According to the National Building Code (NBC), the standard ceiling height is ninety-six inches, or eight feet; for suspended ceilings; the minimum height is ninety inches, or seven and a half feet. But nine- and ten-foot ceilings are now common, not only in living rooms and kitchens, but also in bedrooms.
The ceiling height standard in most regions is 9 feet, giving homes more open space and room for overhead additions, like ceiling fans. Meanwhile, the minimum height is 7 feet, though it can be as low as 6 feet, 8 inches in the bathroom and laundry rooms.
8ft or 2.4m is about standard for most liveable rooms and for the greater majority of the world's population. It's possible to have portions of the room at a lower ceiling level, as long as most of it is at least at the 8ft height it should still feel reasonable.
With a balloon frame, ceilings could be any height, but as the milling of studs was standardized to eight feet in the early 20th century, ceiling heights were almost universally that same measurement.
Section R305 in the IRC provides details for minimum ceiling height. For all habitable space and all hallways, a minimum 7-ft. ceiling height is required—and that includes any habitable spaces created in basements. For bathrooms, toilet rooms, and laundry rooms, a 6-ft.
A finished floor-to-ceiling height of 2.3 to 2.4 metres is ideal, however this is not always possible due to existing constraints.
Habitable rooms provided with artificial ventilation shall have ceiling heights not less than 2.40m. For buildings of more than 1 storey, the minimum ceiling height of the first storey shall be 2.70 m, for the second storey, 2.40 m.
The second criteria for gross living area is that the space has to be finished. The area must contain walls, floors and ceilings of materials generally accepted for interior construction (painted drywall, carpet etc.) The ceiling height of the finished space must be 7 feet.
The minimum ceiling height for bathrooms and toilet rooms is 6 feet, 8 inches (2032mm). There are exceptions, including a sloping ceiling over the toilet if the minimum ceiling height of 6 feet, 8 inches (2032mm) is maintained over the front clearance area. Source, 2018 IRC, 305.1.
Any ceiling over 10 feet is considered a high ceiling, Shipp says. “Sometimes ceiling height can vary within one home to make some rooms seem cozier or more grand. In two-story homes. the second story is often a foot or so shorter than the bottom floor,” she adds.
Homes with higher ceilings, typically 9 feet or more, are often considered more luxurious and can increase property value. Studies indicate homes with higher ceilings can sell for 5-25% more than those with standard heights.
In the 1970's, the average ceiling height was 7 feet 9 inches. Today a standard ceiling height is nine feet on the first floor and eight on the second. Here are some other comparisons from House & Garden: In 1974, one in four homes had at least four bedrooms.
A ceiling at the standard height of 2.4 meters can make rooms feel adequately spacious without appearing cavernous or overwhelming. It strikes the perfect balance between comfort and spaciousness.
Traditional Japanese ceiling height used to be 7.2 ft (2.2 meters). Nowadays, the most typical ceiling height in Japan is 7.9 ft (2.4 meters), based on the average Japanese heights and air conditioning efficiency requirements.
The living room in this mid century rambler in Minneapolis has an angled vaulted ceiling in the living room. Photograph by Julia Auerbach. The typical home has 8-foot ceilings, and vaulted ceilings can be anywhere from 11-12 feet or higher.
On the minimum ceiling heights the IRC requires habitable spaces and corridors to be a minimum of 7′-6″ and bathrooms, kitchens, storage areas and laundry areas can have ceilings at 7′-0″ minimum.
According to the National Building Code (NBC), the standard ceiling height is ninety-six inches, or eight feet; for suspended ceilings; the minimum height is ninety inches, or seven and a half feet. But nine- and ten-foot ceilings are now common, not only in living rooms and kitchens, but also in bedrooms.
The Height of a Shower
Your shower ceiling height could be anywhere from 7 to 10 feet in height. Technically, the height of the ceiling has little to do with whether or not you tile it; it is the height of the shower head that matters.
A shower or tub equipped with a showerhead shall have a minimum ceiling height of 6 feet 4 inches (1931 mm) above a minimum area 30 inches (762 mm) by 30 inches (762 mm) at the wall where the showerhead is placed.
Occupiable spaces, habitable spaces and corridors shall have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet 6 inches (2286 mm) above the finished floor. Bathrooms, toilet rooms, kitchens, storage rooms and laundry rooms shall have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet (2134 mm) above the finished floor.
Depending on where you are buying a home, there are legal definitions around livable space that require spaces like a basement to be finished, heated and ventilated, partially or fully above-ground, and to have an entrance or exit to the outside for safety reasons.
A ceiling height of 2.3 to 2.4 m from floor to ceiling is recommended for a comfortable, functional loft conversion. The absolute minimum low end is 2.1 m for basic use. Ceiling height on staircases must be at least 2 m to meet building codes.
The minimum required ceiling height for bathrooms, toilet rooms and laundry rooms is 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm).
For a room to count as a true bedroom, it must have at least 70 square feet of floor space with a minimum of 7 feet in one direction.
As per the NBC, the minimum ceiling height for habitable rooms in a residential home should be 9 feet from the finished floor level. For non-habitable rooms such as storage areas, the minimum ceiling height requirement is 7 feet 10 inches.