Cost to Install Ceiling Tiles – 2021

| Last Updated: August 21, 2021

National Average Improvement and Repair Cost

Pro

DIY

Hours:

15

20

Cost:

$ 1446

$ 900

Would you do this project? According to our survey, 56% of respondents preferred DIY compared to hiring a pro.

The average price to Install Ceiling Tiles noted above is cost data to compare a contractor’s estimate with doing it yourself.

Transform a basement with ceiling tiles using adhesive or wood furring strips. 

Designers consider a ceiling the fifth wall of a room, so making it special gives a room eye-popping appeal. We couldn’t agree more because one of the first do-it-yourself projects we attempted was installing patterned ceiling tiles over a less than lovely drywall ceiling pockmarked with small cracks. We were amazed at how that simple project added warmth and style to an otherwise ordinary room.

The tongue-and-groove ceiling tiles, which fit together easily and provide proper alignment, can be installed directly over an existing ceiling with adhesive or wood furring strips so there’s no visible grid system. You’ll find patterned, smooth and textured tiles sold in cartons of 40 (which covers 40 square feet).

Click here to see Armstrong’s many different Types of Ceiling Styles.

To install ceiling tiles you need basic tools, and if you’re looking for an excuse to buy a laser level, this is it. You can use a chalk line and string to ensure the furring strips are level, but a laser is more fun to use. When the tiles are in place, install a decorative molding to conceal the rough edge of the tiles where they meet the wall.

A carpenter will install 12-by-12-inch square ceiling tiles on wood furring strips in a 10-foot-by-12-foot room with ceiling molding for $1446, which includes labor and material. You can buy the materials and do it yourself for $900, a savings of 38 percent, depending on how many tiles you need.

The project involves removing any existing molding, then fastening furring strips to the ceiling joists, which usually run across the short dimension of the room every 16-inches apart. Then use a stapler to fasten the flange of the tile in the furring strip and as the tiles fit together the tongue-and-groove design conceals the seams.

Tip: It’s easier to paint or stain ceiling molding before you install it.

Wrapping up, given the average cost to install ceiling tiles you can compare the price of a contractor’s bid with doing it yourself. 

Welcome! We hope you’ll find the job costs of home improvement projects useful when you’re deciding whether to do a job yourself vs. hire a contractor. We’re the authors of 20 home improvement books, most notably Home Improvement for Dummies©, Bathroom Remodeling for Dummies©, Carpentry for Dummies©, Plumbing for Dummies©, and Painting and Wallpapering for Dummies©. Our most recent book Fix It and Flip It is in its second edition. We’ve appeared as home improvement experts on television programs such as CNN, Dateline, the Today Show, HGTV and many others.