On Jun 28, 4:09 pm, Brandon wrote:
I am finishing a basement and had planned on drop ceiling, but now I
am considering smooth if I can either frame out the ceiling myself or
have someone do it for a reasonable cost.

I have a 9ft ceiling, and need to frame out at around 7.5-8ft to get
below the ductworks/pipes etc. Some of it will be tray in the larger
rooms.

I framed the walls in my basement, so I am assuming doing the ceiling
is similar? But since it is over your head, there are probably
special considerations.

Don't forget that you can't close off access to mechanicals. All
electrical junction boxes must remain accessible, and you will also
need access to all water and gas shutoffs.

In addition, even if you still keep it legal by putting in access
doors to the required mechanicals, think about any future upgrades
that you may want to do, such as adding an outlet in the living room,
adding a new bathroom where you will need to run plumbing, etc. You
might turn a trivial job into a major problem if you drywall the
ceiling. If I ever ceilinged-in my basement, it would be a nightmare
for me to fix a lot of things that are easily accessible right now.

Ken