Smooth, finished ceiling after popcorn texture removal and skim coating

Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Central Iowa

Your Popcorn Ceiling Removal Project, From Consultation to Completion

Plenty of ranches and split-levels around Johnston and Clive still carry popcorn ceilings, and removing them instantly updates and brightens the room.

Project manager arranging asbestos testing and protecting room before popcorn ceiling removal
1

Ceiling Assessment. We test for asbestos in pre-1980 Central Iowa homes, evaluate the ceiling substrate condition, and discuss your preferred finish, smooth flat ceiling or a light modern texture.

Popcorn ceiling being wet-scraped and skim-coated with joint compound
2

Remove & Smooth. We protect your furniture and floors with full-room containment, wet-scrape the popcorn ceiling texture, skim-coat to a smooth finish, and sand for a perfectly flat, paint-ready surface.

Finished smooth ceiling after popcorn removal, skim coating, priming, and paint
3

Prime & Paint. The smooth ceiling is primed and painted with premium flat ceiling paint for a clean, modern look that transforms the entire room and adds value to your Central Iowa home.

Number of Territories

400+

Number of Paint Jobs

20,000+

5-Star Reviews

10,000+

Honest Reviews from Real Homeowners

"Great company. Very professional would highly recommend them."

Brandon Knight

Google review icon

"Very professional sales and work crew. Fantastic job on our deck and looking to do interior soon. Thanks to everyone!"

Scott Reed

Google review icon

"We are very excited and happy with our pool deck. It looks brand new and the color is perfect!! Meme and Abanoub are an…"

Marilyn Campos

Google review icon

"We have been updating our house and the outside was definitely in need of refreshing. Samantha and Ananoub were great to…"

todd edwards

Google review icon

"Samantha and Abanoub with That 1 Painter were the absolute best to work with! Our project was a deck stain. They were in…"

Laura Gogg

Google review icon

"They communicated well and did a nice job on the house."

Jim Asbille

Google review icon

"Samantha and her painter AB are great! Samantha gets all the information from a customer, she creates a vision, and the…"

Tyler Miller

Google review icon

"Easy to communicate with and great attention to detail!"

Andy Jepson

Google review icon

"Abanoub did a wonderful job! Quick, efficient, clean and very detailed. We are very happy with the outcome of our projec…"

Jeff Loeffelholz

Google review icon

"Samantha was so easy to work with and very talented at color selection. She brought Abanoub, their lead painter to make…"

Lesley Christensen

Google review icon

"Found some wonderful painters. They were EXCELLENT!!!! I'll use them for any painting projects I have. Highly recommende…"

Michael Loffredo

Google review icon

"Outside of the great painting skills, they also chatted with us about paint colors and other design issues. We had them…"

Jerry Ranch

Google review icon

What Popcorn Ceiling Removal Costs in Central Iowa (2026)

107%

Maximum ROI on popcorn ceiling removal

Angi

70–80%

Typical investment recouped at resale

House Digest

$1,985

Average professional removal cost

Angi

Popcorn Ceiling Removal Portfolio Gallery

Smooth ceiling skim coat after popcorn removal in Central Iowa home
Skim coating ceiling after popcorn texture removal
Crew member finishing ceiling after popcorn removal in Central Iowa
Close-up of popcorn ceiling texture being scraped off
Smoothing ceiling after popcorn removal in Central Iowa home
Modern smooth ceiling after popcorn removal
Finished smooth white ceiling after popcorn removal

Trusted Paint Partners

Sherwin-Williams
Benjamin Moore
Behr
PPG
Romabio

Popcorn Ceiling Removal for Central Iowa Homes

Popcorn ceilings still show up on plenty of older Des Moines, Urbandale, and Windsor Heights homes, and the removal work is the single biggest visual upgrade an interior can take. Once the texture is scraped, skimmed, primed, and painted flat, the room reads dramatically taller and more current under LED lighting. Homes built before the mid-1980s can carry asbestos in the texture, so testing through a certified lab clears the ceiling before any scraping begins.

Containment is what makes this scope livable in an occupied home. Floors, walls, and any remaining furniture are fully masked, and the work area is contained so scraping debris stays out of the rest of the home. Ceilings are wetted where appropriate so texture releases cleanly rather than tearing paper, and daily cleanup keeps the home usable while a room is worked.

Most homeowners choose a smooth or very light knockdown ceiling once the popcorn is off. Ceiling paint is chosen for a flat, uniform look, and the scope pairs cleanly with any interior painting already scheduled. Where the removal exposed cracks or dings, drywall repair is folded in so the whole ceiling returns as one clean surface.

Painter applying a clean finish near a window to represent That 1 Painter's 3-year workmanship warranty

Our 3-Year Warranty

Your peace of mind, at the top of mind with our three-year transferable warranty. Covers the painting job, even if you sell the house.

Download Warranty

Popcorn Ceiling Removal FAQs in Central Iowa

Yes. Scraping alone leaves a rough surface, so we skim-coat, sand, prime, and apply a finish coat to leave you with a flat, modern ceiling.

We mask floors and walls and clean as we work, so the dust and debris stay in the room being done rather than drifting through the house.

Floors are masked with plastic and rosin paper, walls are draped, and HVAC returns are sealed on the Johnston or Clive job so the dust stays in the room being worked. Every day ends clean. The plan is walked at the free in-home estimate.

Yes, scraping alone leaves a rough surface, so we skim, sand, prime, and topcoat the ceiling flat in Des Moines and Urbandale homes. The finished ceiling reads modern under overhead light. Every scope carries the 3-year transferable warranty.

Popcorn ceilings installed before the late 1970s can contain regulated materials, so we recommend a lab test on homes of that vintage before scraping. Newer builds through the 1980s and later are typically safe to remove directly. Testing is walked at the free in-home estimate.

Stop Scrolling.
Start Painting.