Budget for finishing basement

[mom2rose&john]

We are planning to finish our basement. Has anyone had their basement ceiling painted? I am trying to get a rough estimate on the cost of drop ceiling vs. painting. We have about 1200 square feet of ceiling to paint. TIA.

 

[KarenAylwood]

The cost of painting anything (interior, exterior, ceilings, etc) is going to vary greatly based on location, what's being painted and vendor. We had four quotes for painting five interior rooms of our home when we moved in about 18 months ago and they varied anywhere from $2200 (not including paint) to $900 including paint. I'd get some painters in to give you estimates. We get 3 minimum if we're having work done.

Also, when you say drop ceiling vs painting- what are you having painted? We have an unfinished basement and the entire ceiling is covered in beams which would create a LOT more surface area. Also keep in mind if you don't do a ceiling and just have the floor boards/beams you will hear a lot more noise coming from the basement as well.

 

[Anthony1971]

I would caution against painting the beams and bottom of your sub floor.. one it will not be easy as covering wood means it will need to primed with a good oil based primer than painted so a lot more work than just panting a ceiling. Two a person may think you are trying to hide something by painting it.. while yes explainable as to why but think water leaks and mold.. and likely you will not be happy with the results. A drop ceiling will add value to the house and project and in all honesty it is not that hard to do so long as you are good with even a cheap (10-20) laser level.. after this it is connect the pieces using a regular level to adjust the hander wires for the correct height on the main ceiling beams.. the rest is just drop in... yes it will take time and can be very dusty dealing with the ceiling tiles--make sure you use who ever does it moisture rated tiles.. most important this will give you access to any pipes without making a hole in a drywall ceiling. Neither option will be cheap to hire someone as one is a lot more labor the other is a lot more material. But as above labor varies greatly state by state and sometimes even area by area.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

As previous poster said, it varies greatly based on location. I moved from California to Georgia last summer. I was "used" to the high cost of everything in California, However, my sticker shock as reached new bounds. We were hoping to get some rooms painted before moving in: master bedroom, 3 bedrooms, 1 small bathroom, and a laundry room. It was $5000! No kidding. In our situation, everything is priced individually: crowning molding, ceiling, walls. No surprise, haven't gotten it all done yet.