What is the standard ceiling height of a residential home bedroom?

Answer 1

In the US, the standard length for studs (the vertical boards that sustain a wall) is 92 5/8". In making a wall, the studs are fastened to 2 x 4 sill plates at the bottom, and a doubled top plate at the top. The top and bottom plates, all 2 x 4's (in most cases), are nominally 1.5" in thickness. That makes the total thickness of the plates 4 1/2 inches.

The sill plate is attached to the floor, and the ceiling joists rest on the uppermost top plate. So, from floor to ceiling, in a framed structure, the distance is 92 5/8" plus 4 1/2 inches, giving a total of 97 1/8 inches.

96 inches is 8 feet, which is considered the standard distance from floor to ceiling. But, in framing, consideration is given to additional ceiling and flooring materials which will be used.

Most bedrooms will have carpet, and gypsum board covers the ceiling. The gypsum board (sheetrock) is 1/2 inch thick, and carpet is usually 3/4 thick. Adding these together, you have 1-1/4 inches that will be subtracted from the original framing height, to give the finished height of a typical modern ceiling.

Since the framing height is 8 feet and 1-1/8 inches, the typical height of a conventional residential home's ceiling will be 1/8" shy of eight feet, or seven feet, eleven and seven-eighths inches.