Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Huntington, WV | Scraped, Skimmed & Finished Smooth
Sprayed acoustic ceilings, the "popcorn" in almost every Huntington-area house built between 1955 and 1985, collect dust, hold stains, crumble when touched, and date a room instantly. Drywall Repair Huntington removes them: full containment, wet scraping, a skim coat to flatten the drywall underneath, and a smooth level 5 finish or a fresh knockdown texture, primed and ready for paint.
One rule first: popcorn applied before 1980 can contain asbestos, so nothing gets scraped until a test says it is clean. Testing is inexpensive, takes a few days, and tells us whether this is a scrape job or an abatement job.
Testing before scraping
Asbestos was phased out of ceiling texture in the late 1970s, but stock was used into the 80s. For any home built before 1985 we recommend sending a sample out for testing. If it comes back positive, the ceiling must be handled by a licensed abatement contractor, and we can either finish the ceiling after abatement or cover it with new drywall instead. Negative, and we schedule the scrape.
How the removal works
Furniture out or covered, plastic on every wall and floor, fixtures dropped. We mist the ceiling so the texture releases without dust, scrape it in sheets into the plastic, then bag everything. What is left is drywall with a rough, gouged surface and exposed joints, so the second half of the job is a skim coat across the whole ceiling, sanded flat.
Smooth or re-textured
Most homeowners want smooth. That is a level 5 skim and it makes a 1970s ranch in Barboursville or Pea Ridge feel like a new house. Some prefer a light knockdown to hide imperfections in an old ceiling; we can spray that after the skim through our texture service. Either way the ceiling is primed before we leave.
Painted popcorn and the cover-over option
Popcorn that has been painted several times will not scrape cleanly because the paint seals the texture. In those cases, and in asbestos-positive ceilings, the better option is often to hang new 3/8 or 1/2-inch drywall directly over the old ceiling and finish it. It adds ceiling weight and loses half an inch of height, but it is fast and clean.
Questions about Popcorn Ceiling Removal
How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost in Huntington?
Roughly $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot for scraping and skim coat, based on 2026 cost surveys, with primer and paint adding to that. A 12 by 14 bedroom lands somewhere around $250 to $600. Painted or asbestos-positive ceilings that need to be covered with new drywall are quoted separately.
Do I need to test for asbestos first?
If the home was built before 1985, yes. Testing comes before scraping, no exceptions. It is inexpensive and the result takes a few days.
How messy is it?
The scraping itself is done wet and contained in plastic. Sanding the skim coat is done with a vacuum sander. Expect a day of disruption per room, not a week of dust.
Other repairs we handle
Popcorn Ceiling Removal sits alongside our specialty drywall services, our drywall hole repair & patching service, professional drywall crack repair and ceiling drywall repair services — call and we'll tell you which one your job needs.
Where we work
We take popcorn ceiling removal jobs across the Tri-State, including drywall repair in Barboursville, Milton drywall repair calls, serving Ona, drywall repair for Hurricane property owners, Drywall Repair Near Ceredo, drywall repair in Kenova, Ashland drywall repair calls, serving Ironton, drywall repair for Proctorville property owners, Chesapeake, OH Drywall Repair and drywall repair in South Point, and the surrounding communities.
Ask about Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Huntington
Free written estimates. Most Huntington repairs scheduled within the week.
📞 Tap to Call — Free Estimate 304-555-0142Monday - Saturday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM