How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Roof or Ceiling? [2024 Data]

Cost Factors to Raising a Roof 

There are lots of cost factors you need to keep in mind when planning your roof raising project. From your home size, frame type, to all the different professionals you’ll need to get on board, here are the most important things to keep in mind.

Home Size

Your home’s size is one of the most impactful factors that affect the total project costs. On average, raising a roof costs $34 to $54 per square foot, with an average of $44 per square foot.

Frame Type

Your roof’s frame type will affect the cost of raising the roof. Customized stick roof frames are taken apart and rebuilt when roofs are raised, while prefabricated frames don’t require the same disassembly.

The costs of the trusses range between $60 to $800 per truss depending on type.

Engineer

You’re sure you want to raise your roof, but you need to consult a structural engineer to find out if it’s doable or not. A consultation with an engineer can cost $500 to $1,200.

Architect

Getting a design for your raised roof from an architect costs $3,000.

Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC 

Depending on your roofing project and how it impacts the interior of your home, you may need to rewire or repipe your electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Electricians charge $50 to $100 per hour, plumbers cost $45 to $200 per hour, and HVAC technicians bill $100 to $250 hourly.

Chimney Adjustments 

If you to raise a roof with a chimney, it may cost an additional $500 to $6,000. In some cases, the chimney may need to be taken down and reinstalled. In other instances, your chimney may prevent you from moving forward with raising your roof.

Insulation 

Part of the refinishing process requires you to install insulation. This cost $1 to $4 per square foot.

Drywall

After the workers install insulation, you’ll need them to put up drywall. You can expect to pay $0.50 per square foot.

Painting

Painting the new drywall costs $2.75 per square foot on average.

Roof Removal 

Removing the existing roof costs $1 to $5 per square foot. Check with your contractor to see if this cost is included in the quote, or if it’s billed separately.

Exterior Refinishing

Depending on your roof type, you may need to account for exterior refinishing costs. Installing roof tiles costs $7 to $25 per square foot while shingles range between $80 to $2,300 per roofing square.

On the other hand, if you need to install a metal roof, that’ll be $4 to $25 per square foot, depending on the metal type you choose. If you need to paint your metal roof after installation, expect to pay $2 per square foot.

Additionally, sealing your roof will run you $0.65 to $5 per square foot.

Labor 

You can expect labor costs to range between $1.50 to $3 per square foot. Costs increase by 10% to 20% if you hire a supervising contractor. 

Permits

This project likely requires several permits, depending on your location. From plumbing, wire, and structural change permits, expect to pay $400 to $2,000.

Cost to Raise a Roof by Frame Type

Your project costs differ based on your roof frame type. You can get a general sense of the cost differences based on the trusses you need. Generally, a 30-foot roof requires 16 trusses.

Attic

An attic truss is good for maximizing usable space with a loft area. These roof trusses cost $100 to $400 each.

Cathedral 

Cathedral trusses are for lofted rooms and cost $250 to $550 per truss.

Fink 

The fink truss has a w-shape and costs $120 to $260 each. These are the most commonly used type of truss in homes with high-pitch roofs.

Fan

The fan truss is usually used when the width of the roof is too wide for a fink truss. 

Hip 

Hip trusses cost $100 to $250 each and offer a high level of stability, making them great for areas that get a lot of snow or high winds.

Gable 

Gable trusses are functional as well as adding visual appeal to your home. These cost $80 to $800 per truss.

Scissor

Scissor trusses are seen in cathedral ceilings. These are $120 to $500 per truss.

Queen Post

Queen post trusses are $50 to $100 each. These aren’t as commonly found anymore as people have generally transitioned to fink trusses instead.

Raise Tie

Raised tie trusses are used for high ceilings. You can use these to increase the ceiling height without actually changing the height of your home. These are $70 to $580 each.

Cost to Raise a Ceiling Yourself

Raising a ceiling is not a DIY project—one wrong move could quite literally cause the ceiling to come crashing down on you. It's important to have a contractor help determine the feasibility of safely raising your ceiling based on the structure of your home.

Here's a tip: If you're looking to cut costs on this project, there's one DIY aspect to consider doing on your own. It's often necessary to remove a drop ceiling before raising a ceiling. This is something that most homeowners can do if they have the time. However, removing a drop ceiling isn't typically a bank-breaking project, so if you don't have time to do it yourself, it costs around $1 and $2 per square foot.

DIY vs Hiring a Pro to Raise a Roof 

While there are lots of great DIY projects that you can take on around the house, raising a roof is best left to the pros. Even if you know how to DIY the entire project from beginning to end and have a high level of expertise in roofing, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, you still need to bring in an engineer and architect.

With that being said, it’s unlikely for most DIYers to have the know-how, equipment, and experience to get the job done right. Instead of trying to tackle this huge job, it’s best to hire a roofing company near you to help you get it done.

How to Save on the Cost of Raising a Roof 

The best way to save on the cost of raising a roof is to get at least three quotes from highly qualified companies and contractors in your area. You may be surprised at the price difference for the same job depending on who you ask.

You may also save on materials costs by possibly using some of your old roof materials instead of getting all-new materials.

And instead of going for whatever you want, consider the easiest and simplest roof design.