Do I need to move out of my house while I have a popcorn ceiling removed?

It depends on whether your popcorn contains asbestos. If you don't know, you might as well stay away until the next day. It's not just about the removal of the ceilings. Don't forget to cover all your furniture and belongings with disposable plastic tarps and to have the workers dispose of them after doing the cleaning. If your floors are carpeted, that's another issue of coverage. This should all have been discussed and worked out on the contract.

If you don't mind your ceilings being lower by slightly more than an inch, have a new one put right over the old one on strapping.

The professional removing the ceiling will tell you exactly how long you will be out. If it is known that there is asbestos in the pop corn the pro will be doing a lot more than covering you furniture. The room in question will be sealed and have negative air pressure, it will be a air tight sealed compartment with men in white space suits vacuumimg and double bagging an debris