Vaulted ceilings have been a big trend in the home construction world, and it’s easy to see why — with high ceilings that sweep upwards, meeting either at an angle (known as cathedral ceilings) or at a curve (called cove ceilings), they bring natural light into your living area in a way no other home design trend truly can match.

Often, people who are looking into building a custom home have questions about whether or not vaulted ceilings are just a huge added cost without a lot of benefit in return.

Does it cost more to have vaulted ceilings in new construction? Let’s take a look.

What Are the Added Costs of Vaulted Ceilings?

First off, there will be higher costs during construction. Installing vaulted ceilings will involve increasing the square footage of your roof, which makes your new home’s roof cost a bit more during the building process. You may also need to install special insulation, custom-built beams to help manage the weight, and non-standard framing material.

While the end cost is heavily dependent on where you build and the unique design of your home, vaulted ceilings do cost more to build than the usual shorter ceilings.

You’ll need a plan to mitigate higher heating and cooling costs. The simple truth is that vaulted ceilings make a room more expensive to heat. The actual living space in your living room may still feel chilly long after the warm air has risen to the ceiling, leading your home heating system to run longer than it would need to otherwise.

Some of these extra costs can be offset long-term by focusing on insulation and installing a large industrial-style ceiling fan to keep air moving efficiently all year long.

Painting for the walls and ceiling will be higher-cost, too. Simply put, with higher walls comes more time and resources invested in getting an even, professional paint job from top to bottom. However, paying for professional painters lowers the risk of injury, since they will have access to taller ladders and experience with painting rooms with vaulted ceilings in the past.

What Are the Benefits of a Vaulted Ceiling?

Strong aesthetics and natural light let you make the most of any outside view. High vaulted ceilings lend a dignified ambiance, along with a sense of space and light that lower ceilings just can’t match. They also allow for larger windows, so your view is magnified and emphasized. If you’re building a house on Paris Mountain and you’ve realized you can see nearly the whole way to the North Carolina state line, vaulted ceilings with high windows may help you to truly enjoy the gorgeous mountains you wake up to every single morning.

Vaulted ceilings can give a sense of increased space—even in smaller homes. When your chosen floor plan’s square footage is on the smaller side, you may be worried about your home feeling cramped and closed in. Vaulted ceilings create a sense of wide open spaces even in smaller living rooms. You’ll feel like the room is far larger than it truly is, which can help combat an otherwise smaller space.

Situated properly, that vaulted ceiling can provide plenty of warmth, even in winter. With plenty of natural light pouring in large windows, your home will feel bright and airy. You’ll be able to make the most of winter’s weaker sunshine, while also letting in all the warmth and heat. We’ve even found that clients could go most of the day without turning on a single light, because the outside sunshine was more than enough.

The Choice is Yours. We’re Here to Help Bring Your Dream to Life.

Whether or not to go with vaulted ceilings for your custom home construction in Greenville, SC is totally up to you. If it’s a part of your ideal vision for your dream house, it’s worth the added installation costs during the building process. Either way, our Design Team would be happy to sit down with you to talk over the pros and cons in person before you have to make your final choice.

To get started building your dream home in Upstate South Carolina, give us a call and speak with a builder for free today at (864) 303-9143 or contact us online at any time.