What Is the Cost to Raise a Basement Ceiling?

How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Basement's Ceiling per Square Foot?

Raising a basement ceiling can cost between $10,000 and $90,000, but the final cost is determined by two options:

Lowering the Floor

Lower the floor by digging deeper into the ground and through the foundation. This method will cost anything between $50,000 and $90,000, or between $350 and $450 per square foot to excavate 2 feet into the ground.

Raising the House

The cost of raising the entire house starts at $10,000 to $40,000. This method starts at $12 to $14 per square foot but can go up to $70 per square foot. Although this option is more affordable, it can cause cracks in your drywall or brick wall, or more serious issues if not done correctly.

Raising a Basement's Ceiling Cost Breakdown

Raising a basement ceiling typically costs about $19,200 and can range from $16,000 to $24,000.

During this process, the house is lifted and the foundation is raised to a new level. This means you’ll need to disconnect the utilities for a few days and raise the ground level around it, or you’ll need to build new raised entry porches or decks. 

The total cost of raising a basement ceiling depends on many factors, such as:

• Type of basement and foundation

• The material of your house

• Structural engineer fees

• Type of soil beneath your house

• Whether there are water or utility lines underground

• How old your home is

• Permits needed

• Local labor and material costs

• Plumbing, electrical, or HVAC work

How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Basement's Ceiling by Method?

There are a few methods for raising the basement ceiling. Which one you choose depends on the foundation type.

Cost to Lower the Floor

Lowering the basement floor can cost between $50,000 and $90,000.

There are two methods you can use to lower the floor:

• Bench footing: The process of lowering the basement and providing extra structural support to the foundation. This is more affordable and suits larger basements.

• Underpinning: The process of reinforcing the foundation of an existing building to support the house. This is the more popular choice and allows more floor space, but it’s tricky and can be costly.

Deepening the foundation has substantial risks. It’s not a good option for old brick foundations, but concrete foundations can be OK. Also, lowering the foundation can be tricky for low-bearing soil or, in the case of water pooling, at the old foundation level or below.

Cost of Raising the House

Although this option is more affordable (as it runs between $10,000 to $40,000), lifting the house is generally much harder on brick and stone wall houses, as they tend to crack a lot easier. 

However, raising the house is better in the case of poor soil conditions or old deteriorated foundation—and it usually allows foundation repair/replacement for the deteriorated parts.