Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Lansing, MI
Lansing Elite Drywall takes popcorn ceilings down in Lansing, MI, and finishes the bare board smooth for paint. A sample goes out for testing before anything is scraped. We also work in East Lansing, Holt, Okemos, Haslett, Dimondale, DeWitt and Grand Ledge.
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Due to the 80% of the Lansing homes being pre-1980s, they might as well contain asbestos in the popcorn ceiling, and it's pretty much impossible to distinguish it from the regular one. So before anyone scrapes, what we need to do is to take a sample, send it to a lab to confirm.
- Texture sampled and tested before scraping
- Floor and walls sheeted in plastic first
- Misted and scraped one strip at a time
- Loose tape under the texture cut out and re-run
- Skimmed flat or retextured, then primed
Estimate your popcorn ceiling removal
Typical prices per square foot for Lansing jobs, from the source below. Your quote follows a look at the job.
$220 to $454
Call (517) 940-8317 for your priceAt a glance
| Scrape the texture off | $1.53 to $3.15 per sq ft |
|---|---|
| Skim the bare ceiling | $1.16 to $1.37 per sq ft |
| With retexture and paint | $2 to $6 per sq ft nationally |
| Time on the job | 1 to 5 days |
| Spray-on asbestos surfacing | Banned by EPA in 1978 |
| Lansing homes built before 1980 | 79.5% |
Popcorn Ceiling Jobs in Lansing Homes
Sampling the Texture First
In Lansing, a lot of homes were built when asbestos was allowed. So we need to sample the texture first, because asbestos looks identical to non-asbestos material. We send the sample to the lab, and only once it's confirmed that it's not asbestos can we start scraping.
Wet Scraping Unpainted Popcorn
When we apply wet scraping to unpainted popcorn, it makes it easier to scrape, and it makes less dust in the process.
Painted Popcorn Ceilings
Paint seals the texture, so water beads and runs off instead of soaking in. Mist a patch the size of your hand: if it stays wet on top after a few minutes, the ceiling was painted. Painted texture comes off only by dry scraping, which is slow and dusty.
Skim Coat After Removal
Skim coating is a thin compound we apply across the entire surface to flatten it. We do it after the removal because the texture hid the tape lines and some patches. It costs $1.16 to $1.37 per square foot.
Other Popcorn Ceiling Work
Condos and Apartment Buildings
There is one main concern here. Sometimes it might be asbestos, so we first take a sample, send it to a lab, and do the work once it's confirmed that it's not asbestos.
Rentals Between Tenants
It dries faster because nobody's home. There's nothing to move, there are no residents, and we can finish the work faster.
What Does Popcorn Ceiling Removal Cost in Lansing?
Scraping runs $1.53 to $3.15 for each square foot in Lansing. A 12 by 12 bedroom ceiling comes to about $220 to $455 for the scrape alone. Add a skim coat and that room lands near $390 to $650 before paint.
| Popcorn job | Lansing range, 2026 | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Scrape the texture off | $1.53 to $3.15 | Sq ft |
| Skim the bare ceiling | $1.16 to $1.37 | Sq ft |
| Scrape, then skim | $2.69 to $4.52 | Sq ft |
| 125 sq ft room, scrape only | $191 to $393 | Job |
| Hang new board over it | $2.84 to $3.41 | Sq ft |
| Retexture and paint (US) | $2 to $6 | Sq ft |
Ranges for zip 48912 (September 2026), plus one national figure. Testing, abatement and paint are not included.
How We Take a Popcorn Ceiling Down
- Sample it. A scraping goes out for testing. The result decides whether we carry on or hand the job over.
- Empty and sheet the room. Furniture out, plastic over the floor and taped up each wall, vents taped, and power off to the ceiling fixtures before water goes up.
- Mist and scrape. Warm water from a pump sprayer, a few minutes to soak, then a wide blade. Wet texture drops onto the plastic.
- Read the board. Bare drywall shows every joint. Loose tape is cut out and re-run, and nail pops get reset.
- Skim, prime, paint. A skim or a light new texture, primer, then ceiling paint. Give every pass at least 12 hours before the next, more when the air is damp.
What happens after the scrape, from Level 4 to a fresh knockdown, is its own subject; the drywall finishing page covers skim coats and texture.
Scrape It Off or Cover It?
Two roads lead to a flat ceiling, and the paint on the texture mostly picks between them.
Unless it goes against all the mood of the house and everything else inside of it, we would avoid this unnecessary messy and slow work. If your house has this kind of retro feeling, then definitely keep it as it is. If you have a clean and minimalistic aesthetic, consider covering it with new ceiling board.
Scrape It Off
Unpainted, tested clean and on sound board: scrape it. With the skim, it costs about the same as hanging new board over it, as the table above shows.
Cover It Over
There are two routes here. First, if you are fine with your popcorn ceiling, just leave it as it is. If you are not fine, then you have two choices. You can either cover it with new drywall, which would cost approximately $2.84 to $3.41 per square foot, or you can scrape it, which will create a lot of mess, and you need to check it for asbestos first.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal in nearby areas
What affects the price
Every job is quoted after we see it. These are the things that move the number up or down.
| Factor | How it moves the price |
|---|---|
| Painted texture | Paint seals the popcorn, so it scrapes dry and slow, or gets covered instead |
| Sample result | A positive test moves removal to an abatement contractor and adds their bill |
| Furnished room | Furniture out and walls sheeted in plastic before any water goes up |
| Ceiling height | Stairwells and vaulted rooms need planks and staging, not a step ladder |
| Finish after | A scarred ceiling needs a full skim before primer, or a new texture |
Get a quote on your popcorn ceiling removal
Describe the room and what happened to it. We call back with what the repair or hang probably involves and which details push the number up or down.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal FAQs
Is it worth removing a popcorn ceiling?
There are mostly two reasons. First, if you want the light to spread more evenly, which happens with a flat ceiling. And sometimes the popcorn ceiling has crumbs falling down.
Can I remove a popcorn ceiling myself?
If it's unpainted and tests clean for asbestos, it's doable. You need a pump sprayer and a wide knife. But flaws in the skim coat would be visible after paint.
Can we stay in the house while you work?
We work in one room at a time. We put plastic over the floor and walls and keep the vents taped. The only inconvenience is a bedroom job, because you need to sleep on the couch or elsewhere while it's drying.
What happens if my ceiling tests positive?
If the sample returns positive, we don't do the scraping ourselves. We recommend an agency with a MIOSHA license for paid removal. They take the texture down, and once they finish, we will come back.
Will scraping damage the drywall underneath?
We can damage it sometimes, but small tears are repairable. First we remove the loose paper, then seal it, let it dry and apply joint compound, then smooth it, and only then prime and paint.
How long does popcorn ceiling removal take?
It takes between 1 and 5 days, based on the temperature and size. After the scraping, the ceiling needs to get skim coated, and every layer must harden, which takes 12-plus hours a pass.
Request a quote
Ringing (517) 940-8317 gets you a first figure fastest. Otherwise fill in the form and expect a callback.