Popcorn ceiling removal: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering popcorn ceiling removal

Popcorn removal is a testing and containment job before it is a scraping job, and customers want to know you will handle the asbestos question correctly. Win the job by showing your test process, your containment plan and your disposal steps in writing.

What customers ask

  • Do I need an asbestos test before you start?
  • How do you keep the dust out of the rest of the house?
  • How long will the ceiling take, and what is left after the texture comes off?
  • Can you remove the texture and paint the ceiling in the same job?
  • What happens if the drywall is damaged under the texture?

How to win the job

  • Explain on the first call that the texture must be tested before removal, and name the lab and the test process in the proposal.
  • Show the containment plan on a sketch of the room, with the plastic barriers, the negative air if used, and the waste route.
  • Quote the test as its own line and state that the removal start depends on a clean or properly controlled result.
  • Put the power shutoff, the fixture removal and the reset in the quote, so the customer sees the electrical side handled.
  • State the patch and skim coat steps, and show the expected finish on a test patch before the full ceiling is done.
  • Name the paint and primer for the ceiling, and explain why the ceiling is sealed before painting.
  • Offer a cleanup and a final inspection of the room, with a written note on the disposal method used.

What to put on your profile

  • Before and after photos of ceilings with the containment visible, and the finished smooth surface
  • Photos of the test sample collection process, with the lab and the date noted
  • Photos of the drywall patch and skim coat work, which show the finish quality
  • A list of the accredited labs and disposal methods you use

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • A care note for the painted ceiling and the fixtures reset during the job
  • A check visit after a few weeks to look at the patches and the paint
  • A quote for a second room, offered only if the customer asks

Licenses and permits

Asbestos removal is regulated, and many areas require certified or licensed abatement workers, notices and approved disposal. Confirm your certifications, the rules for your state and locality and your insurance before you take any popcorn removal job.

Questions

Should I do the asbestos test or refer it out?

Refer it to an accredited lab, and do not use the test as a sales tool. Keep the chain of custody and the report in the job file, and share the results with the customer.

What if the test is positive?

Stop and tell the customer. Removal of asbestos texture often needs a licensed abatement process, depending on where you work. Offer to coordinate the abatement firm or to paint and seal the texture if the customer chooses that route.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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