Raising the ceiling of a room

[MusicMum80s]

I was wondering if anyone knows how much it would cost to raise the ceiling of a room. This would require the room above the have lower floor to ceiling heights which is okay. I know someone who did something like this as part of their loft conversion years ago but was wondering how much something like that would typically cost. Many thanks

No idea but my feeling is a lot! Depends on a lot of factors - what is above the room at the moment, what additional structural work might be required to support any extra load, or indeed what needs strengthening as you have changed the load points or similar. You’re not going to get a relevant answer here even if someone has done this as too many variables but I would guess if possible, many tens of thousands of pounds. What’s the point? Aesthetics or is the downstairs room really that squashed?

I don't think its that expensive. One my colleague did it, lowering a ceiling was about 2k for an entire floor.

Lowering a ceiling is very different to raising it.

Lowering a ceiling would obviously be far cheaper than raising one. It is just putting in a false lower ceiling. Raising one is essentially rebuilding to the upper floor.

Tens of thousands depending on what’s above it.

very expensive i imagine as you’d have to completely rebuild the upper floor with raising the joists, new doorways, electrical and plumbing, move the bath, toilet and washbasin etc.

No, it was lowering the ceiling below to increase the height of the room above so the same amount of structural work. It wasn’t a suspended ceiling.

I’j just asking for updated ballpark figures as that was more than 10 years ago.

There is no plumbing involved that needs to be moved or windows. Door ways and floor joists on each level though yes.

if you don't believe us get a builder in to quote. It would be horrendous stress and mess and cost for very little gain. If you don't like the ceiling height it would be better to move.

This. You have no idea what’s running through there - a gas mains pipe, electrics, plumbing. You also have no idea how doing the work will impact the structure so will need calculations at the very least and probably an architect. I reckon the whole thing is such a non starter that you won’t even get a builder around to look at it. Why do you need extra ceiling height? Have you brought a hobbit home or is it just that you’d rather a 3 meter height as opposed to 2.7? Fair enough if so, each to their own, but as above I’d bet the house this will work out to be an enormous sum of money.

We considered this. I can’t give you an exact figure as it was part of a bigger package, but it was really silly money (£20k?). we didn’t do it!

That was 5 years ago so will be much more now.

It would be a massive job and you have no idea what is under the caring. I’m going a new build and I’ve found two photos of what will be under my ceilings - and they will be tight to this. You probably won’t have this amount of pipe work, but there will be electrics and possibly plumbing running above it. You’d be mad to do this.

Not sure why people come on her without answers just to insult people.

I’ve already run it by an architect who is a friend specialises in residential renovations. She confirmed she’s done it but couldn’t remember the cost.

Why are people on Mumsnet so aggressive! I’ve asked with someone who had experience of this so just don’t reply if you have nothing nice to say or can’t actually answer…

It’s a house we are planning to gut renovate if we buy it. Even if it is £20k that would be less than 1 percent of the value of the home and well worth doing from our perspective as it would even out levels requires for a 1st floor extension over the outrigger amongst other benefits.

We’ve done two renovations before. Not that anyone needs to know any of this to actually answer the question…

There will be electrics but no plumbing. We are rewiring the entire house though so that doesn’t matter and isn’t a major complication. The main cost will be the joists and structural work plus redecoration but as we are gutting the house anyway the redecoration isn’t a concern

Thanks, that’s helpful!

If there is no pipework in the floor and your rewiring/ gutting the house then it would be a straightforward job. The only issues would be the door frame would need to be raised ,so there would need to be space to raise it ? Id guess at 5k tops. Labour plus materials

I've had it done in order to give enough head height for a shower in a loft conversion. I wasn't going to answer @MusicMum80s as it was 10 years ago so finances will have changed a lot but in view of some of the silly responses your getting I can confirm it's possible. When my builder suggested it I said won't that be really expensive and he said it won't make much difference either way whether they did that or not in view of the work that was being done. It was a full gutting of a two up two down turning it into 3 bed 2 bathroom with new windows, rotten joists, fireplaces, new bathrooms, new kitchen, underfloor heating in two rooms, complete re plastering, new oak doors throughout, fencing (probably more but can't fully remember) ect cost about £50,000 altogether.

@Mossstitch thanks, that's reassuring from someone who has done it. From memory it was rounding error for my colleague as well relative to the cost of doing the loft itself.

20k is less than 1% of the value of your house!? Given you live somewhere north of 2 million quid then money is likely no object for you, so have at it. I don’t think anyone here has been aggressive, just stating the facts. If you’ve got an architect friend then I’m sure they’ll be able to give you a pretty specific answer based on your actual home and situation. Probably best to just ask them?