Repairs & Prep Naperville, IL
Popcorn ceiling removal in Naperville
Textured ceilings tested, scraped or skimmed over, sanded smooth and repainted, with the room sealed in plastic so the dust stays where it belongs.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Tested before scraping
- Scrape or skim over
Quick answer
Popcorn ceiling removal in Naperville starts with a test, because acoustic texture applied before the mid-1980s can contain asbestos and must not be scraped until the result is known. After that the room is sealed, the texture is wetted and scraped, the ceiling skimmed and sanded smooth, primed and painted. Most rooms take two to three days. Call to book a walkthrough.
What the job involves
What scraping a popcorn ceiling actually involves
Acoustic texture was sprayed on ceilings for decades to hide flaws and deaden sound. Removing it is messy, so the room is emptied or covered, walls and floors are sealed with plastic, and the HVAC returns are blocked before anything gets wet.
Unpainted texture softens with water and scrapes off cleanly; painted texture does not, and is usually better skimmed over than fought. Either way the ceiling underneath needs a skim coat to hide tape joints and gouges before it is primed and painted flat.
Updated September 2026
Types of work on this page
The 3 versions of this job we get asked for
Scrape and skim
Unpainted popcorn is misted with water, left to soften for a few minutes, and scraped off with a wide blade into the plastic below. The drywall underneath almost always shows tape seams, fastener pops and gouges, so it gets a skim coat of joint compound, a sand with a dust-extracting sander, and a coat of primer that seals the new compound. Two coats of flat ceiling paint finish it. Done properly, the ceiling looks like it was always smooth. The plastic and debris are rolled up and removed, leaving the room clean.
Skim over painted texture
If a previous owner painted the popcorn, water will not soften it and scraping tears the paper face of the drywall. In that case we knock down the high points, prime with a bonding primer, and skim the entire ceiling with two coats of compound until it is flat. It takes more material but less risk to the drywall, and it avoids breaking the old texture into dust. The result is the same smooth ceiling, and in rooms with complicated fixtures it is often faster overall.
Repaint after removal
The finish ceiling is two coats of a flat, high-hide ceiling white or a very light tint, which hides minor imperfections better than any sheen. Because the walls were covered in plastic for the removal, they usually need touch-ups along the ceiling line afterward, and many clients repaint the room at the same time since it is already prepped and empty. We cut a clean line at the wall and reinstall light fixtures, fans and smoke detectors once the paint is dry.
What moves the price
What decides the cost of this job
For the drywall work involved, Chicago-area cost guides put drywall repair at $100 to $1,000 and ceilings add $1 to $2 per square foot when painted. Published planning ranges only, not our quote.
- Ceiling area. Priced by square footage and ceiling height.
- Painted or unpainted. Painted texture needs skimming rather than scraping.
- Test results. Positive asbestos results require professional abatement first.
- Condition underneath. Tape seams, gouges and water stains add skim coats.
- Room access. Furniture, fixtures and vaulted ceilings add setup.
- Repainting. Walls repainted at the same time are quoted as an option.
Local conditions
Popcorn Ceiling Removal around Naperville
Popcorn ceilings turn up most in Naperville houses built from the 1960s into the late 1980s, which is a large share of the town given how much of it was built in that window, and many were painted over at least once, which changes the method. Homes near downtown Naperville with mid-century construction and anything built before 1978 are handled with lead-safe containment where old paint layers are disturbed, alongside the asbestos test.
Step by step
How the job runs from the first call to the last coat
Test the texture
A sample is tested before any scraping.
Seal the room
Plastic on walls and floors, returns blocked.
Remove fixtures
Lights, fans and detectors taken down safely.
Scrape or knock down
Wet scrape, or knock down and prime if painted.
Skim coat
Compound troweled flat over the whole ceiling.
Sand and prime
Dust-extracting sander, then sealing primer.
Paint and reset
Two flat coats, fixtures back up, room cleaned.
Timeline
How long popcorn removal takes
A bedroom is two days, a large living room or open plan three. Skim coats need drying time before sanding, and humid summer weather slows it. Testing results usually arrive before the scheduled start.
Do it yourself or call us
Scraping it yourself versus booking the job
Popcorn removal looks like a weekend project. Most DIY attempts stall at the skim coat.
| Factor | Doing it yourself | Hiring us |
|---|---|---|
| Testing | Often skipped, which is the real risk | Sample tested before any scraping |
| Containment | Dust and debris spread through the house | Room sealed, returns blocked |
| Skim coat | Hard to get flat overhead | Troweled and sanded flat |
| Painted texture | Scraping tears the drywall paper | Knocked down, primed and skimmed |
Want a real date for popcorn ceiling removal?
Call (630) 389-8505 any hour. Tell us the rooms or the elevation and we will book the walkthrough.
Call (630) 389-8505FAQ
Questions about popcorn ceiling removal in Naperville
Only testing can tell. Texture applied before the mid-1980s is the most likely to; we test before scraping any ceiling.
The texture must be removed by an asbestos abatement contractor first. We can skim and paint after abatement.
Very, which is why the room is sealed in plastic. When we leave, the plastic and debris go with us.
Yes, especially when it has been painted. The ceiling is primed and skimmed flat.
Two to three days for a typical bedroom or living room, including drying time for the skim coat.
Yes. The room being worked on is sealed off from the rest of the house.
Book popcorn ceiling removal in Naperville
One number, both offices, answered around the clock. The estimate is a walkthrough, not a guess.
Call (630) 389-8505Calls answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.