Popcorn ceiling removal can make your home pop to potential buyers
Home Value Rating: 5/5
Popcorn ceiling removal is top-tier—hiring a pro is worth every penny here.
Expect an average return above 80% for this home improvement project.
Homeowners spend an average of $1,000 to $3,100 on popcorn ceiling removal.
Popcorn ceilings in older homes may contain asbestos, which requires professional mitigation.
According to some estimates, popcorn ceiling removal can have an ROI above 80%, with most homeowners spending $1,000 to $3,100 on this project. A lot of that value depends on whether the ceiling is contaminated with asbestos or prominent in the home.
If you have an older home, you might be familiar with popcorn ceilings. This texture, which peaked in popularity between the 1950s and 1980s, tends to leave a bad taste in the mouths of modern buyers. Realtors agree that removing a popcorn ceiling increases home value, but is it worth it? This guide will help you weigh the real ROI.
For many homeowners, popcorn ceilings (aka textured, stucco, or acoustic ceilings) are a relic of the past. These ceilings are finished with a spray-on material (made from a mixture of paint, water, and polystyrene foam) that gives them a bumpy texture akin to popcorn or cottage cheese.
The benefits of these ceilings were once undeniable—they were inexpensive, hid ceiling imperfections, and helped soundproof a room. Unfortunately, before the Clean Air Act was passed in the late 1970s, the spray-on mixture contained asbestos. Though popcorn ceilings applied after the 1990s aren’t made with asbestos, the negative reputation has remained, and they’re no longer popular in home remodeling.
According to some realtors, removing a popcorn ceiling can add about $2,500 to the cost of the average home. This is in line with the cost of the removal itself. In other words, you’ll likely make back most of your investment.
Most contractors who remove popcorn ceilings have a minimum rate for a visit. You’ll pay more to remove a small area of popcorn ceiling, such as a 30- to 50-square-foot hallway. The more you remove, the better the value.
Though popcorn ceiling removal is a relatively small investment for a big aesthetic upgrade, some other factors still influence the overall value.
Though the asbestos in popcorn ceilings won’t pose a risk unless the ceiling deteriorates, many prospective buyers don’t want to buy a home with asbestos. You can’t tackle asbestos yourself—you’ll need to hire a pro, and asbestos remediation costs an average of $5 to $20 per square foot.
Some states and municipalities require homeowners to disclose the presence of asbestos to potential buyers. Selling your home without covering the remediation cost could be challenging. In this case, popcorn ceiling removal will have a higher ROI, but you can also encapsulate it. Encapsulation is the process of enclosing and sealing the asbestos, rather than removing it, which reduces the risk of exposure.
Leave asbestos removal to the professionals. Long periods of exposure to a high volume of disturbed asbestos can have harmful effects on your health, including serious diseases like asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.
According to Redfin, home prices hit an all-time high in 2024. Part of this likely concerns a housing shortage, which Zillow reports has worsened year-over-year. In this market, it’s less likely that a minor renovation like refinishing your ceilings will have a meaningful ROI (unless the ceiling contains asbestos).
That said, the total ROI does depend on your local market. If there are plenty of houses for sale in your area, replacing popcorn ceilings could give you a competitive edge over other homeowners.
The size of the ceiling also impacts the value of popcorn ceiling removal. You’ll get a bigger bang for your buck if the popcorn ceilings run throughout your home and make a significant visual impact. Large projects (like replacing the ceilings in an entire home) can deter buyers, but some people don’t mind making minor renovations.
Sometimes, ceilings are high and difficult to access. Popcorn ceiling removal costs more as the job gets more complex. This will shrink your ROI.
A badly damaged ceiling with cracks or sagging can deter buyers. If you have to fix your ceiling before selling your home, you’ll see a higher ROI if you remove the popcorn texture at the same time.
You’ll get less value from removing a popcorn ceiling in a less prominent area of your home, like a finished basement or back study. On the other hand, a popcorn ceiling in a high-traffic room like a living room or kitchen is more likely to turn buyers off.
Homes with popcorn ceilings can be older and outdated. Popcorn ceiling removal will add more value if it’s part of a larger update. For example, according to Remodeling, you can expect a 96% return on a minor kitchen remodel, and a 74% return on a mid-range bathroom remodel.
Small, affordable changes—like painting a room or refinishing floors—make the biggest impact.
You can save on labor costs by DIYing your popcorn ceiling removal. You’ll need to scrape off the texture using a paint scraper and be prepared to clean up a serious mess when you’re finished. Once the texture is gone, you’ll also need to refinish your ceiling. Most people choose to hire a local popcorn ceiling removal pro who can add a more desirable texture or stick with a basic smooth finish.
Remember, you should never DIY asbestos removal. If your home was built before the 1990s, your popcorn ceiling could be contaminated. Test your ceiling for asbestos before starting this project, and if abatement is necessary, definitely hire a pro.
For the average homeowner, popcorn ceiling removal costs $2,000, but you can spend anywhere from $1,000 to $3,100. If you have high ceilings or need to remove popcorn ceilings throughout a large home, you could spend more than $6,000.
Expect to spend $1 to $6 per square foot on removal, and add about that much back to the cost of your home.
| Room Type | Average Square Footage | Average Popcorn Ceiling Removal Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom | 120–224 | $120–$1,350 |
| Living room | 200–400 | $200–$2,400 |
| Basement | 500–1,000 | $500–$6,000 |
| Whole house | 1,400–3,000 | $1,400–$18,000 |
Most modern homeowners prefer smooth ceilings, making popcorn ceiling removal a compelling upgrade. That said, you don’t always need to remove it. If your ceiling doesn’t contain asbestos and you plan to put your home on the market ASAP, you might decide it’s not worth it. Though a modern ceiling attracts more buyers, people can be willing to make minor concessions in a competitive market.
However, if your popcorn ceiling contains asbestos, consider removal or encapsulation. Asbestos only poses a health risk if disturbed, but it’s a major concern for buyers. Though some handy homeowners can DIY their popcorn ceiling removal, you should never remove asbestos on your own. Instead, hire a popcorn ceiling removal service that is familiar with proper mitigation.
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners maximize the value of their investments, we gather ROI data from reputable sources, including industry reports, real estate studies, and interviews with market experts. We calculate the average resale value for projects by multiplying the ROI against the project’s average cost according to our cost data, which is sourced from thousands of real Angi customers.
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Under the right circumstances, removing your popcorn ceiling can have a favorable ROI exceeding 80%. The ROI depends on several factors, such as the size of your ceiling, where the texture is located in your home, the state of the housing market, and whether the ceiling contains asbestos.
Most buyers prefer a smooth, modern finish on their ceilings. This can make a home with a popcorn ceiling challenging to sell, but it depends on the housing market. In a competitive market, buyers are more willing to overlook minor renovations. However, popcorn ceilings containing asbestos in an older home are a major deterrent.
Ceilings with a smooth finish are more appealing to homeowners, but you don’t necessarily need to remove your popcorn ceiling even though it adds value to your home. The exception is if you have an older home. Older popcorn ceilings may contain asbestos, which becomes a health hazard if the ceiling deteriorates. In this case, you should remove your popcorn ceiling or encapsulate it.
