Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley

Test first. Every time.

Popcorn texture went on California ceilings from the 1950s into the early 1980s, and asbestos was a common ingredient. You cannot tell by looking. So on any home built in 1981 or earlier, the ceiling gets a lab test before anyone touches it. We order the test before our crew starts. A lab test usually runs $200 to $800.

Left alone, an asbestos ceiling does nothing. Scraped dry without a test, it puts fiber through the whole house. The test is how that never happens.

If the test comes back clean

Ivan’s crew does the whole job. Floors, walls and fixtures get masked. The ceiling is wetted down and scraped. Damaged spots are repaired, the ceiling is skim coated smooth where it needs it, then primed and painted. One crew, one contract.

If it comes back positive

A licensed abatement company removes it, under full containment. That is a separate cost from Ivan’s work. Once the area is cleared, Ivan’s comes back to skim, prime and paint the ceiling.

There is also a middle option. The popcorn can be sealed and skim coated over instead of removed, which leaves the material undisturbed. We will tell you which way we would go on your ceiling.

What it costs

Price depends on ceiling area, height, whether the popcorn was ever painted, and what the test says. The ranges we quote are in the popcorn ceiling removal cost guide. Your fixed, itemized price comes after a free walkthrough.

Ivan’s removal price: from $5 per sq ft of ceiling, depending on the job. Scraping, skim coat, primer and paint are included.

Why pair it with a repaint

The ceiling is the messiest step in any room. Once it is done, the room is already masked and protected, so the walls and trim cost less to do now than on a separate visit. Most people who take the popcorn down paint the room in the same job.