Popcorn Ceiling Asbestos Testing & Removal in Little Rock, AR
If your Little Rock house was built before 1990 and has a popcorn ceiling, there is a real chance the texture contains asbestos. Two things people call us for: test the popcorn ceiling for asbestos, which is a $50 to $75 lab sample with a result in two to three days, and remove it, which is a sealed-room job that leaves you with a flat ceiling ready to paint. We do both, across Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Bryant, Benton, Conway, Jacksonville and Cabot. Call (501) 817-7825 for a test or a written removal quote.
Test the popcorn ceiling first
You cannot tell by looking. Asbestos in ceiling texture was banned in 1977 but builders used up their stock for years, so ceilings sprayed into the mid-1980s can still contain it. The test is simple: a coin-sized piece is wetted and cut from a corner, sealed in a bag and sent to a lab. Two to three days later you have a yes or a no in writing. If it is a no, scrape it like any other ceiling. If it is a yes, do not scrape, sand, drill or pull it down: dry scraping an asbestos ceiling is how a house gets contaminated.
One sample per ceiling is not always enough. Different rooms can have been sprayed at different times, and a house that was added onto can have two different textures, so we sample each area that looks different. More on testing on the asbestos testing page, and on how to tell in the does my popcorn ceiling have asbestos guide.
How we remove an asbestos popcorn ceiling
Seal the room. Furniture out or wrapped, floors and walls covered in plastic, the doorway sealed, and a machine that keeps the air in the room under slight suction so nothing drifts into the rest of the house.
Wet it and scrape it. The texture is soaked so it comes off in wet sheets instead of dust, scraped into bags, and the bags are sealed and labeled for the disposal site. The ceiling underneath is wiped down.
Clean and check. Everything in the room is wiped and vacuumed with a filter that holds asbestos fibers, the plastic comes down into bags, and if the job is above the state size limits an air test confirms the room is clean before anyone moves back in. See air testing after removal.
What you get back. A flat ceiling that a painter or drywall finisher can skim and paint. We take the asbestos off; the finish coat is a separate trade and we can tell you who to call.
One room is one day. A whole house with the family out is usually two to four days depending on the number of rooms and ceiling height.
Removal is not the only option
An intact popcorn ceiling that nobody is going to disturb is not a hazard. If it is in good shape and you can live with the look, leaving it alone costs nothing. If you want a flat ceiling without a removal, a new layer of drywall over the old ceiling is sometimes cheaper than scraping, and it counts as sealing the asbestos in place; it has to be disclosed when you sell. See asbestos encapsulation for when that makes sense. When the ceiling is flaking, water-damaged, or you are renovating through it, removal is the answer.
What popcorn ceiling asbestos removal costs in Little Rock
The test is $50 to $75 per sample. Removing an asbestos popcorn ceiling from one room usually runs $1,200 to $3,000, depending on ceiling height, how thick the texture is and how much furniture has to be moved. A whole house runs $3,500 to $10,000 depending on square footage, vaulted ceilings and the number of vents and light fixtures. That is the removal only; skim-coating and painting the flat ceiling afterwards is a separate drywall or painting job. Every price on the site is on the asbestos removal cost page.
Prices on this page are estimates from previous work. We cannot quote an exact price. The actual cost can be lower or higher depending on the job. The person who knows is the professional who will do the work. You get a written quote after we see the house.
How to get started
Call (501) 817-7825 and tell us the year the house was built, how many rooms have the texture, and whether it has been tested already. We book the sample visit, and if it comes back positive you get a written removal price for the rooms you want done. If you would rather write, use the contact page.
Related services
Popcorn ceiling asbestos questions
How much does it cost to test a popcorn ceiling for asbestos in Little Rock?
About $50 to $75 per sample, with the lab result in two to three days. If you have more than one ceiling texture in the house, each one gets its own sample.
How much does asbestos popcorn ceiling removal cost?
One room is usually $1,200 to $3,000. A whole house is $3,500 to $10,000. Ceiling height, how thick the texture is and how much furniture has to come out are what move the price. Skim-coating and painting afterwards are separate.
Can I scrape a popcorn ceiling myself if it has asbestos?
Arkansas does not stop a homeowner working on their own single-family house, but dry scraping an asbestos ceiling puts fibers through the whole house and the cleanup afterwards costs far more than the removal would have. Test it first. If it is positive, have it removed wet, in a sealed room.
Does a popcorn ceiling from the 1980s have asbestos?
It can. The ban on asbestos in ceiling texture was 1977, but existing stock was used for years afterwards. Houses into the mid-1980s can test positive. The only way to know is a lab sample.
Can I just cover the popcorn ceiling instead of removing it?
Yes, if it is intact. A new layer of drywall over the old ceiling seals the asbestos in place and is often cheaper than scraping. It has to be disclosed when you sell, and it is not the answer if the ceiling is flaking or water-damaged.
Do you remove popcorn ceilings in North Little Rock and Conway?
Yes. Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Jacksonville, Cabot, Bryant, Benton and Conway. Call (501) 817-7825.
Test it, then decide
Call (501) 817-7825. A $50 to $75 lab sample tells you whether this is a normal ceiling job or an asbestos removal, and the written quote follows.