False ceiling work for offices and homes across Delhi NCR
We do ceilings mostly as part of a fit-out, alongside the partitions or the glazing, because that is when it makes sense: one team on site, one set-out, and the ceiling grid actually lines up with the partition heads instead of missing them by an inch.
Grid or gypsum, and when each is right
There are really only two systems worth using, and the choice is decided by whether anyone will ever need to get above the ceiling again. Everything else is finish.
Grid ceiling, for offices
A T-grid suspended on rods with tiles dropped into it. The reason every office uses it is access: your AC ducting, cabling and sprinkler runs sit above it, and an electrician can lift a tile and get to them without breaking anything. Lights and diffusers drop straight into the grid module.
- Tiles
- 595×595 or 600×600, mineral fibre or gypsum
- Grid
- GI T-sections, main runners at 1200mm
- Best for
- Offices, showrooms, clinics, retail
Gypsum board, for homes
GI framing with 12.5mm board screwed to it, joints taped and filled, then painted. You get a seamless surface with no visible grid, which is what a living room wants. Cove details, spot cut-outs and drops for curtain pelmets are all built into the framing stage.
- Board
- 12.5mm gypsum on GI sections at 450mm
- Finish
- Taped, jointed and painted, seamless
- Best for
- Living rooms, bedrooms, receptions, lobbies
Moisture-resistant board
The same gypsum system in a moisture-resistant board, for bathrooms, kitchens and covered balconies. Ordinary board in a Delhi bathroom will stain and then sag within a couple of monsoons, and by then the only fix is taking it down.
- Board
- Moisture-resistant, usually green faced
- Framing
- GI throughout, no timber battens
- Best for
- Bathrooms, kitchens, utility, balconies
Ceilings with partitions and services
Most of our ceiling work happens on a floor where we are already fitting partitions or glazing. Doing both means the ceiling grid is set out from the same datum as the partition heads, and the junction between them is a detail rather than an argument between two contractors.
- Sequence
- After ducting and cabling, before final paint
- Set-out
- Same datum as partitions and glazing
- Best for
- Full office fit-outs
Ceilings are usually quoted together with aluminium partitions or glass partitions on the same floor, which is where the set-out advantage comes from.
What people get wrong about false ceilings
POP is not the cheap option it looks like
Plaster of Paris over a mesh base is still common in Delhi and it is messy, slow to dry and prone to hairline cracking along the joints within a couple of years. Gypsum board on GI framing costs a little more, goes up dry and stays flat. We do not push POP and would rather explain why.
Height you will not get back
A gypsum ceiling takes about four inches off the room. A grid ceiling with ducting above it takes six to eight. In a flat with a nine-foot slab that is worth thinking about before you commit, particularly in a bedroom.
Why ceilings sag
Framing spaced too wide, board joints landing between supports instead of on them, timber battens instead of GI, or ordinary board used in a wet area. All four are avoidable at the framing stage and impossible to fix afterwards without taking it down.
Sequence with the other trades
The ceiling closes up everything above it. AC ducting, electrical, data and sprinkler work all have to be in and tested first, because the day after the boards go up is a bad time to find a missing cable run.
What it costs
Quoted on measurement
Priced per sq ft of ceiling area, and the figure moves a long way with the system and the tile. A plain grid ceiling in a standard mineral fibre tile is at the bottom. Gypsum with coves, drops and spot cut-outs is a different job in labour terms even though the area is the same. We measure and quote in writing.
Send sizes for a firm rate →What moves the number
GST extra. Electrical and AC work is by others unless it is in our scope in writing.
Ceilings we have installed
Ask for photos of work near you and we will send a set on WhatsApp.
Measurement and set-out
We measure the room and set a level datum right round it, then work out where the grid lines or the board joints will land. Doing that on paper first is what stops you ending up with a two-inch strip of tile along the most visible wall.
Framing
GI throughout, hung on rods at proper centres, levelled across the whole room rather than off the slab, because slabs are not level. No timber battens: they move with the humidity and the ceiling moves with them.
Boarding and finishing
Tiles dropped in and cut neatly to the perimeter, or boards screwed, taped, jointed and sanded ready for paint. Cut-outs for lights and diffusers made to the fitting, not roughly oversized and hidden behind a rim.
Questions we get on every false ceilings job
What is the false ceiling cost per sq ft in Delhi?
It depends on the system rather than the area alone. A plain grid ceiling in standard mineral fibre tile is the least expensive. Gypsum board with coves, drops and spot cut-outs costs more, because the labour goes up even where the square footage does not. We measure the room and give the figure in writing.
Grid ceiling or gypsum, which should I choose?
Grid, if anyone will ever need to get above the ceiling: offices, showrooms and clinics with ducting, cabling and sprinklers overhead. Gypsum, if you want a seamless painted surface with no visible joints, which is almost always what a home wants. In a full office fit-out we often use both, grid over the open floor and gypsum in reception.
Is gypsum better than POP?
For most jobs, yes. POP is applied wet, takes time to dry, makes a mess of the site and tends to develop hairline cracks along the joints within a couple of years. Gypsum board on GI framing goes up dry, stays flat and can be worked on the same week. It costs a little more and we would rather explain why than quote POP to win on price.
How much ceiling height will I lose?
About four inches for a gypsum ceiling. Six to eight inches for a grid ceiling with air-conditioning ducting running above it. In a flat with a nine-foot slab that is worth deciding deliberately, especially in bedrooms.
Can false ceiling be done in a bathroom or kitchen?
Yes, using a moisture-resistant board with GI framing throughout. Ordinary gypsum board in a Delhi bathroom will stain and then sag within a couple of monsoons, and at that point the only remedy is taking it down and starting again.
Do you do the electrical work as well?
No. We make the cut-outs to fit your light fittings and diffusers and we coordinate the sequence, but electrical, data and AC work is by others unless it is written into our scope. What we will do is make sure the ceiling does not go up before those trades are finished and tested.
Ceiling quote
Send the room sizes. We will measure and price it.
Approximate area per room is enough to start. Measurement is free anywhere in NCR, and if we are already quoting partitions or glazing on the same floor, tell us and the ceiling gets set out with them.