In this article we will look at the different costs associated with ceilings that are suspended, or false and what’s included in the price.
If you’re looking for an upgrade but don’t know what to do, this is the place to find everything you need to be aware of.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Suspended or False Ceiling?
Are you considering building your own home? You aren’t sure which type of ceiling you should choose? Drop ceilings are also referred to as suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, false ceilings and dropped ceilings are used to define various types of ceilings.
Although these terms may be difficult at times however, they’re essentially identical. The procedure of installation for false ceilings is slightly different from suspended ceilings however the final outcome is almost the same.
For a long time suspended ceilings have been the most popular option for schools, offices as well as hospitals and commercial buildings in the UK as an economical yet sleek and modern design option for interiors.
They’ve also gained popularity at home, with a lot of Britons choosing false ceilings for their kitchens, or loft conversions.
A suspended or false ceiling, also referred to as a suspended ceiling or dropped ceiling is a set of boards of tiles, frames, or other forms that are hung several feet beneath the main ceiling constructed of concrete or wood planks in the case of a home made out of wood.
A ceiling that is suspended, or a false ceiling, as an example isn’t permanent and is not a part of the structural foundations of a building. However, on the other hand, these lowered ceilings serve to conceal or cover the frame that is the actual ceiling.
In this article, we will discuss the different costs associated with ceilings that are suspended or false and the factors that affect the price. If you’re thinking of installing an upgrade to your ceiling but don’t know which direction to take, here are all the details you require to be aware of.

There are a myriad of different kinds of ceiling tiles available currently, it’s difficult to determine a precise price to install a false ceiling or suspended ceiling. The cost of installing it varies based on various other aspects.
How much will an untrue or hanging ceiling price?
In an area ranging from 30m2 up to 50m2, a cheap ceiling that is fitted with ceiling tiles is priced at £20 up to £30 for a square metre. This will decrease to about £12 up to £18 for each square metre for larger areas.
For an area between 30m2 and 50m2, a ceiling that includes ceiling tiles can cost around £25 or £35 each square metre. It will be reduced to around £15 up to £22 per sq m for larger areas.
If you want to put an insulation blanket over the ceiling, which is based on thickness of the ceiling, you’d need an additional £5- £8 per square metre, on top of the rates above. Therefore, for projects of under 30 square meters, you can anticipate a ceiling that is low-cost to cost between £300 to £400.
The costs listed above will give you an idea of the amount a ceiling is going to cost local companies to supply as well as install suspended ceilings and then you can consider adding 10% to 20 percent for London regions.
Suspended Ceiling Price
The table below breaks down the costs to put up the false or suspended ceiling:
Job | Installation Cost |
Ceiling at a low-cost, complete with ceiling tiles | £20 – £30 per m2 |
Mid-range ceiling with ceiling tiles | £25 – £35 per m2 |
Greater area’s | £15 – £22 per m2 |
Incorporate an insulation quilt | £5 – £8 per m2 |
Projects with less than 30m2 | £300 – £400 |
What are the Supply Costs for a Suspended Ceiling?
Suspended ceilings are cheaper than mortar or beam ceilings and are an effective way to hide defects in the original ceiling as well as untidy wires, as well as other installations.
Since they are easy to set up, they’re affordable to install and maintain. This article will cover the costs of supplying suspended ceilings so that you can determine how much of your installation costs are only materials.

There are many suspended ceiling tiles to choose from with a range of prices, from basic options for basic commercial applications to specially designed suspended ceiling tiles targeted at homeowners.
Plasterboard suspended ceilings usually are priced between £7 and £9 per square meter. The mineral fiber tiles can be the most affordable suspended ceiling tiles and bulk purchases range between £40 up to £80.
Fire-Rated is designed to block dangerous electrical lines and safeguard the building’s frame. They cost £40 up to £60 in large quantities. Ceiling tiles made of metal are generally the most costly option that cost between £80 to £300.
Preparing all the supplies prior to time will help you save you from last-minute shopping trips. For instance acrylic caulk can cost about £1 and £7 and ceiling grid materials can cost in the range of £50 and £250 depending on the quality.
In order to complete the installation, you’ll require a carpet knife. It costs between £1 to £5 depending on how good the knife is. The chalk line will cost around £4 and £11 The clamps range between £5 and £7.
The drill bits set will supply you with several drill bits that can be used to complete the task; they usually range somewhere between £20 or £30. A drill/driver, which is usually cordless, can cost somewhere between £30 to £50.
A tape measure and hammer costs between £2 and £7 and a drywall circular gauge is priced about £7- £20. Tin snips are typically priced between £7 and £20 Also, you’ll require sturdy lines as well as a screwdriver with a lag ( £2 – £11) as well as an in-built riveter ( £20 – £30) and gloves ( £1 to £3).
The table below breaks down the costs of materials required for constructing a suspended and false ceiling:
Supply | Cost |
Ceilings suspended with plasterboard | £7 – £9 per m2 |
Mineral fibre tiles | £0 – £80 |
Fire-Rated | £40 – £60 |
Metal ceiling tiles | £80 – £300 |
Acrylic caulk | £1 – £8 |
Ceiling grid substances | £50 – £250 |
Carpet knife | £1 – £5 |
Chalk line | £4 – £11 |
Clamps | £5 – £7 |
Drill bit sets | £20 – £30 |
Drill/driver | £30 – £50 |
Hammer | £2 – £7 |
Tape measures | £2 – £7 |
Drywall gauge | £7 – £20 |
Tin pieces | £7 – £20 |
Lag screwdriver | £2 – £11 |
Pop the riveter into the pop-in | £20 – £30 |
Gloves | £1 – £3 |
What are the additional expenses to install a suspended ceiling or False Ceiling?
If you are installing the ceiling that is suspended or false there are additional costs that can add up to make it more expensive to install an elevated ceiling. We will discuss the additional costs, so you can reduce them so that you can maintain your ceiling with a lower price.
Plastering a ceiling
Plastering a ceiling can cost between £250 to £300. However, the cost will depend on the dimensions of the ceiling as well as the method of installation in the process, with the figure above being only an average.
Plasterboard is priced at £400 to £500 to be applied to ceilings for small ceilings, £550 or £700 for a medium-sized ceiling in addition, £800 or £1,000 to cover a ceiling that is large.
In the event of wet plaster, you should budget £200- £400 for a small ceiling. £300- £450 for a medium ceiling and £450- £750 for a ceiling that is large.
Most of the time, the cost of labour is simply that a labourer starts with a cost per day of approximately £125 up to £175. The price could increase to £175 to £225 when the work is found to be more challenging than typically.

If you’re planning to redecorate, consider the cost of interior painting for various projects in your mind. The price of painting a room, as an instance, varies between £180 for a modest bedroom, to £600 for a spacious living room.
It is also necessary to think about the cost of decorating and painting for other fixtures, like skirting boards, which vary between £180 and £350, as well as windows, which vary between £400 and £1500.
Other jobs include the painting of doors that could range approximately £220 and £1600 as well as repainting kitchen cabinets that could cost between £600 to £1000.
Wallpapering is another expensive decoration cost, with prices that range from £180 for a small space and up to £600 to strip and then hang wallpaper. installing cladding for the interior costs from £1500 up to £2500.
Skip Hire
The typical cost for 2 yards of skip will be £70 to £100. A 4-yard skip costing in the range of £100 to £160 for 6 yards will cost £120 up to £190.
A typical 8-yard skip costs between £150 and £370. A 10-yard skip typically costs between £180 and £410 on average. 12 yards of skips will cost about £220 to £450.
A 14-yard skip typically will cost around £230 and £460 while the 16-yard skip is priced between £240 and £480. An 18-yard skip is priced between £280 and £500 and a roll-on skip that is rolled off will cost approximately £300 to £500. To lock a skip you’ll need to budget for £200 up to £300.
A skip’s cost is dependent on factors like the size and type of skip. The type of skip will also have an impact since roll-on roll-off skips are cheaper for yards than simple skip.
Other cost factors include the quantity of tradespeople who are employed to deliver and collect the skip, the simple access to your home, and the location.
Because the cost of hiring a skip differs in every country, the location you live can determine the cost of hiring the skip.
However hiring costs in the southeast will likely be more expensive than the average for the country. The cost of skips in northern England, Scotland, as and Northern Ireland are usually lower than those in the rest of the country.
New Lighting
The price for new lighting is contingent upon the amount of light you need in your space and also the amount of area you’ve got.
Installation costs around £60 for an initial fitting, as well as up to £1000 in lighting equipment and electrical wiring.
If you’re looking to update your bedroom or living room it is possible to think about installing a ceiling light that can cost starting at £6 for a flush mount light up to £2000 and more for chandeliers.
If you’re looking to put in new lighting fixtures to your kitchen, you can pick pendant lights to hang above your kitchen cabinets. They typically cost between £30 to £500 for each light.
Cost Factors for Suspended Ceilings
Here are some costs concerning suspended ceilings:
Amount of Tradespeople
The amount of workers hired could be significant. Of course, the more skilled employees you employ and the more skilled they are, the greater the hourly wage rate is; however when they work with each other and work well together, the time required to finish the task could be reduced to a half, thereby cancelling out the previous factor.
It could or might not happen, but if the team performs exceptionally well and you are able to save money by utilizing an entire team instead of just one individual. In the majority of cases it’s a one-person job.
Materials
Suspended ceilings can be made from various materials, from MDF and various wood grains, to plastics along with other mineral/silicone tiles or fibres that reflect light and create an illusion of greater space.
Wood is generally the least expensive option, however you can find plastic tiles at affordable prices, particularly in the event that you’re not concerned about the appearance of the ceiling.
Light Systems
Even though all suspended ceilings offer various lighting options, low-energy lighting sources such as halogen bulbs or extensive lighting systems that operate across multiple suspended ceilings typically cost a bit more than the standard rectangular industrial fittings.
Special Features
Certain ceilings that are suspended or false are also available with an array of additional features, including air conditioning, speakers, fire sprinklers, and different colours or patterns to please the most discerning buyer – but the more you include to the ceiling you already have the more it’ll cost.
Fire Resistance
Ceilings that are fire-resistant have the special resin-coated 60mm barrier which could be a major difference in safeguarding your ceiling’s investment in suspended ceilings.
However, it does cost two or three times the amount of the standard suspended ceiling so ensure you’re capable of paying for it prior to you signing the lease.
Access to and within your Building
If you reside in a city with a lot of traffic, the employee will need to consider things like parking fees when writing quotes, since parking is more expensive in this area than it is in a rural area.
Additionally, in order for costs to remain affordable the floor where the ceiling is to be put must be easy to reach. That means the installation of a suspended ceiling on the floor below is cheaper than putting one on other floors.
The original ceiling’s height
A higher ceiling may take longer to put in and will cost more.
Costs of Tradesmen for a Suspended Ceiling Installation
The installation of a suspended ceiling is not an easy project to complete. Unless you have the necessary training to do it It is not advised to do it yourself.
With this in mind, you can buy DIY kits for your project, priced between £400 or £420 each 600mm2 tiles that cover 10 square meters.
If you do purchase this item, there’s an inherent risk when you climb an incline to reach the ceiling of your building. A climb to a height of a great height could be dangerous when your physical abilities are uncertain, since there is always a risk of injuries.
In addition should the ceiling be not correctly installed it could cause a collapse that causes harm to the parts below.
It would also be helpful to know that it’s difficult to get the same finish that professionals have in their installation.
In this article we will review the various costs involved in hiring a tradesman for the installation of an overhead ceiling.
Costs of labour are a tricky issue to answer since the right cost is determined by a number of variables. A ceiling that is 6 meters high is, for instance, longer to construct than a ceiling of 3m and a 30m2 corridor ceiling can take longer to set up than the ceiling of 30m2 in one room because of the additional cutting of the edges.
Curved walls and curved walls can add an additional amount of labor as well as the ceiling could be cluttered with cables and cables and cables, making the ceiling-installer’s job even more challenging.
The dimensions of the faux ceiling will have a huge impact on the cost even before having chosen the kind of ceiling you’d like to put up.
To cover labour costs, it’ll cost approximately £15 to £25 per square meter for regions ranging from 50 to 250m2. If the size of the space is between 1000 and 5000 square meters the installation may cost as low as £11- £14/m2. The cost could be £150 to £200 for a single day of job, and based on the amount of time required to complete the work will impact the labour costs.
If your basement appears to be filled with loose plumbing pipes, wires and ductwork, you can expect ceiling repair specialists near you to increase the cost more. Dealing with these components takes much longer and may result in the project being delayed by one time or even a day.
Additional details to assist you in determining the most accurate price for a suspended ceiling can be obtained through contacting multiple local builders and national retailers, and comparing various quotes. This allows you to get the greatest amount of availability and generally get the best cost for the job you need!
If you employ a tradesperson to put up your false or suspended ceiling ensure that they are competent and trained to complete the task – and make sure you verify the warranty of the product you are purchasing to ensure that the costs you incur are an investment that won’t be a disappointment!
The table below breaks down the cost of contractors for installing an elevated ceiling:
Labour | Cost |
Areas ranging from 50 to 250m2 | £15 – £25 per m2 |
1000 – 1000 and | £11 – £14 per m2 |
Days’ work | £150 – £200 |
How long does it take to install a false or suspended Ceiling?
The time it takes to have work done in your home is influenced by various aspects. The majority of people don’t like having guests in their home who make loud noises and the mess these jobs often create.
Knowing how long it takes to put up an untrue or suspended ceiling is crucial. We will walk you through the process of installing the false suspended ceiling so that you are aware of what you can be expecting.
Your ceiling’s current condition is one of the factors that can prolong the time it takes to set up your suspended or false ceiling tiles.
The track system most often used to install fake ceiling tiles are often referred to as a false or suspended ceiling. The tiles are set on the tracks that hang from ceilings by several inches, which adds their noise-absorbing and cancelling capabilities. The alternative, less popular method is to directly attach the tiles directly to the ceiling.
Construction projects that involve suspended ceilings or a false ceiling may take some time. Make sure you communicate clearly about the timeframe requirements with contractors, or if making everything yourself be sure to keep these factors in mind when preparing a timetable.
A majority of people think that the false ceiling can be installed within a few hours however, it will likely take a bit longer.
It’s likely to take a few weeks for someone who is aware of how to do it, provided that all materials are available and ready to start. If you’re the first person to tackle the work on your own, anticipate it to take more time, maybe up to a week.
Types of Suspended Ceilings
False ceilings are an architectural form that is where a second ceiling is constructed underneath the ceiling. This ceiling may be constructed of different materials, including metal, plaster or wood.
Because they are essentially suspended or lowered from the ceiling’s main beam they are often referred to as suspended ceilings, dropped ceilings, or dropped ceilings.
Suspended ceilings, also known as metal ceiling tiles are typically used in commercial spaces such as restaurants and offices. They are becoming more common in residential settings.
In a home setting the primary benefit of a ceiling suspended is that it will add the look and feel of rooms. It makes the space appear bigger and more open.
A false ceiling can be erected in any room in your home, however most often, it’s installed in bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms.
What are the various types of suspended and false ceilings?
In this article we will look at the various types of suspended ceilings or false ceilings as well as its pros as well as cons so you can decide which is best for your home when it comes time!
Concealed Ceiling
Choose a concealed grip if you prefer a sleek and tidy appearance of your suspended ceiling. Grids are concealed behind acoustical tiles for this kind of ceiling suspended.
The benefit of installing a concealed grid suspended ceilings is their attractive and appealing appearance. However it restricts access to an area that is above the ceiling for repairs. Additionally, it is more costly than other kinds.
Pros:
- Smooth and clean
Cons:
- It could be costly
Plaster Suspended and Gypsum Board Ceilings
This type of suspended or false ceiling is commonly utilized in public facilities like lobbies, theatres and auditoriums, in addition to other locations.
A suspended ceiling constructed from gypsum board and drywall can be cut into simple steels with a light gauge or specific framing components can be utilized.
Although steels of light gauge are suspended by cables, framing components specially designed for this kind of ceiling, and are available in a myriad of complicated shapes are readily available.
The main benefit of installing a gypsum panel or a suspended ceiling would be the greater value it brings to your home. It’s a unique style that gives the room a modern look.
Pros:
- Brings value to your home
- Unique look
Cons:
- Most often, it is used in theatres
Exposed Grid Ceiling
It is a well-known and affordable kind that has a suspended ceiling. The design of the grid-like suspended ceiling sets it apart from other kinds. It is made of metal strips that are called mains. The mains are connected by Tees. The smaller pieces of metal are called tees.
Tees and mains join forces to create a grid. Suspended ceiling tiles can be used to create the grid as mentioned earlier. A typical metal frame covers each tile in the grid. This frame comes in a range of sizes.
Pros:
- Low cost
- Available in different sizes
Cons:
- None
Fire Resistant Ceiling
Due to its resistance to fire, this kind of suspended ceiling is favoured. It is constructed of an exclusive fire-resistant material. The installation of fire-resistance-rated suspended ceilings is a process that requires extensive knowledge and skills.
Additionally, the lighting fixtures in this kind of ceiling need to be backed by a fire-resistant fabric. In simple terms, all components in this type of ceiling suspended, including the panels that permit access to fix and maintain pipes and ducts, must be fire-proof.
Pros:
- Resistant to fire
Cons:
- It is difficult to install
Ceilings with suspended Drywall
Wires and hangers are used instead of grids made of metal in a suspended ceiling of drywall. You can opt for this kind of suspended ceiling if you are not looking to spend an excessive amount of money for suspended ceilings that come with frames. Due to its distinctive design, it offers an attractive look.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Unique design
Cons:
- Wires and hangers employed
False Ceilings with tiles
A ceiling with false tiles gives any room an elegant and simple look. Wood, metal minerals, wool and gypsum plastic or glass fibres are the most common materials.
Due to its simple appearance and cost-effectiveness due to its basic appearance and low cost, it is one of the most commonly used suspended ceilings. This is why ceilings like this are used as decoration in apartments and offices, as well as shops and even in homes.
Pros:
- In flats, offices and even homes
- Simple design
- Low cost
Cons:
- It is not popular due to its simplistic design

It could be a tiny bathroom in a condo, or an event space in an industrial high-rise. You can enhance the appearance and feel of the room by putting up an aluminium suspended ceiling. It is made of metal which ensures that the ceiling is properly reflecting sunlight, both electric and natural.
This will make your space appear bright and spacious. The capability of this kind of ceiling to blend into any space and enhance its appearance is the primary reason for its popularity by a lot of people.
Aluminium is a well-known, long-lasting material. It doesn’t require any maintenance in order to maintain its lustre and durability. It is regarded as safe for human health because of its green properties.
This is why it is suggested to use it in medical facilities. Due to the numerous advantages it can provide the parents, a lot of them prefer to install this kind of ceiling suspended in their kids’ rooms too.
In the case of suspended ceilings made of aluminium There is a broad variety of options to choose from. There are a variety of options that range from racks to cassettes and Griyalto.
Each kind comes with its own unique specific set of characteristics, but, Griyalto is the most desired due to its unique characteristic. It is also referred to as the most expensive suspended ceiling within the category of ceilings made from aluminium.
Pros:
- It can make your home appear bright and spacious.
- Long-lasting
Cons:
- Expensive
What’s the Cost to remove a suspended or false Ceiling?
When you remove a drop ceiling it is possible to be charged in the range of £2- £7 per sq ft. The cost of removing the interior materials in an area of 10 feet by 12 feet can range between £240 and £840.
It is also recommended to consider spending £60 per square foot to cover the cost of fixing the exposed ceiling. Drywall painting, lighting, and paint add more expense.