Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Ladson, SC
No mainland suburb in the metro has more popcorn-era housing than Ladson. Six in ten homes were built between 1960 and 1999, and the 1970s was the biggest decade of all. That is a lot of Tall Pines brick ranches with textured ceilings waiting to be smoothed.
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Why popcorn ceilings are common in Ladson
Ladson is a census-designated place rather than a city, spread across Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, and its housing tells a specific story. The median home was built in 1990. The 1970s are the single biggest construction decade at 23.2%, followed by the 1980s at 19.6% and the 1990s at 13.2%; add the 1960s and about 60% of Ladson's 6,196 homes date from the popcorn era. Only the beach towns beat that share.
Tall Pines is the signature example, with 1978 brick ranches sitting next to houses from the 2000s and 2020s on the same streets. College Park, with Persimmon Hill Townhouses, and Summer Park fill in more of the 1970s–90s stock; Hunters Bend near Sangaree (2006–2020) is the newer side of town. One more thing sets Ladson apart: 18.9% of homes are mobile homes, the highest share in the metro.
What we do in Ladson
Downtown Charleston is 20 miles southeast, and Ladson sits right along I-26, so we reach it in the same window as Summerville and North Charleston.
- Popcorn ceiling removal: masked walls and floors, wet scraping, bagged-out debris.
- Smooth ceiling finish for the flat, modern look buyers expect.
- Knockdown texture: a budget-friendly alternative that hides old drywall flaws.
- Drywall repair for truss-line cracks and old leak patches.
Asbestos and older Ladson homes
A 1978 Tall Pines ranch is close to the SCDES cutoff: the agency says buildings built before 1980 are the most likely to contain asbestos, and popcorn texture is one of the materials it names. Because leftover texture products were used into the mid-1980s, we recommend a lab test for any Ladson ceiling installed before 1990. Our asbestos testing service sends samples to an accredited lab for roughly $50–$100 each.
Ladson is overwhelmingly detached single-family and mobile homes, with fewer than 2% of units in larger buildings. A private residence with four or fewer units is generally exempt from state notification, so once a sample comes back negative we schedule removal. If it comes back positive, an SCDES-licensed abatement contractor removes the material first. We are not licensed for abatement and never remove asbestos; we return after clearance to finish the ceiling.
Townhouse rows in College Park are the exception: a building with five or more units is regulated, and licensed inspection and abatement apply.
Pricing in Ladson
Most Ladson ceilings are unpainted 8-ft texture on single-story ranches, which lands jobs near the lower end of the Fixr, Angi/HomeAdvisor and Thumbtack ranges. Estimates until we measure.
| Item | Typical range (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Scrape-only removal (unpainted, standard height) | $1–$2 per sq ft |
| Removal + skim coat + prime and paint | $3–$6.50 per sq ft |
| Knockdown retexture add-on | $0.80–$3 per sq ft |
| Whole 1-story house, removal only | $900–$2,840 |
| Typical whole project | $900–$3,000 (avg ≈ $1,700–$2,450) |
Painted popcorn adds about 50%. Use our cost page calculator, then request a free estimate.
Ladson popcorn ceiling questions
Do you remove textured ceilings in mobile and manufactured homes?
We look at each one on site. Nearly one in five Ladson homes is a mobile home, and their ceilings are often factory-textured gypsum panels rather than popcorn over standard drywall. Some can be scraped and skimmed; for others a knockdown or a fresh paint finish is the better answer. We will tell you honestly which approach makes sense.
Ladson is unincorporated. Who handles permits for our address?
Whichever county your parcel sits in: Berkeley, Charleston or Dorchester. Interior cosmetic work like texture removal, skim coating and painting generally falls under the state residential code's finish-work exemption, so a building permit usually is not needed. If your project adds lighting or touches framing, we confirm with the right county office before starting. Your tax bill tells you which county that is.
Our Tall Pines street has no HOA. Does that change the job?
Only in that it is simpler. Part of Tall Pines is in an HOA and part is not; without one there are no work-hour restrictions or notices to arrange. Either way, we set a clear start date, protect your floors and furniture, and allow drying time for the skim coat and paint.
Nearby areas we serve
Ladson runs along I-26 between Summerville and North Charleston, with Goose Creek and Hanahan a short drive east.
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