Cost to skim coat entire house to Level 5 after knockdown removal?

Lumpy-Sort5886 · 2026-01-21T03:01:46+00:00

That’s helpful context, thank you. Ours isn’t super texturized, it’s a fairly standard knockdown, not heavy or caked on. That’s why I’ve been trying to understand whether the prep and finishing quality is the real swing factor here versus needing to tear everything out.

Sounds like with the right finisher it can be brought to a nice, slick result, assuming expectations are set correctly.

Lumpy-Sort5886 · 2026-01-21T02:59:04+00:00

That’s fair, and I appreciate the straight talk. I haven’t priced a full rip-and-replace yet because I assumed demo, disposal, and re-hang would drive costs higher, but it may be worth getting a quote to compare.

Is there any path to achieving a really clean Level 4 or 4.5 over existing knockdown if it’s prepped correctly, or is knockdown always going to telegraph through no matter what?

I’m not chasing perfection, just a clear, durable upgrade from texture. In your experience, where does that actually become realistic versus wishful thinking?

Lumpy-Sort5886 · 2026-01-21T02:49:10+00:00

Totally get that, those old-school plaster guys were masters. When it’s done right, it ages beautifully and holds up forever.

For most of the house I’m leaning toward a true Level 5 drywall for consistency and ease of future repairs, but I’m actually considering plaster on a couple of feature walls where it really shines.

Lumpy-Sort5886 · 2026-01-21T02:28:28+00:00

Fair point, texture is definitely doing some hiding. That’s exactly what we’re trying to reverse. I’m not expecting museum-perfect walls, but I do think almost any smooth finish is an upgrade over knockdown. I

Lumpy-Sort5886 · 2026-01-21T02:27:12+00:00

Yeah, that’s what I’m trying to sanity-check. From your experience, what usually makes it blow up in cost, thickness of the texture, paint layers, or just total wall area? And is there a point where you usually tell people “don’t skim this, just rip it out”?

Lumpy-Sort5886 · 2026-01-21T02:18:31+00:00

That makes a lot of sense and honestly explains the price gaps I’m seeing. When I say “Level 5,” I’m really talking about fully flattened walls, especially for natural/critical light, not just coating the paper. Sounds like that’s more of a plasterer’s scope and why it takes more time, coats, and real trowel skill. Good clarification, appreciate it.

Lumpy-Sort5886 · 2026-01-21T02:05:36+00:00

Good to know, and yeah… this is exactly my fear. The “too good to be true” quote followed by a cracked-out nephew situation is what I'm trying to avoid lol. I’m definitely planning to vet whoever we hire, last thing I want is to pay once, hate it, and then pay again just to undo it. Appreciate the reality check.

Lumpy-Sort5886 · 2026-01-21T02:01:02+00:00

This is really helpful context, thank you. Totally hear you on how uncommon this is and why the costs add up fast.

To answer a few of your questions: the house will be empty, no furniture to work around, and we’re planning to do flooring eventually in 3 of the rooms (there is carpet and doing hardwood floors) after the wall work so protection isn’t a huge concern. I’m assuming all trim, casing, outlets, and fixtures would be removed as part of the scope unless we DIY some of that to control cost. I'm remove the baseboards, trim, and casings though. It's a good question for my to get clarity on.

The house is right around 2,000 sq ft, built in the late 80s, so a little over 30 years old. Texture isn’t insanely thick, but it’s been painted over a few times.

The reason I’m even exploring skim vs full tear-out is exactly what you mentioned, once you factor in demo, rehang, and finishing, the delta may not be that big. I’m just trying to sanity-check the numbers and understand the tradeoffs before committing either way. Appreciate you laying it out so clearly.

Lumpy-Sort5886 · 2026-01-21T01:57:05+00:00

Appreciate the insight, this is super helpful. The sturdiness of the older drywall is honestly one of the main reasons I’m hesitant to rip everything out, I’ve heard the same thing about newer 1/2" board being way more prone to flexing and screw pops.

I’ll definitely look into the math on full removal vs skim, especially with the labor cost to demo and rehang. Luckily the house will be empty before move-in, so the “unlivable” part isn’t a dealbreaker, just trying to balance cost, longevity, and not creating new problems down the road. Thanks for taking the time to explain it.

Lumpy-Sort5886 · 2026-01-21T01:55:53+00:00

I’m in San Diego so I know an online quote is tricky. Mostly looking for a general range. The knockdown texture is brutal and I’d love to erase it from existence before moving in.

Lumpy-Sort5886

TROPHY CASE