Typical per-square-foot and per-room ranges for the Lowcountry, the factors that move the price, and a quick calculator to estimate your rooms.
Get a Free QuoteMost popcorn ceiling removal projects in the Charleston tri-county area fall between $900 and $3,000, with the average job landing around $1,700–$2,450 based on Fixr, Angi/HomeAdvisor and Thumbtack data. A single bedroom is often under $1,300 complete; a whole two-story house with a smooth painted finish can run well past $4,000.
Only one Charleston competitor publishes any pricing, so we are putting the full table here. Every number is a typical range, not a quote. Your written estimate is based on your rooms, your ceiling height, whether the texture has been painted, and the finish you choose.
Want a number for your house? Fill out the form, or jump to the calculator below.
Typical ranges for the Charleston, SC area. Sources: Fixr, Angi/HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack and HomeLight.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Scrape-only removal (unpainted, standard 8–9 ft ceiling) | $1–$2 per sq ft |
| Removal + skim coat + prime & paint (smooth finish) | $3–$6.50 per sq ft |
| Skim coat add-on | $1–$1.50 per sq ft |
| Knockdown retexture add-on | $0.80–$3 per sq ft |
| Ceiling prime & paint add-on | $1–$3 per sq ft |
| Single bedroom (~200 sq ft) | $400–$1,300 complete |
| Living room (~330 sq ft) | $650–$2,100 complete |
| Typical whole project | $900–$3,000 (avg ≈ $1,700–$2,450) |
| Whole 1-story house | $900–$2,840 removal-only; more with finish |
| Whole 2-story house | $1,500–$4,000 removal-only; more with finish |
| Asbestos lab test | ~$50–$100 per sample (mail-in); $250–$850 professional inspection |
| Asbestos abatement (by a licensed contractor, not us) | $3–$7 per sq ft typical; up to $5–$20 in some cases |
| Painted popcorn surcharge | about +50% |
| Vaulted/high ceiling surcharge | about +50% |
All figures are estimates for planning. Final pricing comes from a written quote after we see the ceiling, or photos of it.
Seven factors that explain most of the spread between a $900 job and a $3,000 one.
Once texture has been painted, water cannot penetrate it and it stops coming off in sheets. Removal takes longer and the drywall under it needs more skim work. Add about 50%. If your 1970s or 80s ceiling has been repainted, assume this applies until we check.
Vaulted living rooms and primary bedrooms are a signature of 1980s Charleston-area homes, and they roughly add 50% to the price for scaffolding, overhead time and the extra care a sloped skim coat needs.
Pre-1990 ceilings should be tested, which adds $50–$100 per mail-in sample. A positive result changes the whole job: abatement by an SCDES-licensed contractor comes first and is priced separately. How testing works.
Scrape-only is the cheapest. A knockdown texture costs a bit more and hides small flaws. A full smooth skim coat with primer and paint is the most labor and the most popular choice for resale.
Per-square-foot rates drop a little when we do several rooms at once because setup, containment and drying days overlap. Hallways, closets and rooms crowded with built-ins cost more per foot than open bedrooms.
Empty rooms are fastest. If we are moving and covering furniture, or working around a kitchen island or a staircase, expect a little more time on the estimate. Sellers who scrape before listing usually get the best price because the house is already empty.
Skim coat and primer dry slower in Charleston's humid months. That rarely changes the price much, but it can add a day between coats. We run fans and dehumidifiers and will not sand or paint a coat that is still soft.
Enter your ceiling square footage and finish for a rough estimate range. This is not a quote.
Enter your square footage to see a typical range.
Estimate only. Based on typical Charleston-area ranges: $1.50–$2 per sq ft to scrape, +$1–$1.50 skim coat, +$0.80–$3 knockdown, +$1–$3 prime & paint; painted and vaulted ceilings each about 1.5×.
Not included: asbestos testing (we coordinate it), abatement if a test is positive, new lighting or electrical, and wall painting unless you add it. See the full step-by-step process.
More in the FAQ or our post on what removal costs in Charleston.
Scrape-only removal of unpainted popcorn on a standard 8–9 foot ceiling typically runs $1–$2 per square foot. Removal with a smooth skim coat, primer and paint runs about $3–$6.50 per square foot. Those ranges come from Fixr, Thumbtack and Angi/HomeAdvisor data; your written quote depends on the finish, ceiling height and condition of your drywall.
Paint seals the texture so water cannot soak in, which means the popcorn will not soften and come off in sheets. We have to score it, soak it longer or scrape it dry in sections, and the drywall underneath usually needs more skim work. Expect a surcharge of about 50% over unpainted texture, which is common in 1970s–80s Lowcountry homes that have been repainted a few times.
Our smooth-finish price does: removal, skim coat, sanding, primer and two coats of flat ceiling paint. Scrape-only pricing leaves bare drywall for you or your painter. If you want a knockdown texture, that is priced as an add-on of about $0.80–$3 per square foot, with prime and paint at $1–$3 per square foot on top.
A mail-in lab test costs about $50–$100 per sample, and a professional inspection runs $250–$850. If the ceiling tests positive, abatement by an SCDES-licensed contractor is a separate job that typically costs $3–$7 per square foot, sometimes more. We do not perform abatement; we return to finish the ceiling after clearance.
Sometimes, but not usually in an occupied home. Hanging new drywall over popcorn means new seams, lost ceiling height, moving light fixtures and more disruption, and it still does not deal with any asbestos question. For a sound ceiling, wet scraping plus a skim coat is generally the less expensive path. We can price both on the estimate.
Yes, about 50% more. Vaulted living rooms and primary bedrooms are common in 1980s Charleston-area homes, and they need scaffolding or planks, more time overhead and more care to get a flat skim coat on a sloped surface. Ceilings over nine feet in older downtown homes are priced the same way.
Free, no-pressure quotes across the Charleston tri-county area.
