Drywall and Ceiling Removal in Toronto
Opening walls and ceilings is how a renovation gets to wiring, plumbing, insulation and framing. We remove drywall, plaster and ceiling systems in a controlled way, limiting dust and protecting whatever sits behind and below.
Our crews do this work in homes, condos and small commercial spaces across Downsview, midtown west and the City of Toronto, whether the scope is one room or a full floor.
Is this the right scope?
Expose selected wall or ceiling areas without assuming the framing goes.
Finish removal can stop at the framing. Taking down an entire partition is a separate decision involving its connections and services.
Removing the whole partition? Compare wall removal ↗Where this scope stops
Fire-rated assemblies, suspect coatings and structural elements need assessment before disturbance. Reinstatement is a separate scope.
Define these items in writing
- Marked drywall and ceiling finishes
- Specified backing or insulation where included
- Protection of adjacent finishes and loading of debris
What assessment needs to establish
- Removal depth and retained edges
- Services concealed above or behind finishes
- Building assembly and survey information
What's included
- Drywall on walls and ceilings, including corner bead and trim
- Plaster and lath in older houses
- Drop ceiling tiles, grid and hanger wire
- Textured and stippled ceilings once cleared by the survey
- Removal of fasteners left on studs and joists where scoped
- Dust containment, sealed openings and protected floors
How the job runs
- 01
Survey review
We confirm which wall and ceiling materials were sampled and cleared for removal.
- 02
Electrician first
Your electrician de-energizes circuits and removes fixtures, switches and devices in the work area.
- 03
Contain the zone
Poly walls, sealed doorways and covered floors define the work area.
- 04
Ceilings down
Ceiling boards, plaster or grid are brought down first so debris does not land on finished walls.
- 05
Walls open
Walls are stripped to studs, with care around retained windows, trim and services.
- 06
Bag, load and vacuum
Debris is bagged, carried out and the area is swept and vacuumed.
Before we start
Plaster, joint compound and textured ceilings are some of the materials most often sampled in older buildings. OHSA section 30 makes identifying designated substances the owner's duty before the work is arranged, so the survey must be in hand before we set a date.
Where affected asbestos-containing material requires removal, a qualified abatement contractor handles it under O. Reg. 278/05 before MetroPoint proceeds. Other survey findings require their applicable controls. We do not do abatement ourselves. Your electrician should make the circuits safe and remove fixtures ahead of our arrival.
Visible work examples
Interior wall opened to expose old wood lath Room with wall finishes taken off to the framing Interior stripped back to wood framing Worker inspecting framing after wall removal Large room opened to structural framing and ceiling joists Commercial interior with ceiling and wall finishes removed
Related pages
Questions and answers
- Can you remove a popcorn or stippled ceiling?
- Only after your designated substances survey confirms the texture is clear. Many textured ceilings in older Toronto homes were sampled because some contained asbestos. If yours tests positive, an abatement contractor removes it first. If it is clear, we scrape or remove the board under containment as part of the scope.
- Why does the electrician need to come first?
- Walls and ceilings carry live wiring, pot lights and devices. Having a licensed electrician isolate the circuits and remove fixtures means our crew is not cutting into energized lines. It also protects wiring you plan to reuse, since the electrician can label and secure it before anything is opened.
- How do you control dust?
- Every job gets containment. We seal the work area with poly sheeting and tape, cover floors, close off return air in the zone and keep doors shut. Debris is bagged inside the containment before it travels through the house. The area is vacuumed at the end, not just swept.
- Is plaster and lath harder to remove than drywall?
- It is heavier and dustier. Plaster is broken off the lath, then the lath is pulled from the studs, which creates more debris per square foot than drywall. We plan more bagging and carry-out time for plaster rooms and take extra care where old walls meet retained trim.
Get a scoped estimate
Request an on-site assessment and a written scope before work begins.
Licensed, insured and WSIB-registered, carrying $5M commercial general liability.
Next step
Tell us about your drywall and ceiling removal project
This service is selected for you. Change it if another scope fits better, or choose the advice option. Share the removal limits, property location and anything that must remain.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us what goes and what stays.
Decisions within this scope
Use these comparisons to describe the component that leaves, the surface that stays and the decision needed before removal.
- Kitchen soffit removal or a full ceiling strip-out?
Can a kitchen soffit be removed while the main ceiling stays?
- One face of a wall or the whole partition?
How do I ask for access behind a wall without ordering complete wall removal?
- Wall panelling removal: what is behind the decorative layer?
Does removing decorative panelling include battens, backing and framing?
- Wall covering removal or replacement of the drywall?
When is removing a wall covering different from stripping the wall lining?
- Ceiling tiles and grid are separate removal decisions
Can the ceiling tiles leave while the grid remains?
- Removing a bulkhead when the service route remains
What if I want a bulkhead gone but the duct or pipe inside still has to stay?
- Ceiling access opening or a full ceiling strip?
How much ceiling should come down for a trade to inspect a concealed problem?
- Ceiling removal beside a cornice that stays
Can an old cornice or crown moulding remain when the ceiling lining is removed?