The common drywall textures
Smooth. No texture, just a Level 4 or Level 5 finish. It looks clean and modern, but it shows every flaw, so it costs more to finish well.
Orange peel. A fine, dimpled spray texture that looks like the skin of an orange. The most common wall texture in many newer homes, and one of the easier ones to match.
Knockdown. Compound sprayed on in blobs, then flattened with a wide knife once it starts to set, leaving flat islands. Common on ceilings and walls in the South and West.
Skip trowel. Compound applied by hand with a curved trowel that skips across the surface, leaving irregular patches. Hand-applied, so each installer's version looks slightly different.
Popcorn, or acoustic. A thick, bumpy spray on ceilings, common from the 1950s to the 1980s. Hard to patch invisibly, and, in older homes, possibly containing asbestos.
What texturing costs
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Texturing in general Depends on texture and method | $0.80–$2.00 / sq ft |
| Orange peel Added to finishing cost | $0.50–$1.25 / sq ft |
| Knockdown | $1.00–$2.50 / sq ft |
| Skip trowel, walls | $1.25–$1.80 / sq ft |
| Skip trowel, ceilings | $1.25–$2.00 / sq ft |
| Remove old texture and apply new | $1.80–$3.80 / sq ft |
How to identify your texture
Hold a flashlight flat against the wall in a dark room. Fine, even dimples are orange peel. Flat plateaus with smooth edges are knockdown. Broad, irregular smears with smooth areas between are skip trowel. If you are unsure, send a close-up taken at a shallow angle; texture is much easier to read from the side than straight on.
How texture is matched in a repair
- Finish the patch smooth and flat first. Texture hides color differences but not bumps.
- Practice on a piece of cardboard or scrap drywall until the pattern and size of the texture match the wall.
- For orange peel and knockdown on small areas, spray texture in a can works; for larger areas, a hopper gun gives more control over splatter size.
- For knockdown, wait until the sheen starts to dull, then flatten lightly with a wide knife.
- Feather the texture into the surrounding wall so there is no hard edge, let it dry, then prime and paint the whole wall.
The same approach finishes most wall repairs; see how to fix a hole in drywall.
Changing or removing texture
Textured walls can be made smooth with a skim coat, which is a thin layer of compound over the whole surface, sanded to a Level 5 finish. It is labor-intensive, which is why it costs more than applying texture. Popcorn ceilings can be scraped off, but test first: textured ceilings applied before the 1980s can contain asbestos, and that changes who can remove them and how.
Common questions
What is the most common drywall texture?
Orange peel is the most common wall texture in many newer homes, with knockdown common on ceilings and in warmer regions. Smooth walls have become more popular in new construction.
Can you texture over an existing texture?
Yes, as long as the surface is sound and primed. To go from textured to smooth, the wall is skim coated first.
Why do builders texture walls?
Texture hides small imperfections, so walls can be finished to a lower level and still look good, which saves time and money compared with a flawless smooth finish.
Related guides
Compiled from published 2026 national cost data (Angi, HomeGuide, Homewyse). We update these figures as we complete jobs.