Why Most People Do the Whole House at Once
- One setup, one cleanup. Plastic, floor protection, HVAC shut-down and debris haul-off happen once instead of every time you tackle another room.
- Ceilings that match. Broken Arrow homes from the 1980s and 1990s often have open living, dining and kitchen areas. Doing it all together avoids a smooth ceiling running into an old popcorn hallway.
- Lower per-foot price. Companies often have a minimum charge for small jobs, so a single bedroom can cost more per square foot than a whole floor.
- One asbestos answer for the house. If the home needs testing, it’s done once, up front, with every textured area sampled.
- Before a sale or a move-in. The easiest time is when the house is empty: before listing photos, or between closing and move-in.
What a Whole-House Project Includes
1. Test first
Older acoustic ceilings can contain asbestos. Samples from each textured area go to a lab before anyone scrapes.
2. Protect and remove
Rooms are sealed in plastic, the HVAC is shut off, the texture is wetted and scraped, and the debris is bagged and hauled away.
3. Smooth or knockdown
Seams and damage are repaired, then the ceilings get a smooth skim coat or a light texture, primer and paint.
How Long a Whole House Takes
A whole house usually takes several days to a week or more. Square footage, painted texture, vaulted ceilings and the finish you choose all matter, and joint compound dries slowly in humid Oklahoma summers. A smooth finish needs multiple coats with drying time between them, so it takes longer than knockdown. Crews often work through the house in sections so you can keep using part of it. Ask for a room-by-room schedule.
Popcorn Ceilings and Broken Arrow Homes
Broken Arrow grew from a small town into one of Oklahoma’s largest cities over the last several decades, and a large share of its houses went up from the 1970s through the 1990s. Spray-on “acoustic” or popcorn texture was a standard builder finish for much of that time. It was cheap, hid drywall seams and softened sound. That’s why so many Broken Arrow homes, from older streets near the Rose District to subdivisions along Kenosha (71st), New Orleans (101st), Elm and Aspen, still have it in nearly every room.
Homeowners want it gone because it makes rooms look dated, collects dust and cobwebs, crumbles when you hang a fixture, and shows water stains badly after a roof leak. Oklahoma’s hail and storm season makes roof leaks common.
The Asbestos Question
Asbestos was used in some spray-on ceiling textures until it was banned for that use in the late 1970s, and existing stock could still be installed for some time after. Homes built before the mid-1980s should be tested before anything is disturbed. The Tulsa-area price list above, for example, includes a $50 test for homes built 1970–1985. If a test comes back positive, the work belongs to a contractor licensed for asbestos abatement by the Oklahoma Department of Labor, and the price goes up a lot. Angi lists asbestos removal at $5–$20 per sq ft. Read more on the asbestos testing page.
What Changes the Price on a Whole House
- Finish. Knockdown costs less than a smooth skim coat. At the Tulsa-area rates above, the gap on 1,500 sq ft is $3,750 vs. $8,250 (ESTIMATE).
- Paint. UN-POP lists ceiling paint as a $2.50 per sq ft add-on. Angi lists prime and paint at $1–$3 per sq ft.
- Painted popcorn. It won’t soften with water. UN-POP adds $1.00 per sq ft.
- Height. Vaulted living rooms and stairwells need scaffolding. UN-POP quotes ceilings over 14 ft separately.
- Asbestos. If positive, UN-POP lists +$3.00 per sq ft ($2,500 minimum) plus a required knockdown add-on of $1.00 per sq ft.
The full breakdown is in the whole-house cost guide.
Just One or Two Rooms?
That works too. Single-room and partial jobs follow the same steps. Mention the rooms in your request. Expect a higher price per square foot because of setup time and minimum charges. If you think you’ll do the rest later, ask for a whole-house price at the same time so you can compare.
How It Works
- Send the quote form. Tell us the rough square footage, which rooms, and when the house was built.
- A local company contacts you. Your request goes to an independent ceiling or drywall company that serves Broken Arrow.
- Walkthrough and written estimate. They check every ceiling (painted or not, height, damage), explain testing, and price the finish you want.
- The work. Test results first, then removal and finishing, often in sections.
Areas Served
All of Broken Arrow, on both the Tulsa County and Wagoner County sides of town, plus Tulsa, Bixby and nearby communities. Not sure if you’re in range? Ask in the form.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does whole-house popcorn ceiling removal cost?
Angi puts 1,500 sq ft of ceiling at $1,500–$7,500 nationally (updated Sep 29, 2026). At one Tulsa-area company’s published rates of $1.50–$5.50 per sq ft, 1,500 sq ft works out to about $2,250–$8,250 before paint or asbestos add-ons. That last figure is our estimate, not a quote.
How long does a whole house take?
Usually several days to a week or more, depending on square footage, finish, ceiling height and drying time. Smooth finishes take longer than knockdown.
Can we live in the house during the work?
Some families do while crews work through the house in sections. Others stay elsewhere for a few days. If the ceiling tests positive for asbestos, follow the abatement contractor’s instructions, since containment rules apply.
Do I need to test for asbestos?
If the house was built before the mid-1980s, yes. Test before anyone scrapes, sands or drills the ceiling. Testing is inexpensive compared with the project.
Smooth or knockdown?
Smooth looks the most modern but costs the most and shows flaws under strong light. Knockdown hides seams and patches and costs less. See the finish options page.
Who does the work?
An independent local company. Broken Arrow Popcorn Removal is a referral service and isn’t a contractor. You hire and pay the company directly.
Request a Popcorn Ceiling Quote
Tell us about the house. A local Broken Arrow-area ceiling company will call or text you back to set up a walkthrough and estimate.
Please note: Broken Arrow Popcorn Removal connects homeowners with independent local ceiling contractors. We are not a contractor and do not do the work.