
Photo: Luxuriously high ceilings can easily surpass 13 feet.Īrchitectural styles from traditional mansions to new, custom-built homes allow for ceilings 13 feet and above. Installing a coffered ceiling costs about $25 per square foot, depending on the type of wood used the process is highly customized and expert carpentry is required. This dramatic look demands more perspective than an eight-foot ceiling provides. Though flat, a coffered ceiling adds the architectural character of three-dimensional grooved panels that give a checkerboard appearance. Coffered ceilings, which have a three-dimensional look, require a minimum of nine feet. But if you’re still concerned about the energy costs related to higher ceilings, discuss this with your general contractor. You can direct heat or cooling wherever and whenever it may be needed to help prevent utility bills from skyrocketing. Home insulation and heating/cooling systems have vastly improved since then, and eight-foot ceilings are now considered outmoded. RELATED: 9 Clever Ways to Counteract Low Ceilings

(Unrest in the Middle East led to an embargo on oil exports to the United States.) In an effort to stem heating/cooling costs, houses were constructed with less interior space by shortening ceilings. What’s more, houses built in the 1970s and 1980s commonly had eight-foot first-floor flat ceilings due to the energy crisis that gripped the country. One reason: Timber typically comes in eight-foot (2.44 meter) lengths, so for houses built with timber-frame construction, eight-foot ceilings make sense. There was a time when eight-foot ceilings were the norm. Shorter eight-foot ceilings may make your home feel more cramped, even dated. Varying ceiling heights allow you to creatively play with the space, using paint, molding, exposed rafters, and/or skylights to add eye-catching features. A grand, 10- or 12-foot entryway ceiling, for example, can pair with a more intimate nine-foot ceiling in the living room. A new house can also be designed with varying ceiling heights. Higher ceilings, up to 12 feet, are not uncommon, especially in renovated loft apartments and pre-war style architecture (between 18). Ceilings can go beyond the industry standard, to 10 and 12 feet high. Many high-end builders don’t charge extra for nine-foot ceilings, but be sure to discuss any additional costs up front. Put your desired ceiling height measurements in the construction contract you and your contractor sign. While many custom builders will assume that homeowners want nine-foot ceilings, don’t take it for granted. Newer houses are often built with nine-foot ceilings on the first floor (and, sometimes, eight-foot ceilings on the second story).

Photo: Today’s standard ceiling height is nine feet.
