The average cost to vault a ceiling is $19,900, but prices might run anywhere from $3,600 to $47,500, depending on if it's a new construction home or an alteration to an existing structure.
Feeling a bit pinned in by your space? That’s where vaulted ceilings come in. The average cost to vault a ceiling is $19,900, with a low cost of $4,800 and a high cost of $38,000. These costs depend on several factors, including roof modifications and the type of vaulting. Raised ceilings help create open, airy rooms throughout the home, and vaulting offers a wide variety of design types.
Considering that they make a room feel bigger and offer a luxurious look, a vaulted ceiling might be right for you. But installing one is a complicated process with a number of factors that impact the overall cost, such as home location, permits, and more.
A primary cost factor is the type of construction you choose and when you decide to build the ceiling.
New construction: Constructing a vaulted ceiling at this point in the process is the less costly option, with a price range of $16,000 to $21,000, which includes the cost of framing the roof and arranging the overall structure to accommodate the vaulted ceiling design.
Conversion: If you’re converting a pre-existing ceiling to a vaulted one, the cost shoots up to $18,000 to $35,000. This is a more expensive process as it is not just the ceiling that requires a complete overhaul. You’re also dealing with the rafters, trusses, pipes, nearby ducts, and wires.
| Construction Type | Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Vaulted ceiling in a new construction | $16,000–21,000 |
| Vaulted ceiling in an existing construction | $18,000–35,000 |
Where you place the vaulted ceiling within the home also impacts the price to account for space and stability considerations. These ceilings do best in the middle of the home with plenty of supportive beams running throughout (think: attic bedrooms, central living rooms, and kitchens). It’s more difficult to accommodate them in rooms on the sides of the home.
| Vaulted Ceiling Location | Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom | $12,000–$18,000 |
| Bedroom | $12,000–$18,000 |
| Kitchen | $12,000–$18,000 |
| Living room | $18,000 to $25,000 |
| Garage | $18,000 to $35,000 |
| Basement | $10,000 to $90,000 |
Installing a vaulted ceiling requires plenty of site prep, the extent of which depends on the layout of your home. For instance, you’ll have to account for any crucial components of your HVAC system if they’re in the ceiling. The same goes for plumbing pipes, electrical wires, drywall, and the pre-existing ceiling. These site prep costs add up to $1,100 to $6,200 and fold into your labor estimates.
The bulk of this project falls down to labor, as hiring workers accounts for up to 75% of the total cost. In other words, labor costs $13,500 to $26,250 when installing a vaulted ceiling. Most vaulted ceiling projects require a structural engineer, an electrician, a carpenter, a general contractor, and more.
Additionally, some projects require drywall experts, painters, and even insulation experts. This is an incredibly complex project, so experience counts.
In the vast majority of cases, you need permits to vault a ceiling, as poor work leads to foundational issues down the road. The necessary permits cost anywhere from $200 to $2,000 and include a professional inspection of the completed job. You just need work permits here, and not planning permits, unless you’re also altering the exterior of your roof. Your pros will do the heavy lifting and wrap the costs into the final estimates.
When it comes to types of ceilings, vaulted ceilings are not a one-type-fits-all kind of thing. There are many different types of vaulted ceilings out there, each offering unique price ranges, advantages, and specific use case scenarios.
Groin vaulted ceilings, also called double-barrel vaults and cross-vaults, are made with two crossing barrel vaults. Building a groin vault is a relatively budget-friendly option, at $4,800 to $10,000, though they cannot reach as high as cathedral vaults and some of the other types listed below. Many homeowners leave the rafters in for a rustic appearance, though some plaster over the ceiling to create a double-overhead archway.
Domes are a unique way to vault your ceiling, as the dome itself can occupy a small area at the center of the room or extend over the entire area. Dome ceilings cost $4,800 to $10,000 and consist of a curved ceiling with a circular edge. This design is more shallow than cathedral ceilings but easier to build into existing properties since it doesn’t require serious roof modifications.
Barrel ceilings form a nice arch overhead with heights similar to dome and groin vault ceilings. Installing a barrel ceiling costs $5,000 to $10,200 and is a minimally invasive project; it doesn’t require roof modifications but requires some attic space. This type of ceiling features a series of overhead arches, which many homeowners choose to drywall and finish to create a rounded, higher end-product.
Rib vault ceilings are similar in design to groin vaults but use a series of individual arched beams. The cost of installing a rib vault ceiling is in line with other types, costing $4,800 to $10,000. The price is relatively low here as rib vaults don’t require roof modification, lowering the level of necessary labor. This type of vaulted ceiling requires some attic space to really shine and looks great when finished or when the rafters are left untouched.
This is the most popular type of vaulted ceiling, though it is also the most expensive. Building a cathedral ceiling costs $16,000 to $35,000 and requires some fairly serious roof modifications. Expect to move the rafters at the bare minimum.
This design is angular rather than curved and is usually what people picture when hearing the term “vaulted ceiling.” With a cathedral ceiling, you get a clean, simple look.
It’s not just labor and materials to worry about here, as there are plenty of additional costs and optional costs worth considering.
There are many ways to raise a ceiling that go above and beyond vaulting. The average cost to raise a ceiling is $19,200, and the price breaks out to $50 to $75 per square foot—though this cost varies depending on many of the items discussed above (home type, location, etc.).
You need to reroute electrical wiring when extending a standard ceiling to a vaulted one unless you get lucky. Hiring an electrician costs $200 to $500 for this job or $2 to $4 per square foot of necessary rewiring. Electricians charge $50 to $100 per hour, and this job takes anywhere from four to 10 hours.
Insulating a vaulted ceiling costs $1,300 to $3,300, depending on the type of insulation and the size of the area. Vaulted ceilings extend to the roof, and your pro will likely need to remove pre-existing insulation if you’re converting a ceiling.
The vast majority of these ceiling updates get in the way of pre-existing HVAC ducts, requiring some serious rerouting to keep the system in check. The average cost to replace ductwork is $1,180, though this depends on the number of ducts, where they’re going, and any new vents required.
Putting in some skylights is a great way to really make your new vaulted ceiling pop, as they allow plenty of natural light to shine into the space. The cost to install a skylight is $1,100 to $2,700, depending on size, shape, and manufacturing materials. These are fairly difficult to install, so count on labor fees of $300 to $2,500, with tubular skylights being the easiest to place.
Painting a vaulted ceiling is more expensive than painting a traditional flat ceiling. The average price to paint a vaulted ceiling comes in at $1,600 to $2,600, depending on size and any accessibility concerns.
As previously mentioned, labor accounts for up to 75% of the total costs to install a vaulted ceiling. Those looking to save that $13,500 to $26,250 may look into a DIY installation process, though this is not the best project to hang your amateur hat on.
Building a vaulted ceiling is extraordinarily complex and dangerous, as much of it takes place at the top-end of a ladder. This is not a project you want to take on yourself, so contact a structural engineer to get started. As a bonus, your pro likely has a robust network of professionals for outsourcing the remaining parts of the job.
Whenever you add to or remove from a ceiling, the costs quickly balloon as you field the necessary hurdles of the project. Save a bit of money by following these handy tips.
Gather multiple estimates
Do what you can ahead of time
Wait until building a new home
Bundle up jobs:
Look into ways to save energy
Whether or not a vaulted ceiling adds value to your home depends on the market. If smaller homes with low ceilings make up most of your market, a vaulted ceiling could add as much as 25% to your home’s value. With larger houses in competitive markets, however, vaulted ceilings are an expected feature that adds little to no extra value.
Yes, you can vault an existing ceiling, but it’s more complicated than vaulting one at the initial point of construction. To vault an existing ceiling, ensure you have unused attic space and prepare for any potential roof modifications to accommodate the updated structure.
Yes, it costs more to heat a house with vaulted ceilings. By design, vaulted ceilings create more cubic feet and volume for your home’s HVAC system to heat or cool, leading to higher energy bills. This is a project built for aesthetics and not for saving money.
A typical ceiling reaches a height of around 8 feet, so a vaulted ceiling is anything higher than that. Generally speaking, vaulted ceilings clock in at around 12 to 25 feet high, depending on the design and available space. The location of your roof caps the height.
