Paint looks only as good as the wall beneath it. Here is the surface work that has to happen before paint: wallpaper, textured and popcorn ceilings, skim coating and drywall and plaster repair.
Every dollar figure on this page is a national number published by HomeGuide for 2026. None of them is a quote from The Stamford Painters. Labor rates, paint costs and the state of your own walls and siding shift the real price. We last checked these figures in October 2026.
Can you paint over wallpaper?
You can paint over wallpaper, but taking it off is almost always better. Seams, bubbles and texture show through paint, and the water in the paint can soften the paste so the paper lifts.
Painting over makes sense only when the paper is stuck fast and removing it would ruin the wall. This is common where paper went straight onto drywall that was never primed. Then the seams are sealed, the paper is primed with an oil-based primer, and then it is painted.
How much does wallpaper removal cost?
HomeGuide's national figure for wallpaper removal is $0.80 to $3.00 per square foot, or $320 to $1,200 for an average room. If the paper must be soaked and scraped off, the figure rises to $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 the layers and on what is underneath. Paper on old plaster, common in older Stamford and Norwalk homes, usually comes off cleanly. Paper on unprimed drywall can take the drywall face with it.
The walls are torn up after removing wallpaper. Can they be painted, and do they need skim coating?
Damaged walls can take paint, but they have to be sealed and skimmed smooth first. Torn drywall paper bubbles when wet paint or compound hits it, so it gets a sealing primer first. A thin skim coat of joint compound then makes the wall flat again.
On HomeGuide's figures, a skim coat on walls costs $1.00 to $1.30 per square foot, which puts a 12 by 12 bedroom at $580 to $800.
Can you paint a popcorn ceiling instead of removing it?
Yes, a popcorn ceiling can be painted. It is sprayed, or rolled gently with a thick roller, because the texture softens and falls off if it gets too wet or is worked too hard. HomeGuide lists painting textured and popcorn ceilings at $1.00 to $3.50 per square foot.
Paint freshens and seals the texture, but it also makes it much harder to scrape later, so decide first whether you want it gone.
How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost?
HomeGuide lists popcorn ceiling removal at $1 to $2 per square foot for removal only, or $2 to $6 per square foot with new texture and paint. At those rates, 500 square feet comes to $1,000 to $3,000, and 1,000 square feet to $2,000 to $6,000.
Sprayed ceilings are common in Stamford and Norwalk homes and condos built from the 1960s to the 1980s. Once scraped, the ceiling almost always needs a skim coat, because drywall under popcorn was rarely finished to a paint-ready level.
Could my popcorn ceiling have asbestos?
Yes, it could, if it went up before the mid 1980s. Some sprayed ceiling textures contained asbestos, and you cannot tell by looking. A lab has to test a sample before anyone scrapes or sands it.
HomeGuide lists asbestos inspection and testing at $250 to $850, with lab tests at $20 to $80 per sample, and no separate popcorn ceiling test price. If a test comes back positive, removal is work for a licensed asbestos abatement contractor. In Connecticut those licences are issued by the Department of Public Health. We do not scrape an untested ceiling when its age puts it in question.
Is skim coating cheaper than painting over textured walls?
No. Painting textured walls costs less than skim coating them smooth. Texture adds $0.80 to $2.00 per square foot to a paint job by HomeGuide's figures, while skim coating runs $1.00 to $1.30 per square foot before any paint.
Skim coating is worth it when you want smooth walls, or when the texture is damaged and cannot be matched. It is also the usual fix for old plaster that has been patched many times.
Why does paint show every drywall repair?
A repair shows through paint because the patch has a different texture and absorbs paint differently from the wall around it. Painters call that dull or shiny spot flashing.
The cure is to feather the compound wide, sand it flat, prime it and paint the whole wall, not only the spot. Flat paint hides repairs best, and light raking across the wall from a window shows them most.
Can a painter fix holes and dents in drywall?
Yes. Filling nail holes, dents, cracks and holes up to a moderate size is normal painting work. We offer drywall and plaster repair, including texture matching, before painting.
Priced as its own job, drywall repair runs $300 to $1,500 or more by HomeGuide's national figures. Holes smaller than 4 inches are $300 to $500, bigger holes $500 to $800 or more, and cracks $350 to $1,000 or more. Water-damaged ceilings and large sections are bigger jobs, and replacing large areas can need a building permit, so ask your town.
For a real price on your own job, book a free estimate and get a written quote. Call or text (203) 349-9745.