Removing a stippled ceiling in an Ottawa condo, what comes first?

Test first. Health Canada says asbestos was used in some building materials before 1990, listing surface treatments such as paint, putty, drywall and spackling, and advises a professional test before renovating; scraping is one of the ways it lists fibres being released. Textured ceilings in older buildings: test before anyone disturbs them. If the test comes back positive, that is abatement work: ottawaabatement.com.

Second, ask your condominium corporation what it needs from you before any work starts.

What the scrape-and-finish work involves

Once the asbestos question is settled and any condo approvals are in hand, the work itself has two parts: removing the stipple and finishing the ceiling to the level you want. Published Toronto and Ontario contractor prices for scraping a ceiling that has tested clear run about $2 to $10 per square foot, from scrape only up to scrape, skim coat and paint. The range depends on the ceiling area, the finish level you specify, and whether primer and paint are included in the scope.

Name the finish level you want on the ceiling in your quote so both contractors are pricing the same result.

The City of Ottawa's lists do not name popcorn or stipple removal specifically; for whether a permit applies to this scope of work, ask the City's Building Code Services.

When you put two written quotes side by side, check that each one states what is being removed and how the debris leaves the building, whether new board is going up or the existing ceiling is being skimmed, the finish level by number, the number of coats, and whether sanding, primer and paint are included or are a separate line.