Size your loft
The loft height is whatever is left between the unit below and the ceiling.
How this calculator works
- Loft height = finished ceiling height − height of the unit below. Use the finished ceiling, not the slab — a false ceiling or a cove takes the loft with it.
- Gross volume = width × depth × height, in cubic feet.
- Usable volume = gross × 0.60. Sixty per cent is the realistic packing efficiency for suitcases, bedding bags and boxes of irregular size.
- Capacity = usable ÷ 2.5 cu ft per medium suitcase.
- Shutter panels = ceiling(width ÷ maximum panel width), which is 3 ft for flap-up, 4 ft for sliding and 2.5 ft for side-hinged before the shutter sags.
- Cost = width × height × finish rate, priced on elevation area exactly as any other joinery.
| Ceiling height | Unit below | Loft height | Volume at 6 × 2 ft | Suitcases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 ft | 7 ft | 2 ft | 24 cu ft | ≈ 5 |
| 9 ft 6 in | 7 ft | 2.5 ft | 30 cu ft | ≈ 7 |
| 10 ft | 7 ft | 3 ft | 36 cu ft | ≈ 8 |
| 10 ft | 6 ft 6 in | 3.5 ft | 42 cu ft | ≈ 10 |
| 11 ft | 7 ft | 4 ft | 48 cu ft | ≈ 11 |
Dropping the wardrobe below from 7 ft to 6 ft 6 in adds 6 cubic feet of loft and takes one shelf out of the wardrobe. Whether that is a good trade depends entirely on whether you own more clothes or more suitcases.
Design and build under one accountable roof
Worked example — the default loft
| Step | Arithmetic | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Loft height | 10 − 7 | 3 ft |
| Gross volume | 6 × 2 × 3 | 36 cu ft |
| Usable at 60% | 36 × 0.6 | 21.6 cu ft |
| Medium suitcases | 21.6 ÷ 2.5 | ≈ 8 |
| Shutter panels, flap-up | ceiling(6 ÷ 3) | 2 panels |
| Elevation area | 6 × 3 | 18 sq ft |
| Laminate joinery | 18 × ₹1,950 | ₹35,100 |
| Loft bottom edge | 7 ft | 84 in from floor |
Getting the loft right
Three details separate a loft that gets used from one that becomes a place things disappear into. The first is lighting: a 3 ft deep, 6 ft wide dark box with a single ceiling light outside it is unsearchable. A strip of LED inside the loft, on a door switch, costs about ₹2,500 and transforms it. The second is a shelf: a single mid-height shelf across the loft doubles the number of things you can reach without unloading everything in front.
The third is the shutter type, and it matters more than people expect. A side-hinged loft shutter opens directly into your face while you are standing on a stool reaching up, which is both awkward and unsafe. A flap-up shutter on gas lifts holds itself above your head and out of the way. The gas lift adds about ₹1,800 per panel and it is the difference between a loft you open and one you do not.
On structure: a loft carcass is cantilevered off the wall and off the unit below, and it will be loaded with 60 to 100 kilograms of suitcases. It needs an 18 mm carcass, proper wall fixings into brick or a backing plate in drywall, and a mid-span support where the width exceeds 4 ft. A loft that sags at the centre after two years was built without one.
The three rates in the finish list are what Greenbox measured and billed for lofts built above wardrobes in homes it has handed over, held at October 2026. The geometry around them — packing efficiency, panel widths, reach — is from the same sites rather than from a catalogue. Treat the output as a planning figure: accurate enough to brief a landlord, a bank or a family, and not accurate enough to sign a contract against.
What this tool does not cover
- Beams and ducts above the loft, which frequently reduce the available height at one end.
- Internal lighting and its switching, about ₹2,500 per loft.
- Gas lifts and heavy-duty hardware, at ₹1,800 per flap-up panel.
- Wall fixings and backing plates where the wall behind is drywall rather than masonry.
- The unit below, which is priced separately — see the wardrobe cost calculator.
- For how much storage the household actually needs, use the storage needs calculator.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a loft store?+
A 6 × 2 × 3 ft loft holds 36 cubic feet gross, which in practice is about 21 cubic feet of usable space or eight medium suitcases. Packing efficiency around irregular objects is roughly 60%, and planning on the gross figure always disappoints.
How high should a loft be?+
Whatever is left between the unit below and the finished ceiling — usually 2 to 3 ft in a Mumbai flat. Below about 18 inches a loft holds only flat items; above 4 ft you would be better off making the wardrobe below taller.
What shutters are best for a loft?+
Flap-up on gas lifts. The open shutter stays above your head while you are reaching up, which a side-hinged shutter does not. Gas lifts add about ₹1,800 per panel and they are the difference between a loft you open and a loft you avoid.
Is loft storage worth the cost?+
Eighteen square feet of laminate loft at ₹1,950 is ₹35,100 for 36 cubic feet, or about ₹975 per cubic foot. On our audited rates that is roughly what the wardrobe below it costs per cubic foot — the loft is not cheaper joinery, it is simply the only way to buy storage in space you are already paying rent on. It is also the line most often missing from a quotation, so ask for it explicitly.
How much weight can a loft carry?+
Sixty to a hundred kilograms if it is built properly — an 18 mm carcass, real wall fixings into masonry or a backing plate, and a mid-span support wherever the width exceeds four feet. A loft that sags in the middle after two years was built without the support.