How to Install a Drop Ceiling by Yourself in 10 Steps

Drop Ceiling in Kitchen
Project Overview
  • Total Time: 1 - 2 days
  • Yield: 16-foot by 16-foot (256 square feet) drop ceiling
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Estimated Cost: $950 to $1,000

Installing a drop ceiling adds a ceiling a few inches below open joists or a finished ceiling. Drop ceilings cover up and allow ready access to wires, pipes, and other essential services. They can even be used to cover up a popcorn ceiling without removing it.

You can install a drop ceiling with 2-foot-square tiles by yourself in a medium-sized room. The project takes about a day or two and costs less than $1,000.

What Is a Drop Ceiling?

A drop ceiling is built with a metal grid suspended on hanger wires. The drop is between 2-1/2 to 12 inches, creating a space.

Drop Ceiling Components

Drop or suspended ceilings consist of the drop ceiling grid and the ceiling tiles.

  • Drop ceiling grid: Drop ceiling grid kits contain long main support beams, shorter cross tees, wall moldings (side tracks), hangers, joist brackets, and fasteners like nails or screws.
  • Drop ceiling tiles: Ceiling tiles come in either 2-foot by 2-foot or 2-foot by 4-foot sizes. The size of the tile must correspond with the size specifications of the ceiling grid kit.

Tip

Drop ceiling grid kits come in set sizes, usually 64 square feet. Combine grid kits for larger ceilings or expand kits with individual components.

Closeup of person installing drop ceiling tiles

Angelov / Adobe Stock

Safety Considerations

Wear safety glasses and thick gloves when cutting metal components for the drop ceiling.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Bubble level
  • Chalk snap line
  • Drill
  • Hammer
  • Tape measure
  • Spring clamps
  • Utility knife
  • Safety glasses
  • Gloves
  • Step ladder
  • Rotary laser level (recommended)
  • Stud finder

Materials

  • Ceiling grid kit
  • Ceiling tiles
  • Painter's tape

Instructions

How to Install a Drop Ceiling

  1. Plan the Grid Orientation

    Measure the length of each wall and mark the center point of each wall. Plan for the grid's main support beams to run perpendicular to the joists of the ceiling above.

    Tip

    If installing on a finished drywall ceiling, run a stud finder slowly across the ceiling to learn the orientation of the joists.

  2. Determine Wall Molding Height

    Measure the height of the lowest protrusion on the ceiling. Add another 2-1/2 inches down (or per project specs) to arrive at the height of the ceiling. Mark this height on the wall. Turn on the rotary laser level and aim the line on the wall reference point. The laser will strike a line around the entire room perimeter.

    Tip

    If not using a rotary level, drive a nail in the wall at the desired height at one end of the wall. Drive another nail at the opposite end of the wall at the same height. Snap a chalk line between the two nails. Continue for the remaining walls.

  3. Install the Wall Moldings

    Find the location of the wall studs with the stud finder. Mark the center point of each stud. Attach the wall moldings to the wall at the stud locations, matching the level of the rotary laser line. Continue around the rest of the room. Cut wall moldings with the tin snips or with a hacksaw.

  4. Mark the Joists

    Drive a nail at each wall's center point marked earlier. The nails should be at the top of the wall, at the height of the joists. Run a chalk snap line across to the opposite end of the room, from one center point to the center point on the other side. Snap a line across the bottom of all of the joists. Repeat the process out from the center and continue marking parallel lines 2 feet apart from each other with the chalk snap line.

  5. Attach the Joist Brackets

    Attach each joist bracket to an attachment point, indicated by the snaplines marked earlier. Some brackets screw into the bottom of the joist. Other types are nailed to the side of the joist (the ceiling must be open for this).

  6. Attach the Hangers

    Insert hanger wires through the openings of the joist brackets. Make sure that the hooked end of each hanger wire is facing the floor.

    Place each wire about midway up; precise adjustment will come later. Excess wire at the top should be bent down, not cut. Hooked ends should be parallel to the joists.

  7. Attach the Center Support Beam

    Attach one of the support beams to the hanger wires running down the center of the room. Attach support beams end-to-end by snapping them together. Make sure that the ends of the center beam rest on top of the wall moldings.

    Tip

    The main support beams hang from the hanger wires and carry the weight of the ceiling tiles. The cross tees separate the ceiling tiles.

  8. Level the Main Support Beam

    Level the center support beam up or down along its entire length. Wire hangers may need to be twisted three times to hold them in place. Some easy-fit wires adjust up or down by squeezing the joist bracket together.

    Continue hanging and leveling the rest of the support beams. All beams must be level with each other and with the wall moldings.

  9. Attach the Cross Tees

    Snap cross tees between parallel rows of support beams. Start at the center and work outward for symmetry. Occasionally check for square. If an opening isn't square, usually a cross tee has not been snapped into the corresponding slot on the adjacent support beam.

    Tip

    Cross tees are 2-foot lengths and have tabs at each end. They should not be cut.

  10. Install the Ceiling Tiles

    Place the ceiling tiles in the grid. Starting near the center, lift a ceiling tile above the grid and insert it diagonally through one of the grid openings. Continue outward, installing full tiles. When you reach a border, measure the border opening with a tape measure and cut a ceiling tile to size with a utility knife.

FAQ
  • Can I install a drop ceiling myself?

    You can install a drop ceiling by yourself. It is a very doable DIY project as long as you have the right tools and materials.

  • How much does it cost to install a drop down ceiling?

    It costs about $3.50 to $4.50 per square foot to install a drop down ceiling. The grid kit portion is about $2 per square foot. Ceiling tiles start at around $2 per square foot. Premium tiles can drive the cost of the drop ceiling higher.

  • Is a drop ceiling cheaper than drywall?

    A drop ceiling is more expensive than a drywall ceiling. Estimate a drywall ceiling to cost about $160 for eight sheets of 5/8-inch drywall, plus another $40 to $60 for drywall tape and joint compound, for a total of $200 to $220 for a 16-foot by 16-foot ceiling. At $950 to $1,000 for a drop ceiling, the drop ceiling is about four times more expensive than the drywall ceiling.