Clairemont, CA ·92117
Popcorn-ceiling removal & mid-century retexture in Clairemont.
Asbestos-tested popcorn removal, mid-century texture matching, and repipe-patch repair for Clairemont’s 1955–1975 ranch homes.
Clairemont is San Diego’s largest mid-century neighborhood. Most homes are 1955 to 1975 ranch construction with original orange peel walls and popcorn ceilings. The popcorn comes down (after the asbestos test), the substrate gets repaired, and the ceiling gets retextured to a finish that looks like the popcorn never happened. That’s the most common Clairemont call we run.
Licensed & Insured · CA Lic. #1073567 · Third-generation San Diego drywall
FROM CLAIREMONT HOMEOWNERS
Built on reputation, not advertising.
Most of our work comes from repeat clients and referrals. Here's a small sample of what Clairemont homeowners say after the dust settles.
What every job includes
Consistent work, regardless of job size.
A small patch in a Clairemont guest bathroom and a full-home Clairemont remodel get the same five things — written scope, clean site, matched texture, residential focus, paperwork that adds up. That part doesn't change with the size of the ticket.
Clean work area
Plastic-sheeted transitions, foot traffic minimized, vacuum on-site. Drywall dust stays in the room being worked.
Scope before work starts
Walk the job, agree on what's in and what's out, in writing. Surprises are the contractor's problem to solve, not yours to absorb.
Texture matching
We match what's already on your wall — orange peel, knockdown, splatter, smooth. Hand-troweled where the wall demands it.
Residential focus
Single-family homes, condos, ADUs. We don't bid commercial tenant improvement work, so your project gets full attention.
Owner-builder & landlord
Comfortable working with owner-builders, property managers, and landlords. We invoice clean and document the work.
What we handle
Drywall services for Clairemont homes and properties.
Five standard service lines we run weekly across San Diego County, plus one scope we see disproportionately often in Clairemont.
Drywall Repair & Patching
Holes, cracks, water marks, popped screws, repipe patches. Single-room callouts to whole-house repair tickets.
→ See detailsDrywall Installation
New construction, additions, ADUs, room remodels. Framing inspection sign-off through finished, textured walls ready for paint.
→ See detailsWater Damage & Reconstruction
Post-leak demolition, moisture-resistant board, full reconstruction. Coordinated with your restoration company.
→ See detailsRetexturing & Smooth Finishes
Strip popcorn ceilings, convert to smooth or modern texture. Level-5 skim coats for high-light interior spaces.
→ See detailsTexture Matching
Hand-matched orange peel, knockdown, splatter, slap-brush, and original-era textures across patches and additions.
→ See detailsPopcorn Ceiling Removal & Retexturing
Most Clairemont homes still have the original 1960s–70s popcorn ceilings. We remove them cleanly (after the asbestos test), repair the substrate, and retexture to a finish that looks like it was never there.
Local context
Mid-century stock, popcorn ceilings, modern updates.
Clairemont housing is almost entirely 1955–1975 ranch homes — orange peel and knockdown are the dominant wall textures, and popcorn (acoustic spray) ceilings are still present in the majority of unflipped homes. The current remodel wave is active here, and we run popcorn-removal and retexture jobs weekly.
Clairemont is within City of San Diego — IB 203 applies for in-kind drywall replacement. Critically, pre-1980 ceiling texture in this neighborhood often contains asbestos. Cal/OSHA Title 8 §1529 requires testing before disturbance. We do not skip that step.
Researching North County coastal work too? We also handle coastal cottage repair and Level-5 finishes in Encinitas.
How it works
A clear process from first contact to finished wall.
Four steps. No timing promises we can't keep, no surprise line items, no salesy language. The work that needs to happen, in the order it happens.
Text or call with the basics
A photo, a sentence about what happened, the room it's in. That's enough to scope most jobs and quote the next step.
We review the scope
We walk the job in person for anything beyond a small patch. Free, no obligation, and we explain what we see.
You get a clear price
Written estimate covering labor, materials, and scope. No padded line items, no language designed to confuse.
We complete the work and clean up
Crew arrives on schedule, completes the work to the scope agreed, vacuums the site, and walks you through the finished room.
Why we know this market
The drywall standards that apply to Clairemont homes.
Code references and local regulatory context that affect the scope of Clairemont drywall work. Not legal advice — but it shapes how we quote.
CITY OF SAN DIEGO
IB 203 — No-Plan Permit for In-Kind Drywall
Clairemont is within City of SD jurisdiction; in-kind replacement after popcorn removal usually qualifies for the IB 203 streamlined permit.
CAL/OSHA TITLE 8 §1529
Asbestos in Construction
Pre-1980 Clairemont popcorn ceilings frequently test positive for asbestos. We test, and we coordinate abatement when needed.
CRC SECTION R302.6
Dwelling/Garage Fire Separation
Common on Clairemont garage-to-ADU conversions — the existing garage ceiling/walls need to upgrade to a rated assembly when habitable space is added.
GA-216
Application & Finishing of Gypsum Panel Products
Standard of care for the post-removal substrate repair and retexture work that defines most Clairemont scopes.
Helpful guides
Questions we get often — with real answers.
Written guides from the people doing the work. No SEO filler, no padded word count.
Plastering over drywall: myths and facts
Clairemont mid-century plaster-to-drywall transition era.
Read the guide →OLDER HOMESDrywall vs. plaster: what’s the difference?
Matching repair material to your Clairemont ranch home substrate.
Read the guide →AFTER TRADESCan a plumber repair drywall after a leak?
Right sequence after a Clairemont repipe.
Read the guide →WATER DAMAGEWho to call for drywall water damage
Coordinating leak fix + restoration + drywall on Clairemont homes.
Read the guide →CALCULATORMid-century retexture calc
Quick sheet-count estimate for your Clairemont project — useful before the on-site walk.
Open the calculator →Common questions
Answers for Clairemont homeowners.
Can you remove the popcorn ceiling in our 1965 Clairemont ranch home and retexture it so it looks intentional?
Yes — that is our most common Clairemont job. The sequence: asbestos test first (Cal/OSHA Title 8 §1529 governs), then scrape (or coordinate abatement if positive), then repair the substrate, then retexture (smooth, light orange peel, or knockdown depending on what fits the room). We finish to GA-216 standards.
Does our Clairemont popcorn ceiling really have to be tested for asbestos before removal?
Yes. Pre-1980 Clairemont popcorn ceilings frequently contain asbestos in the texture and/or joint compound. Cal/OSHA Title 8 §1529 and San Diego County APCD both require assessment before disturbance. Scraping without a test is not just a code issue — it is a serious health risk.
We had a repipe done in our Clairemont kitchen and the walls are full of patches. Will the patches always show through paint?
Not if they are done right. Per GA-216, each patch needs to be back-blocked, taped with mesh and feathered out at least 8–12 inches per side, then textured to match the existing wall. Patches that telegraph through paint are usually missing the back-block step or were feathered too narrow.
Can you match the original 1960s knockdown texture in our Bay Park bungalow?
Yes. 1960s knockdown was hand-knocked with a wide trowel after spray application; the rhythm is irregular in a specific way that no modern spray-only setup reproduces. We test against your existing wall, adjust trowel angle and timing, then commit.
We are converting our Clairemont garage to a permitted ADU. What changes about the drywall?
Once the garage becomes habitable, the existing garage walls and ceiling become dwelling-unit separation surfaces. Under CRC R302.6 and R302.3 (2025), the separation wall between the new ADU and the rest of the house must upgrade to a listed 1-hour rated assembly — typically 5/8" Type X with sealed penetrations.
Do I need a permit to repair drywall in my Clairemont home after a water event?
City of San Diego Information Bulletin 203 (No-Plan Permit) usually covers in-kind drywall replacement after water damage. We pull the permit, schedule the cover inspection, and document materials. If you are reconfiguring walls (not just replacing in-kind), a standard building permit is required.
Not sure how much material your Clairemont project will need? estimate how much drywall you need before we talk — it takes about 30 seconds.
Get a Free Estimate
Tell us what you're working on in Clairemont.
Send a few details about the repair, retexture, or installation. Photos help us understand the scope faster, but a short description is enough to get started.
Licensed & Insured · CA Lic. #1073567 · Google-reviewed
Get in touch
Working on a Clairemont popcorn removal or repair? Send us a photo.
Most jobs start with a photo of the ceiling and a sentence. We’ll reply with what we see and when we can scope the asbestos test plus removal.
Licensed & Insured · CA Lic. #1073567 · Google-reviewed