If the test is clear
The ceiling is contained, scraped, skimmed, primed and painted as described below, and the result is noted on your estimate.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal and Ceiling Painting in Riverside
Riverside Expert Painting handles popcorn ceiling removal in Riverside, CA, as a trusted Riverside County ceiling and painting specialist, specializing in acoustic texture scraping, skim coating and smooth or light-texture ceiling finishes. We offer ceiling retexturing and flat ceiling painting.
- Free on-site estimate
- Written scope, coat by coat
- Colors you approve first
Get a free painting estimate
Or call (951) 631-9482. Calls only, we do not receive text messages.
About our popcorn ceiling removal & ceiling painting
Our team provides room containment with plastic sheeting and floor protection, delivering a clean, brighter ceiling for both residential and commercial projects. Older texture is tested through an accredited asbestos professional before anyone scrapes it, and we write the containment, the skim coat, the primer and the finish painting for every room into the scope.
From misting a small patch to see how the texture releases to skimming and repainting every ceiling in a single-story ranch house, our team handles every detail. Serving Riverside, Woodcrest, North Tustin and Yorba Linda, we also quote apartment and office ceilings for managers who need rooms back in service.
Why Riverside Expert Painting
How We Work
No salesperson hands you to a stranger. The person who measures the job answers for it.
Written scopePrep, primer and finish coats listed surface by surface
Colors firstSamples on your wall, and association submittals prepared for review
One crewThe crew that quotes the job is the crew that paints it
CA License #585047Licensed, insured and bonded
Testing Older Texture First
Popcorn ceiling removal in Riverside starts with a test, not a scraper. Early acoustic texture often contained white asbestos fibers, and existing stocks of asbestos-bearing texture were allowed to be used up after the ban, so asbestos can turn up in popcorn ceilings applied through the 1980s. The EPA lists textured paint and patching compounds used on walls and ceilings among the places asbestos may be found, and says samples should be taken by a trained and accredited asbestos professional, because disturbing the material can release fibers. So when a house dates from that era, or nobody knows when the ceiling was sprayed, a sample is tested through an accredited professional before we quote the scrape.
If the test finds asbestos
Our painters do not scrape it. Under EPA guidance, removal is complex and must be done only by a trained and accredited asbestos professional, and material in good condition that will not be disturbed can be left alone. We explain both paths, and once a removal contractor's work is complete we can pick up the skim, primer and paint.
Containment and Protection
Scraping a popcorn ceiling is the messiest job in painting, so each room is sealed before the first stroke. Walls are covered floor to ceiling in plastic sheeting, the floor gets plastic with a protective layer on top, and the doorway is closed with taped or zippered plastic so dust stays in the room being worked.
Furniture comes out of the room where possible, or is grouped in the center and wrapped. Ceiling fans and light fixtures are taken down or bagged, supply vents and returns are sealed, and the air conditioning is kept off for that part of the house so dust is not drawn through the ducts.
The texture is misted with water before scraping, which softens it and keeps dust down. At the end of each room the plastic is rolled inward with the debris inside and carried out, so most of the mess leaves with it.
If anyone at home has breathing problems, or a room cannot be emptied, tell us at the walk and we plan the order around it.
Scrape, Skim and Retexture
Once the texture is off, the drywall underneath is rarely ready for paint. Scraping leaves gouges, tape seams hidden under the texture show through, and some ceilings were never finished smooth because the popcorn was there to hide imperfections.
Skim coat
A thin coat of joint compound is troweled across the ceiling, or over the seams and damaged areas, and sanded flat. This is the step that turns a scraped ceiling into a smooth one.
Smooth or light texture
A fully smooth ceiling reflects the most light and shows the most flaws. A light orange peel or skip-trowel texture, the finishes kitchens and living rooms traditionally used instead of popcorn, hides small waves and suits many homes. You choose at the walk from samples.
Primer
The new surface is primed so the ceiling paint goes on evenly and the skimmed areas do not show as dull patches under the finish.
Painting the New Ceiling
The new ceiling is painted with a flat ceiling paint, two coats over the primer in most rooms. Flat paint reflects no light, which makes it forgiving of the small ridges and seams that a low sun through a window throws across a broad ceiling.
White is the usual color, and a smooth white ceiling makes a room brighter than the popcorn it replaced, since textured ceilings reflect less natural light. A soft tint works too, as long as the sample is approved first.
When the ceiling is done, the walls often need attention: tape, scraping and the crisp new ceiling line show up against old wall paint. Many owners repaint the walls in the same visit, and that is quoted as its own line.
Fixtures, fans and vent covers go back up, and the room is cleaned before you move back in.
Which Rooms and Which Houses
Popcorn texture was long the standard on bedroom and hallway ceilings because it was bright white, hid imperfections and deadened sound, using tiny particles of vermiculite or polystyrene. Kitchens, living rooms and baths were usually finished in a smoother, more washable texture. In houses of that era, that often means popcorn in the bedrooms and halls and something different elsewhere.
Most owners remove it for the same reasons its popularity has dropped since the mid-2000s. A textured ceiling reflects less natural light than a smooth one, can hold more dust and allergens, and is harder to patch after a drywall repair or a new light fixture.
Removal often comes up before a sale, after a leak stain, or with an addition whose new ceiling must match. A single bedroom can be done on its own, or every room at once to keep the ceilings consistent.
Apartment owners and property managers often remove popcorn while a unit is empty between tenants, and those ceilings are priced by unit.
What the Walk and the Written Scope Cover
Every popcorn job starts with a walk of the rooms involved. We measure each ceiling, look at its height and any vaults, note fixtures and fans, check for old water stains and cracks, and ask what you know about when the texture went up. If the age is uncertain, the asbestos sample is arranged before the estimate is final.
The written estimate then lists each room, the containment, whether the ceiling gets a full skim or seam work only, the finish you chose, the primer, the ceiling paint and its color, and anything added such as wall repaints. The start date and how long each room is out of use are written there as well.
For a manager or owner with several units, the same walk is done on one representative unit and the rest are priced from the unit list.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal Cost
Popcorn ceiling removal in Riverside is typically estimated at roughly $300 to $3,000, from a single small bedroom at the low end to several rooms scraped, skimmed and painted at the high end. Painting a ceiling once it has been scraped is commonly estimated at roughly $300 to $900 on its own.
What moves the price:
- Ceiling area and the number of rooms
- Ceiling height, vaults and stairwells
- The asbestos test, and any removal by an accredited contractor, which they quote separately
- A full skim coat or seams and gouges only
- Smooth finish or a light retexture
- Fixtures, fans and vents to take down
- Furniture moved out or wrapped in place
- Walls repainted in the same visit
These are estimates and they are subject to change once the ceiling is tested and measured; the written quote sets the final price.
Colors and Finishes
The process
How a Painting Job Runs
Four steps, and nothing is painted until you have approved the scope and the colors.
The walk
We walk the house or property with you, look at the stucco, the trim and the old coating, and note what the afternoon sun, the dry wind and the sprinklers have done to each side.
The written scope
You get the prep, the products, the colors and the dates in writing. For an association or a building, the scope is phased so residents and tenants know which day is theirs.
Prep, then paint
Washing, scraping, patching and caulking come first, because that is what the paint holds on to. Then primer where it is needed and the finish coats.
The final walk
We walk it again with you before we call it done, and touch up anything you point at.
Questions
Popcorn Ceiling Removal & Ceiling Painting: Common Questions
Does my popcorn ceiling have asbestos?
It can if it was applied before or during the 1980s, and you cannot tell by looking. A sample is tested through an accredited asbestos professional before any scraping starts, and the result decides what happens next.
Can you just paint over the popcorn?
It can be sprayed, but the ceiling still looks like popcorn and still collects dust. Most owners who call want it gone, which means containment, removal, a skim and fresh paint.
How messy is popcorn removal?
Very, which is why each room is sealed in plastic, the floor is covered and the debris leaves rolled up inside that plastic. The rest of the house stays clean when doorways and vents are sealed properly.
Do I have to leave the house?
Usually not. Rooms are done one or a few at a time and sealed off while they are worked. You stay out of a sealed room until it has been cleaned and the plastic is down.
Should the new ceiling be smooth or textured?
Smooth looks cleanest but shows more flaws in strong light. A light orange peel or skip-trowel texture hides more and suits many homes. A sample at the walk helps you decide.
Can you do just one room?
Yes. A single bedroom or hallway is quoted on its own. Doing several rooms together keeps the ceilings consistent and spreads the setup across more of the house.
Will you paint the walls too?
If you want. Walls often look tired next to a fresh ceiling and can pick up marks from the plastic and tape, so a wall repaint is a common add-on, priced as a separate line.
Do you remove popcorn in apartments or offices?
Yes, in vacant units and in offices outside business hours, with the same containment as in a house. Managers can send a unit list or a floor plan for a price.
Can you match a texture on a repaired ceiling?
Where only part of a ceiling is being patched, a light texture can usually be blended into the existing one, but an exact popcorn match is hard. Many owners find that removing it from the whole room gives a cleaner result than a patch.
Free on-site estimate
Talk to us about popcorn ceiling removal & ceiling painting
Homeowners get a free on-site estimate. Boards, managers and contractors can send a scope for a bid.
Licensed, insured and bonded · License #585047. Calls only, we do not receive text messages.