Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Harrisburg, SD

Harrisburg is south of Sioux Falls in Lincoln County, and it grew fast in recent decades. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2020–2024 five-year estimates) counts about 3,130 housing units in Harrisburg. About 1,140 were built in the 2000s and about 1,155 more in the 2010s, with roughly 220 added since 2020. Together that is around four out of five homes in town built since 2000.

That makes Harrisburg different from central Sioux Falls. Fewer houses here date from the years when asbestos-containing ceiling texture was in use. The same survey counts only about 100 homes from the 1970s and about 70 from the 1980s, plus a small number of older houses.

So in Harrisburg, a lot of our calls are less about classic popcorn and more about changing a ceiling finish: taking a heavy knockdown down to smooth, getting rid of acoustic texture left in a bedroom or basement, or repairing a stained ceiling so the patch does not show.

For the older homes, yes. If a house or its ceiling texture could date to before the mid-1980s, we arrange a test through an independent inspector and an accredited lab before scraping. The EPA says asbestos cannot be identified by eye.

For a house built in 2005, testing usually is not needed unless an older material was used in a patch. We will give you a straight answer for your house rather than adding a test by default. See asbestos testing coordination for how testing works when it is needed.

This is one of our most common requests from newer neighborhoods. Knockdown texture was popular with builders because it hides small flaws and goes on quickly. When owners want a cleaner, more modern look, there are two ways to get there.

Skim over it. For most knockdown ceilings, we do not scrape. We knock down the high points, prime, and apply skim coats until the surface is flat. Heavier textures take more coats.

Scrape, then skim. Acoustic popcorn texture usually comes off with water and a scraper. Painted popcorn or heavy textures with a lot of paint may be faster to skim over or cover.

Knockdown to smooth

Either way, the room is sealed first, vents are covered and the debris and sanding dust are controlled. Our skim coat and refinishing page explains smooth versus light texture finishes, with a comparison table.

Converting a ceiling finish takes about the same calendar time as popcorn removal. The skim coats need drying time between passes, and primer and paint each need their own. A large open great room might take three to five working days. A few bedrooms usually take a similar amount of time, since they can be worked in parallel.

Humidity matters too. On muggy summer days, compound and paint dry more slowly, and we may run a dehumidifier. In winter, a heated house dries coats faster, so we keep coats thin to avoid cracking.

Price depends on the ceiling area, the type of texture, ceiling height, and the finish you choose. Skimming over a heavy knockdown can cost more than scraping an unpainted popcorn ceiling of the same size, because it takes more compound and sanding. Our cost guide walks through each factor.