Paint only looks as good as the wall under it. This page covers the surface work that comes before paint: wallpaper, textured and popcorn ceilings, skim coating and drywall repair.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Local labor, paint prices and the condition of your own surfaces move the number up or down. Last checked October 2026.
Can you paint over wallpaper?
You can paint over wallpaper, but removing it is nearly always better. Seams, bubbles and texture show through paint, and the water in the paint can loosen the glue so that the paper lifts.
Painting over makes sense only when the paper is stuck fast and taking it off would wreck the wall. That happens when paper was hung on bare, unprimed drywall. In that case the seams are sealed, the paper is primed with an oil-based primer and then it is painted.
How much does wallpaper removal cost?
Wallpaper removal costs $0.80 to $3.00 per square foot, or $320 to $1,200 for an average room, by the national figures. Paper that has to be soaked and scraped runs $3 to $8 per square foot.
| Room | National range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom | $160 to $900 |
| Kitchen | $200 to $1,050 |
| Bedroom | $240 to $1,200 |
| Living room | $400 to $2,100 |
The price depends on how many layers there are and what is underneath. Paper on old plaster usually comes off cleanly. Paper on unprimed drywall takes the face of the drywall with it.
The walls are torn up after removing wallpaper. Can they be painted, and do they need skim coating?
Torn walls can be painted, but only after they are sealed and skim coated. Torn drywall paper bubbles when wet paint or compound touches it, so it gets a sealing primer first. Then a thin skim coat of joint compound makes the wall flat again.
HomeGuide lists skim coating at $1.00 to $1.30 per square foot for walls, or $580 to $800 for a 12 by 12 bedroom.
Can you paint a popcorn ceiling instead of removing it?
Yes, you can paint a popcorn ceiling. It is sprayed, or rolled gently with a thick roller, because the texture softens and falls when it gets too wet or is worked too hard. Painting textured and popcorn ceilings costs $1.00 to $3.50 per square foot nationally.
Paint freshens the ceiling and seals it. It also makes the texture much harder to scrape off later, so decide first whether you want it gone.
How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost?
Popcorn ceiling removal costs $1 to $2 per square foot for removal alone, or $2 to $6 per square foot with new texture and paint, by the national figures. That is $1,000 to $3,000 for 500 square feet and $2,000 to $6,000 for 1,000 square feet.
Sprayed ceilings are in a great many Fargo and Moorhead homes built from the 1960s to the 1990s. After scraping, the ceiling almost always needs skim coating, because the drywall under popcorn was never finished to a paint-ready level.
Could my popcorn ceiling have asbestos?
Yes, it could, if it was put up before the mid 1980s. Asbestos was used in some sprayed ceiling textures. You cannot tell by looking. A lab has to test a sample before anyone scrapes or sands the ceiling.
HomeGuide lists asbestos inspection and testing at $250 to $850, with lab tests at $20 to $80 per sample. No separate price is published for a popcorn ceiling test. If the test is positive, removal is a job for a licensed asbestos contractor. In North Dakota the Department of Environmental Quality runs the state asbestos programme. We do not scrape a ceiling that has not been tested when its age puts it in doubt.
Is skim coating cheaper than painting over textured walls?
No. Painting over textured walls is cheaper than skim coating them smooth. Texture adds $0.80 to $2.00 per square foot to a paint job by the national figures, while skim coating costs $1.00 to $1.30 per square foot before any paint goes on.
Skim coating is worth the money when you want smooth walls or when the texture is damaged and cannot be matched. Knockdown and orange peel textures are common in homes built here since the 1990s. Matching them in a patch takes skill.
Why does paint show every drywall repair?
You see the repair through the paint because the patch has a different texture and soaks up paint differently from the wall around it. Painters call the dull or shiny patch flashing.
The cure is to feather the compound out wide, sand it flat, prime the patch and then paint the whole wall, not just the spot. Flat paint hides repairs best. Light that runs along the wall from a window shows them most.
Can a painter fix holes and dents in drywall?
Yes. Painters fix nail holes, dents, cracks and small to medium holes as part of the job. We offer drywall repair, including texture matching, before paint.
As a separate job, HomeGuide lists drywall repair at $300 to $1,500 or more: small holes under 4 inches at $300 to $500, large holes at $500 to $800 or more and cracks at $350 to $1,000 or more. Water-damaged ceilings and large sections are bigger repairs. In Fargo, projects involving sheetrock can need a permit, so ask the Inspections department about large replacements.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (701) 502-6833.