to price popcorn ceiling removal so you actually make money.
What homeowners are paying right now
In 2026, most contractors charge between $1.50 and .00 per square foot for popcorn ceiling removal. That's just the scraping. If you're also skim coating and painting (and you should be, because that's where the real money is), you're looking at .00 to .00 per square foot all-in.
For a typical 1,500 square foot home, that breaks down like this:
- Scraping only: ,250 to ,000
- Scraping + skim coat: ,750 to ,500
- Full job (scrape + skim + paint): ,500 to ,000
The sweet spot for most markets is around .50 to .50 per square foot for the full package. Competitive but still making good margins.
Breaking down your costs
Before you throw out a number, know what this job actually costs you.
Materials per 1,500 sq ft job:
- Plastic sheeting and tape: to
- Joint compound (for skim coating): to
- Sandpaper and sanding supplies: to
- Primer: to
- Ceiling paint: to
- Spray equipment rental (if you don't own): to /day
Total materials: roughly to .
Labor: Most crews can scrape about 200 to 300 square feet per hour once they get rolling. A 1,500 sq ft house takes a two-person crew about 2 to 3 days for the full job (scrape, skim, sand, prime, paint).
If you're paying guys /hour, that's to ,200 in labor for the full job.
Your total cost on a 1,500 sq ft job: Around ,175 to ,845. If you're charging ,250 to ,750 (the midrange), your gross margin is 72% to 78%. Pretty solid.
The asbestos question
Here's the thing most guys forget: any popcorn ceiling applied before 1980 might contain asbestos. Some ceilings installed through 1986 had it too.
You have two options:
- Require the homeowner to get a test before you start ( to for a lab test)
- Include testing in your bid price
If asbestos is present, walk away unless you're certified for abatement. Abatement jobs run to per square foot and require special licensing, equipment, and disposal. Some contractors get certified specifically for this work because the margins are huge, but it's a whole different business.
Don't skip the test. One asbestos complaint and you're done.
How to bid the job
When you show up to look at a popcorn ceiling job, here's what to check:
Ceiling height. Standard 8-foot ceilings are easy. Vaulted or cathedral ceilings, anything over 10 feet, means more setup time, scaffolding, and slower work. Add 25% to 40% to your price.
Painted vs. unpainted texture. This is the big one. If the popcorn was never painted over, it scrapes off easy. Wet it down, scrape, done. If someone painted over it (even once), the job takes twice as long. The paint seals the texture so you can't just wet and scrape. You'll need to score it, use more water, and work a lot harder. Add 30% to 50% for painted texture.
Room contents. Empty rooms are fast. Furnished rooms mean you're moving stuff, covering stuff, and working around stuff. Factor in 1 to 2 extra hours per room if furniture can't be moved out.
Fixtures and ceiling fans. Every light fixture, ceiling fan, and smoke detector needs to come down or be carefully worked around. Charge per fixture, usually to each.
Drywall condition underneath. Old popcorn ceilings sometimes hide bad tape joints, water stains, or cracks. You won't know for sure until the texture comes off, but look for water stains and ask about any leak history. Build in a contingency.
Pricing models that work
Per square foot is the most common and easiest to explain. Measure the ceiling area, multiply by your rate, done.
Per room works well for smaller jobs. Typical room rates:
- Small bedroom (120 sq ft): to
- Master bedroom (200 sq ft): to
- Living room (300 sq ft): to ,400
- Kitchen (150 sq ft): to (more fixtures to work around)
Whole house flat rate is best for full-house jobs. You get economies of scale with one setup and one cleanup, and homeowners like knowing the total upfront.
Upsells that make you more money
Popcorn ceiling removal opens the door to easy add-on work:
- Skim coating to smooth finish: Many homeowners want that perfectly smooth ceiling. Adds .00 to .50/sq ft to your price.
- Crown molding installation: While you're up there, offer crown molding. Nice upsell at to per linear foot installed.
- Ceiling painting: Always offer this. A freshly scraped ceiling looks terrible unpainted. Add .75 to .50/sq ft.
- Replacing light fixtures: Homeowners often want new fixtures while the ceiling is being worked on. Easy to markup per fixture on top of the fixture cost.
On a ,000 scraping job, smart upsells can bring the total to ,500 to ,000 without much extra effort.
Speed up your estimates
Measuring ceilings and calculating prices by hand takes forever, especially when you're trying to fit three estimates into one afternoon.
SnapBid saves you real time here. Snap a photo of the space, and the AI builds your estimate in about 60 seconds. You can adjust your rates, add line items for skim coating or painting, and send a professional estimate right from your phone.
You get 3 free estimates to try it out. If you're doing volume work like whole-house popcorn removal, the Pro plan at /month pays for itself after one job.
Try the paint calculator to figure material needs, or use the profit margin calculator to make sure your numbers actually work.
Common mistakes
Underbidding painted popcorn. The #1 mistake. Painted popcorn takes double the labor. If you didn't check whether it was painted, you're eating that cost.
Not covering everything. Popcorn removal is messy. Wet drywall compound gets everywhere. If you damage flooring or furniture because your plastic wasn't sealed right, that's coming out of your pocket.
Skipping the asbestos test. Already said it, but it bears repeating. One bad job can end your business and put people's health at risk.
Pricing too low to get the job. There's always someone cheaper. Let them have it. A ,000 popcorn job with no profit doesn't help you pay the bills.