Paint only looks as good as the wall under it. Wallpaper, acoustic ceilings and damaged drywall are the three things that most often have to be dealt with first in Santa Rosa homes.
The dollar figures on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Sonoma County labor rates, the paint chosen and the condition of your own surfaces move a real price up or down. Last checked October 2026.
Can you paint over wallpaper?
You can paint over wallpaper, but removing it is nearly always the better job. Painted wallpaper shows its seams, can bubble when the wet paint soaks in and is much harder to remove later.
Painting over it is a fair choice only when the paper is tightly stuck and removing it would wreck the wall behind, which happens when it was hung on unprimed drywall. In that case the seams are sealed and the paper is coated with an oil-based or sealing primer before paint.
How much does wallpaper removal cost?
Wallpaper removal costs $0.80 to $3.00 per square foot by the national figures, or $320 to $1,200 for an average room. Paper that has to be soaked and scraped is listed at $3 to $8 per square foot.
The price depends on how the paper comes off. Strippable paper on a primed wall peels in sheets. Several layers, painted-over paper or paper glued to bare drywall takes many times longer.
Walls are torn up after removing wallpaper. Can they be painted, and do they need skim coating?
Torn-up walls can be painted after they are repaired, and they often do need a skim coat. Where the drywall face paper has torn, the brown layer is sealed first with a primer made for it, or it will bubble under joint compound and paint.
The wall is then skim coated, which means covered with a thin layer of joint compound, sanded smooth and primed. HomeGuide lists skim coating at $1.00 to $1.30 per square foot of wall. All glue residue also has to be washed off, because paint over old paste cracks.
Can you paint a popcorn ceiling instead of removing it?
Yes, you can paint a popcorn ceiling. It freshens the color and seals the surface. It is best sprayed, or rolled gently with a thick roller, because the texture softens when wet and can come away.
Painting makes later removal harder, since paint stops water from soaking into the texture. If you think you will want smooth ceilings one day, remove it first.
How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost?
Popcorn ceiling removal costs $1 to $2 per square foot for removal alone, and $2 to $6 per square foot with new texture and paint, by the national figures. A 1,000 square foot area is listed at $2,000 to $6,000.
Those figures are for ceilings without asbestos. If a test finds asbestos, removal becomes abatement work at a very different price.
Could my popcorn ceiling have asbestos?
Yes, it could. Asbestos was used in sprayed ceiling texture for decades, and ceilings put up before the mid-1980s should be treated as suspect until tested. Santa Rosa has many houses from the 1960s and 1970s with their original acoustic ceilings.
You cannot tell by looking. A sample has to go to a lab. Do not scrape, sand or drill the ceiling before then. HomeGuide lists asbestos inspection and testing at $250 to $850. If the result is positive, removal is a job for a licensed asbestos abatement contractor, not a painter. A ceiling that is intact can also be left alone or sealed with paint.
Is skim coating cheaper than painting over textured walls?
No. Painting over textured walls is cheaper than skim coating them smooth. Texture only needs paint. Skim coating adds $1.00 to $1.30 per square foot of wall by the published figure, before primer and paint.
Most Santa Rosa homes built since the 1960s have orange-peel or knockdown texture. It hides small flaws well. Skim coat when you want a smooth, modern wall or when the texture is damaged or badly patched.
Why does paint show every drywall repair?
Paint shows a repair for two reasons: the patch absorbs paint differently from the wall, and its texture does not match. The first makes a dull or shiny spot. The second shows as a smooth island in a textured wall.
To hide a repair, the patch is feathered out wide, textured to match the wall, primed and then the whole wall is painted from corner to corner. Flat paint hides repairs better than a shiny one. Light from a window along the wall will find any flaw.
Can a painter fix holes and dents in drywall?
Yes. Painters fix holes, dents, cracks, popped nail heads and loose tape as part of normal work, and match the wall texture afterward.
As a guide, HomeGuide lists drywall repair at $300 to $500 for small holes when it is a job on its own, because of minimum charges. Done as part of a paint job, small repairs cost far less. Big areas of water damage or sagging ceilings call for new drywall.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (707) 205-3959.