Polk County's Trusted Ceiling Specialists
Popcorn Ceiling Removal in Lakeland, FL
Update Outdated Textured Ceilings With a True Modern, Smooth Finish
Dust-controlled scraping, full skim-coat smoothing, primer and premium ceiling paint included — by Lakeland's most trusted local painting contractor for 25+ years.
Book online 24/7 – Same-day estimates available!
25+ Years
Serving Lakeland
100+ Reviews
5-Star Rated
Licensed
& Insured
24/7 Booking
Always Available
Why Lakeland Homeowners Are Removing Their Popcorn Ceilings
Popcorn ceilings — also called "acoustic" or "textured" ceilings — were standard in homes built between the 1950s and the late 1980s. Across Lakeland and Polk County, that covers a huge share of single-family homes in South Lakeland, Beacon Hill, Lakeland Highlands, and most of the original Dixieland and downtown neighborhoods. They were great for hiding drywall imperfections in the era they were installed — but today, that bumpy texture instantly dates a home and can lower its perceived value at resale.
Removing popcorn ceilings does three big things at once: it makes every room look noticeably brighter and larger, it modernizes the home's overall feel without a major remodel, and it removes a magnet for cobwebs, dust, and discoloration. John Crouthers Painting has been doing this work in Lakeland for over 25 years, and it's one of our most-requested services — especially from homeowners prepping a property to sell or refreshing a home they just bought.
Our process isn't just "scrape and go." We contain the work area with plastic sheeting, wet-scrape the texture to control dust, then apply a true skim coat of joint compound and sand it down so the finished ceiling looks like new construction — not a rough scrape job. Every project ends with stain-blocking primer and two coats of premium ceiling paint, included. Pair it with interior painting, exterior painting, or drywall repair for a complete transformation, and request your free estimate any time — online booking is open 24/7.
Complete Popcorn Ceiling Removal Services
From a single bedroom to your entire home, here's everything we handle as part of a typical popcorn ceiling project in Lakeland.
Whole-Home Removal
Complete popcorn ceiling removal for every room in your Lakeland home — sealed off, scraped, skim-coated, and painted for a brand-new modern look throughout the entire house.
Single-Room Removal
Just want one bedroom, the living room, or the dining area updated? We handle small-scope popcorn ceiling jobs with the same containment and finishing standards as a full-home project.
Kitchens & Living Areas
High-traffic, high-visibility rooms get extra attention. We protect cabinets, counters, and floors before scraping and finishing the ceiling for a clean, contemporary feel.
Skim Coat & Smooth Finish
After scraping, we apply a full skim coat of joint compound, sand it flat, and prep it so the final ceiling reads as a true smooth modern surface — not a patched-up texture.
Knockdown Texture Option
Prefer a softer modern look instead of perfectly smooth? We can finish your ceiling with a light knockdown texture that hides imperfections and still feels updated.
Drywall & Crack Repair
Old popcorn often hides hairline cracks and drywall damage. We fix those during the process — see our full drywall repair work for context.
Prime & Paint Included
Every popcorn removal job ends with a high-quality stain-blocking primer and a fresh ceiling-grade paint — typically a flat bright white that brightens the whole room.
Trim & Wall Touch-Up
While we're already protecting the room, we can refresh trim, baseboards, or walls. Bundle with interior painting for the full transformation.
Built Before 1978? Test for Asbestos First.
Popcorn ceilings installed before 1978 may legally have contained asbestos, and scraping an untested ceiling in an older home is genuinely unsafe. If your Lakeland home was built before that date, we always recommend a certified asbestos test before any work begins.
If results come back positive, we'll pause and coordinate with a licensed abatement specialist before our crew touches the ceiling. We will never scrape an untested pre-1978 popcorn ceiling — your safety comes before the schedule. Have questions? Contact us or check our FAQ page.
How Our Popcorn Ceiling Removal Process Works
A clean, contained, fully-finished ceiling — start to finish — by Lakeland's most trusted painting contractor.
Free In-Home Estimate
John walks the home with you, measures the ceilings, asks about the home's age (important for asbestos screening), and gives you a clear, written quote — no pressure and no hidden fees.
Containment & Protection
Furniture is moved or covered, floors are protected with thick drop cloths, and we seal off doorways, vents, and outlets with plastic sheeting so the rest of your home stays clean and dust-controlled.
Wet & Scrape
We mist the popcorn texture with water to soften it, then carefully scrape it down with wide-edge tools — preventing gouges in the drywall above. This is the messy step we contain so you don't have to.
Skim Coat & Sand
Once the texture is off, we skim coat the entire ceiling with joint compound, let it cure, then sand it down to a true flat surface ready for primer. This is what separates a real renovation from a quick scrape job.
Prime, Paint & Walkthrough
We roll on a stain-blocking primer followed by two coats of premium ceiling paint, remove all containment, and walk every room with you to confirm you love the result before we leave.
Why Lakeland Homeowners Trust Us With Their Ceilings
Removing popcorn ceilings the right way takes patience, containment, and real finishing skill — not just a scraper and a tarp. After 25+ years of doing this work in Polk County homes, we've seen every kind of texture, drywall condition, and surprise hiding above the popcorn — and we know how to deliver a flat, modern ceiling without trashing your home in the process.
Every job includes containment, wet scraping, full skim coat, sanding, stain-blocking primer, and two coats of premium ceiling paint. With 100+ five-star reviews, financing, and 24/7 online booking, it's easy to see why Lakeland families call us first.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal Across Central Florida
We provide popcorn ceiling removal throughout Lakeland and the greater Polk County area — including Winter Haven, Auburndale, Bartow, Plant City, and Haines City — plus Brandon, Riverview, and the greater Tampa area. Older neighborhoods are where this service really shines, and we know those streets well. Not sure if we cover your area? View all of our service areas or call us at 863-838-7362.
Pair Your Ceiling Project With Other Painting Services
Most homeowners bundle popcorn removal with a fresh coat on the walls or trim. Save a trip — and a setup — by combining services.
Interior Painting
Refresh walls, trim, and doors at the same time as your ceiling for a complete room transformation.
Exterior Painting
Pre-sale package? Combine ceiling removal with exterior painting for maximum curb appeal and value.
Drywall Repair
Older homes often need drywall fixes once the popcorn comes down. We handle it as part of one project.
Popcorn Ceiling Removal FAQ
Have questions about cost, asbestos, or how the process works in your home? Here are the most common questions we hear from Lakeland homeowners.
See more on our full FAQ page.
What Lakeland Homeowners Are Saying
Don't just take our word for it — see why Polk County homeowners trust John Crouthers Painting for their ceiling and painting projects.
John Crouthers Painting LLC
Great price. We hired John Crouthers Painting to repaint the exterior of our older house, detached garage and shed. The buildings are mostly wood, but with many architectural details. Our experience with them has been outstanding in every regard. The owner went over every detail of the job with me in advance and presented a very fair proposal, an excellent price and very comprehensive insurance coverages, including full Workers Comp on every employee. The painters are just as detail oriented as the owner and really strive to do the best possible work. They were all very personable, careful, communicative and very respectful of our property and daily routines. Our home and accessory buildings have needed a new coat of paint for quite some time now. John and his crew have transformed them from their dingy, weathered condition to an excellent state of restoration that is really eye pleasing and gratifying. They are craftsmen in every regard and are my go to guys from now on for all my painting work.
Highly recommend John Crouthers Painting as extremely professional, courteous, knowledgeable and very accommodating. I contacted John on 9/9/25 and he personally came to our home on the same day to provide an estimate. John sent me a quote on a rush job and started work two days later on 9/11/25. His employee Matt was fantastic and even stayed late to complete the work in timely manner. John Crouthers Painting is very reasonably priced, and John himself is an honest, hardworking individual as are his employees. I will certainly use his service again for any work his company performs, as I feel that he went above and beyond to help us and get the job done.
John and his team did a great job painting our new house. He is very responsible and informative. He was also quite patient with us as we decided on colors. I can highly recommend John Crouthers Painting for any home painting or related projects.
I never leave reviews, but John and his team impressed me so much it compelled me to share my experience. First, the price. John's price was incredibly reasonable and fair. Often times when you get a fair price, sub par service may follow, but dealing with John himself made me believe otherwise would be true so we went with his company. John was on site with his team every day, checking in with me to make sure everything was being done correctly. John was also super flexible and accommodating as we had several change orders to throw his way, all me changing my mind. They handled every request, and were pleased to do it. His team was professional, skilled, and very friendly. I can't recommend this strongly enough. If you live in Polk County and need some painting done, use John Crouthers Painting.
Reasonable price. The entire process from quote to color selection, scheduling and completion was excellent. The painting crew was on time each day, finished earlier than expected and the results spectacular. Would definitely do business with John again.
John and his team are so easy to work with. John came out the day after I called for a quote and he quickly turned around a very fair quote that same day. I'm very pleased with the job the team did and have already recommended him to friends who have utilized his services.
Great job so far. Did our pool deck and now the entire interior. John is very good with communication and I trust he and his team. Highly recommend. Finished job is awesome.
John works diligently but also steadily to get the job done fast and to make sure his customers are satisfied. He is an honest person and charges a fair price but is not one to overcharge for his services. I will have him do other jobs for me in the future. Thank you John and crew for making sure the job was done to my expectations. I appreciated you.
John and his crew did an excellent job cleaning and painting the exterior of our home. The only problem was the weather, it didn't help with too much rain. I would recommend John Crouthers Painting to everyone at a very fair price with excellent quality.
John and team did a great job on our store and our house. Great service, craftsmanship and reasonably priced. Highly recommend.
I've now used John Crouthers Painting a few times in my home. He's very professional, but most importantly he shows up on time and completes the job in a timely manner. We couldn't be happier with the way he painted the interior of our outdated home to make it look new again. Thanks John.
We just had our house painted, and we are very pleased with the job they did. They were very professional and did outstanding work, punctual and meticulous.
Marvelous experience. John and his crew made my home gorgeous. They painted doors, shutters, gutters, fascia, and drain pipes, a true facelift. The work was done with folks who know what they are doing. Everything is perfect. Thank you John.
Great price, friendly team, overall great experience. John sent me a detailed quote with options I could add on. I was able to read, accept, and get the job rolling in no time. His team came in on time, did a great job, and cleaned up when they finished. Looking forward to getting a quote for painting my exterior.
He did a fantastic job with the pressure washing and exterior painting. On behalf of my family and I we want to extend our gratitude. We will definitely be recommending your services in the future should anyone else need any work done to their home.
BBB Accreditation & Rating
John Crouthers Painting is BBB Accredited.
This business has committed to upholding the BBB Standards for Trust.
"Highly recommend John Crouthers Painting as extremely professional, courteous, knowledgeable and very accommodating. I contacted John on 9/9/25 and he personally came to our home on the same day to provide an estimate. John sent me a quote on a rush job and started work 2 days later on 9/11/25. His employee Matt was fantastic and even stayed late to complete the work in timely manner. John Crouthers Painting is very reasonably priced, and John himself is an honest, hardworking individual as are his employees. I will certainly use his service again for any work his company performs, as I feel that he went above and beyond to help us and get the job done."
Ready for a Smooth, Modern Ceiling?
Get your free popcorn ceiling removal estimate today. Same-day quotes available across Lakeland and all of Polk County.
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