Cracks · Sagging · Water Damage
Ceiling Repair in Seattle
Ceiling repair done right means matching texture, blending paint, and finishing without dust. Most jobs single-visit. Two-person crew when ceiling height exceeds 10 ft.
What's included
- ✓ Crack assessment + structural cue check
- ✓ Cut, patch, mud, tape, sand for invisible repair
- ✓ Texture matching (smooth, orange peel, knockdown, popcorn)
- ✓ Drop-cloth containment from wall to wall
- ✓ HEPA-vac cleanup
- ✓ 1-year workmanship guarantee
Common jobs we handle
- · Settling cracks at joist transitions
- · Water damage from past leaks (after the leak is fixed)
- · Nail pops and screw pops
- · Sagging from past moisture
- · Popcorn ceiling patches (no removal — that's a separate scope)
What we don't do
We're disciplined about staying in our trade. For these, we refer you to a specialist rather than do it poorly:
- × Active leak repair (fix the source first — we won't patch over a wet ceiling)
- × Popcorn ceiling removal pre-1980 without an asbestos test PDF
- × Structural sagging caused by failed framing (you need a structural engineer)
Why Seattle ceilings get water damage and cracks
Ceiling damage in Seattle homes almost always traces back to one of three causes: a slow roof leak in a house with old shake or composition shingles, a bathroom on a second floor with a tired wax ring, or condensation in an under-insulated attic during a wet PNW winter. The visible patch is usually the smallest part of the job. Identifying and stopping the source is the bigger fix — and we can usually tell from a photo which of those three is going on.
Popcorn ceilings deserve their own note. Roughly two-thirds of Seattle homes built before 1980 still have the original popcorn texture, and a meaningful chunk of those have asbestos in the texture itself. We can patch right over a small spot if you have a clean asbestos test PDF. Without one, we'll send you to an asbestos contractor first. The $40-$80 test is way cheaper than the legal exposure of skipping it.
For the houses we work on in Capitol Hill, Wallingford, and Phinney Ridge, the most common ceiling repair is the bedroom-corner stain — a slow leak from an upstairs bathroom that hits the ceiling joist, runs along it, and stains a 6-12 inch oval before someone notices. By the time you call us, the leak is usually fixed, the moisture has had time to dry, and the repair is a single-visit cut-and-patch. We come in with containment, do the repair, leave the room cleaner than we found it.
See our work in the before/after gallery or check the full tier pricing before you send a photo.
Common questions about ceiling repair
How much does ceiling repair cost in Seattle?
Same tier menu as drywall repair. Small patches under 2 sq ft start at $399. A 6-12 inch water stain on a ceiling is usually a Small or Small+ tier ($399-$499). Larger sags or multi-foot water damage runs Medium to Large depending on the area. Two-person crew added when ceiling height is 10+ feet (no extra labor cost — included in the tier price).
Can you fix a sagging ceiling?
Depends on the cause. If it's drywall that got wet and is just bowed, yes — we cut out the failed section, dry the framing, and patch. If the framing itself is sagging, you need a structural engineer first. We'll tell you which it is from the photo.
Should I worry about asbestos in my popcorn ceiling?
If your home was built before 1980, yes. About 60-70% of pre-1980 popcorn texture in the Seattle area contains some asbestos. Test PDF is $40-$80, results in 3-5 days. Clean test, we can patch. Positive test, we'll refer you to a certified asbestos abatement contractor. We do not skip the test — both for you and for our crew's safety.
How long does ceiling repair take?
Most single-spot ceiling repairs are done in a single visit (3-5 hours on-site, including drying time for the first mud coat). Multi-spot or whole-ceiling jobs may be 2 visits — first to hang/tape/coat 1, second to finish and texture. We'll tell you which yours is when we quote.
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