Cleanest resultScrape and refinish
A flat, modern ceiling with no added weight. The best choice when the test is negative and the drywall underneath is in decent shape.
Sioux Falls, SD · Ceiling specialists
Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Sioux Falls, SD
At Sioux Falls Popcorn Ceiling Removal Co., we take the bumpy acoustic texture off your ceilings, clean up every crumb, and leave a smooth, painted surface. Built before the mid-1980s? We arrange an asbestos test first, because nobody can tell by looking.
- Asbestos test before any scraping
- Rooms and vents sealed
- Plastic to paint, one crew
01 Built 1960s–80s~24,600 SF homes
02 Decorative spray ban1978
03 One room2–3 work days
04 Whole main floorAbout a week
01·Services
Popcorn removal, then the rest of the ceiling
Removal is the main job, and this page covers it. These four services finish the ceiling around it. We do not do roofing, flooring or kitchens.
01 Asbestos Testing Coordination
We line up an independent inspector and an accredited lab before anyone scrapes.
See the service
02 Skim Coat & Ceiling Refinishing
Smooth Level 5 style skim coats or a light knockdown, your choice.
See the service
03 Drywall & Ceiling Repair
Gouges, popped screws, loose tape and old water stains fixed before finish coats.
See the service
04 Ceiling Priming & Painting
Stain-blocking primer and flat ceiling paint rolled out evenly, no lap marks.
See the service02·Local housing
Why do so many Sioux Falls homes have popcorn ceilings?
A sprayed-on texture that hid seams cheaply, in a city that grew fast in exactly the decades it was popular.
A popcorn ceiling is a sprayed-on texture, sometimes called an acoustic or cottage cheese ceiling. Builders liked it because one pass from a spray hopper hid taped seams, uneven drywall and small dents, and it softened echo in big open rooms. It cost less than finishing a ceiling perfectly flat, so it ended up in bedrooms, hallways and living rooms across the country from roughly the 1950s through the 1980s.
Sioux Falls grew a lot during exactly those years. Not every one of those houses has popcorn ceilings, and some have already been scraped. Still, if you live in a ranch, split-level or split-foyer built in that window, there is a good chance at least one room still has it.
The texture has real downsides. It collects dust and cobwebs, it is almost impossible to clean, it yellows near kitchens and around old smoking areas, and it flakes when you bump it while changing a light. It also makes a house look dated in listing photos, which is why a lot of our calls come from people getting ready to sell or who just bought.
1/4+of the city's 90,000-plus homes were built in the 1960s–80s (ACS 2020–2024)
Sioux Falls homes by decade built
American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates
1960s~5,800
1970s~9,300
1980s~9,500
03·Cost
How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost?
We do not post a single price, because two 12-by-14 bedrooms can be very different jobs. National guides give a fair starting point for a few rooms.
01
Angi typical project
$932to$3,092
Typical project around $2,012
Angi · checked Oct 2026 · national
02
HomeAdvisor normal range
$933to$3,077
Average around $2,001
HomeAdvisor · checked Oct 2026 · national
03
Debris dumpster (if needed)
$300to$475
per week
Angi · national
Those are national figures, not Sioux Falls quotes. What moves the number up or down:
- Square footage and rooms. Bigger jobs spread setup time across more ceiling.
- Paint on the texture. Painted popcorn takes longer to soften and scrape.
- Ceiling height. Vaulted living rooms and stairwells need scaffolding or taller platforms.
- The finish you want. A smooth skim-coated ceiling costs more than a light knockdown texture.
- Repairs. Water damage, sagging drywall and cracked seams add time and material.
- Testing and abatement. The lab test is a small cost. Abatement, if needed, is a separate contract with a certified firm.
Our cost guide goes through each of these, including what to ask for in a written quote.
04·Asbestos
Could my popcorn ceiling contain asbestos?
It might. Asbestos was added to some acoustic ceiling textures for decades, and a ban date is not a guarantee for any single ceiling.
1950sSprayed acoustic texture becomes common in new homes.
1973Federal ban on spray-applied asbestos for fireproofing and insulating.
1978Ban extended to spray-applied asbestos for decorative use, which covers ceiling texture.
Mid-80sOur line: any texture that could be older gets a lab test first.
Material already made or stored could still go up after the bans, and you rarely know exactly when a ceiling was sprayed or re-sprayed.
The EPA's guidance for homeowners is direct about two points. First, you generally cannot tell whether a material contains asbestos by looking at it. Second, undamaged material that will not be disturbed is usually best left alone, but scraping, sanding or drilling suspect material can release fibers. Removing a popcorn ceiling is about as disturbing as it gets, so the answer is a lab test before the work starts.
Testing is not complicated. An inspector wets a small spot, takes a sample about the size of a coin from each distinct ceiling area, seals it in a bag and sends it to an accredited lab. Results usually come back in a few business days, sooner if you pay for a rush. The EPA does not recommend homeowners take their own samples, because doing it wrong can be more hazardous than leaving the ceiling alone.
Sample sealed for the lab05·Rules
What do South Dakota and the EPA require for a house like mine?
This part confuses a lot of people, so here is what the agencies actually say.
Houses with 1–4 unitsUsually exempt
The federal asbestos rule for renovation work, known as the asbestos NESHAP, covers most buildings but excludes residential buildings with four or fewer dwelling units. South Dakota adopted that standard into state rules (ARSD 74:36:08), and DANR says single-family residences are usually exempt. The exception is a group of houses under the same owner renovated or torn down as part of a bigger project, such as a highway job.
5+ units and commercialInspect + notify
For covered buildings, such as apartment buildings with more than four units or commercial spaces, DANR requires an inspection by a certified asbestos inspector before renovation, and a notification at least 10 working days before work starts when at least 160 square feet or 260 linear feet of regulated asbestos material will be disturbed.
10working days
Exempt is not the same as safe
"Exempt" means there is no state paperwork for a typical house. It does not mean the dust is safe. That is why we test first on any house built before the mid-1980s, even though no rule forces it.
Disposal is its own question. The Sioux Falls Regional Landfill treats asbestos as a special waste. The city's disposal request form asks whether the material was removed by the property owner or by a commercial contractor, and a contractor has to show proof of state certification. So even on an exempt house, positive material cannot just go in the curbside cart.
06·Before you call
Three checks before you call
Three quick checks before you call anyone. Then leave the ceiling alone until you have test results.
Find the year built
Minnehaha or Lincoln County property records, your closing paperwork or a home inspection report will have it. Before the mid-1980s means testing is the first step.
Look for paint
Press a damp sponge against an out-of-the-way spot. If the texture darkens and softens within a minute, it is probably unpainted. If water beads up, it has likely been painted, which makes removal slower.
Note the trouble spots
Water stains, sagging areas, cracks along seams and old patches all mean extra repair after the texture comes off.
Skip the scraper test patch
Do not try a "test patch" with a scraper. If the texture does contain asbestos, that little patch is exactly what the EPA tells homeowners not to do.
07·The process
How a job runs, plastic to paint
A good job is mostly preparation and cleanup. The scraping itself is the fast part.
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01Testing
For pre-mid-1980s homes, an independent inspector samples the texture and an accredited lab runs the analysis. If it is positive, removal goes to a certified abatement contractor and we pick up the finish work afterward.
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02Empty and seal
Furniture comes out. Floors get plastic, walls get plastic hung from just below the ceiling line, doorways get zipper doors. Vents are sealed and the furnace fan is off. Lights and fans come down, wires capped.
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03Mist and scrape
Unpainted texture is lightly sprayed from a pump sprayer, soaks a few minutes, and a wide blade lifts it off in sheets. Enough water to come off clean, not so much that the drywall paper bubbles.
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04Bag and clean
Debris falls onto the plastic. The sheeting is folded inward and bagged with the debris inside, then the room is HEPA vacuumed and wiped down.
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05Repair and skim coat
Builders used the texture to hide rough tape joints, so seams, screw pops and dents get fixed. Then thin skim coats, sanding, and a check with a work light held at a low angle.
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06Prime and paint
Stain-blocking primer seals the new compound and covers old water marks. Flat ceiling paint goes over it, which hides small flaws better than anything with a sheen.
- Day 1Seal the room, mist and scrape (a few hours)
- Days 2–3Repairs, skim coats, drying between coats
- ~2–3 daysA single room, setup to final coat
- ~1 weekA whole main floor
Drying sets the calendar, not scraping. Most families stay home: rooms in progress are sealed off, and bedrooms are usually done one or two at a time so everyone still has a place to sleep.
08·After the scrape
What the ceiling looks like once the texture comes off
You see what the original drywall crew left behind.
Common findings in Sioux Falls ranch and split-level homes:
- Tape seams that were never feathered out because the texture covered them.
- Nail or screw heads that have popped over the years as the framing dried.
- Old water stains from bathroom leaks, ice dams or a roof repair.
- Patches from moved light fixtures or old ceiling fans.
Then you choose a finish. Most people want a smooth ceiling, which means skim coating the whole surface. Some prefer a light knockdown or orange-peel texture, which hides minor flaws and costs less. Either way the ceiling gets primed and painted before we leave. See skim coat and ceiling refinishing.
Where the debris goes. Negative-tested texture is ordinary construction waste, heavier than people expect because it is wet, and we haul it off. Positive material is handled by the abatement contractor through the Sioux Falls Regional Landfill's special waste process, including a request form and, for projects that required state notification, a signed waste manifest brought to the scale house.
After: smooth, flat, painted 09·Good to know
DIY, painted ceilings and Sioux Falls weather
The questions that come up once people start planning.
Doing it yourself
On a newer house with a negative lab result, plenty of people do. It is messy, tiring work over your head.
- Get the lab test first, even if a neighbor's house tested clean.
- Turn off power to ceiling fixtures at the breaker before you wet anything.
- Use a pump sprayer, not a hose, and wet small sections at a time.
- Wear eye protection and a properly fitted respirator.
- Plan for the finishing. Most DIY jobs stall at the skim coat stage.
We get a fair number of calls from people who scraped it themselves and want help with repair, skim coat and paint. That is a normal way to split the job.
Painted popcorn
The most common surprise. Paint seals the texture, so water just sits on top. Removal usually means scoring the surface, using a stripping product made for textured ceilings, or deciding that covering with new drywall is faster and cleaner.
The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies to paid contractors in homes built before 1978 when work disturbs more than six square feet of painted surface in a room. If your ceiling is painted and the house predates 1978, ask any contractor, us included, how they handle lead-safe work practices.
Humid summers
Sioux Falls has a humid continental climate: warm, often muggy summers and long, cold winters. In summer, damp air slows drying, so skim coats and paint can take longer between coats. We often run a dehumidifier in the sealed room.
Furnace season
Winter air inside a heated house is dry, which speeds drying, but very fast drying on a thick coat can crack, so we keep coats thin. The furnace runs more often, which is why sealing return and supply vents matters even more in January than in June. Brown rings near exterior walls often trace to old ice dams; fix the source before refinishing or the stain comes back.
10·Hiring
Handyman, painter or ceiling specialist?
Ask anyone you are considering these five questions
- Do you test for asbestos first on older homes, and who does the testing?
- How do you seal the room and the heating vents?
- What does the ceiling look like when you leave: bare drywall, primed, or painted?
- Who fixes the gouges, seams and screw pops that show up once the texture is off?
- Is cleanup and debris disposal in the price?
A handyman can scrape a ceiling. Painters are good at the last step but often do not want the scraping and drywall part. Drywall finishers are good at skim coats but may not handle containment. A ceiling specialist does all of it as one job, which is what we do. The EPA also suggests the person assessing asbestos should not be connected to the firm doing the removal, which is one reason we use independent inspectors.
11·Options
Scrape it, cover it, or leave it alone?
You have three real options, and scraping is not always the right one.
Cleanest result
Less messCover it
New 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch drywall screwed through the texture into the framing, then taped and finished. Sometimes better for a ceiling painted many times, badly damaged, or tested positive. It lowers the ceiling slightly and light boxes get reset. If a positive ceiling is enclosed, keep the test report with the house records.
Legit choiceLeave it
If the texture is in good shape, tested positive and you do not plan to remodel, leaving it alone is a choice the EPA itself describes. Just do not drill, sand or patch it casually.
12·Service area
Where we work
All over Sioux Falls, in both the Minnehaha County and Lincoln County parts of the city, plus Brandon and Harrisburg.
Older central and east-side neighborhoods have a lot of 1950s and 1960s housing. When the city studied its midcentury homes in 2021, a preservation survey pointed to areas such as the Arcadia Heights, Sunny Crest and Teslow additions, and described a neighborhood between Phillips and Cliff avenues from 33rd to 38th streets that grew from 73 homes in 1958 to 252 by 1971. Those are exactly the kinds of streets where we find popcorn ceilings.
13·Getting a quote
Getting a quote
Call (605) 599-3393 or use the callback form. We will ask for the year the house was built, the number of rooms and their rough sizes, whether the ceilings have been painted, and whether there are vaulted areas or stains.
For older homes we start with testing. Once results are back, we walk the rooms, check the drywall, and give you a written quote that spells out containment, scraping, repairs, the finish you chose, primer, paint and cleanup.
The walk-throughFAQ·Quick answers
Questions we hear every week
Short answers. Call if your ceiling does not fit any of them.
01Do I have to test a popcorn ceiling for asbestos before removing it?
In a single-family home, South Dakota DANR says the state asbestos renovation rules usually do not apply, so there is no state form to file. We still test any texture applied before the mid-1980s, because the EPA says you cannot identify asbestos by looking and that scraping suspect material can release fibers.
02How long does popcorn ceiling removal take?
Scraping one average room usually takes part of a day. Skim coating, drying, sanding, priming and painting add more days because each coat has to dry. A whole main floor commonly runs about a week from first plastic to final paint.
03Can I stay in the house during the work?
Most families stay home. The rooms being worked on are sealed off, and you will want to avoid them until cleanup is finished. If a test comes back positive, the plan changes and a certified abatement contractor takes over that part.
04Will you remove popcorn from a ceiling that has been painted?
Yes, but it is slower. Paint keeps water from soaking in, so the texture has to be scored or treated before it softens. Painted ceilings in homes built before 1978 may also involve lead paint rules.
05Do you do asbestos abatement?
No. We arrange testing through an independent inspector. If a sample is positive, we refer you to state-certified abatement contractors and come back afterward to repair, skim coat and paint.
06What areas do you serve?
Sioux Falls plus Brandon and Harrisburg. Call if you are in another town close by and we will tell you whether we can fit you in.
→·Start here
Talk to a ceiling crew that tests first
Call or send the form. We ask when the house was built, whether the ceiling has been painted, and how many rooms you want done. If there is any chance the texture contains asbestos, testing comes before any scraping.
Talk to the crew(605) 599-3393- Open Mon–Fri: 7:00 AM–6:00 PM, Sat: 8:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Serving Sioux Falls and nearby towns