Cost/Value to Raise Ceiling?

Question

We recently went to see a house that I would love to BRRR but when waking in, the very first thing you notice is how low the ceilings are. Any idea on value/cost for this type of project?

Brandon Koletsky · Answer

Thank you for the responses @Evan Polaski and @Dan Milinazzo.  I am probably overthinking it after always living and touring 8ft and 9ft ceilings.  Walking in to a house with 7ft just totally caught me off guard. No idea what the ceiling was like it above, so I have limited information on the work requirement.  I just have a hard time thinking that we spend money on rehab and making it look extremely nice but still have the short ceiling.

Evan Polaski · Answer

@Brandon Koletsky, I agree with Dan in general, that there is no way to tell.  But more simply than getting into all the details: are the ceilings low, but habitable, i.e. 7ft or higher, or are they "bend over to get through" height.

I would say, generally, the cost to raise the ceilings will not be worth it.  As Dan noted, there is a lot that goes into this, but if the ceiling joists are what are causing the ceilings to be so low, you will be spending a lot of money to change those.  Even more if there is a second floor.

But if the ceilings are habitable, but low, 7-8ft tall everywhere, I do not know of a situation that would make it worth trying to heighten them if the height is determined by structural components.  Removing a drop ceiling is cheap and easy, so that is a whole other scenario.

Dan Milinazzo · Answer

@Brandon Koletsky You need a lot more information to properly help with this and even then no one will be able to give you a REAL number without walking it with you.  I am sure someone can help you loosely budget something with enough data.  I can give you some things to think about but I can't help with a budget based on the information you shared. One question I would ask though, is the ceiling so low that you have to rent for less or are low ceilings more common than one would think in your market? Most areas require a minimum 7'0" ceiling height to be considered a habitable room.

Is the ceiling drop tile/acoustic tile? If so, how much space is above it to the original ceiling/ceiling joists? This could be an easy fix.

Assuming its not, can you access the space above the ceiling (is it an open attic?). I assume there isn't a living space above it.  Is the roof truss framed or stick built?

Is the roof above low slope or gable pitch (the direction of the pitched roof will matter as well)?

Here are some quick factors, if there is a room above this low ceiling room and is the low ceiling in this room a hard ceiling attached to strapping/floor joists for the above room then it is going to be majorly cost prohibitive in my opinion to pursue this option.

If the roof above this room is framed with trusses (look for steel mending plates at all joints) then again, majorly cost prohibitive and you want an engineer involved.

So, in general this is far more complicated of a question, but if you have ALL the information someone may be able to help you navigate this a little better.  Without the information necessary, I would either gather more info direct from the site and possibly bring a skilled contractor with you that can help with on the spot discussion.