Is this going to look like a framed opening or just a beam hanging down? If a beam, I think it will look low.

Headers should be engineered based on the load and the width of the opening. Dimensional lumber results in a larger header. You can used an engineered product or steel and the header will be smaller.

Code required minimum height under a header or beam is 6'8". (80")

Thats the same height as a doorway opening.

If your headers are 12" below ceiling height, they will be 84"...slightly above door opening height and well above minimum.
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One way to reduce the header projection below the ceiling or to eliminate it altogether is to build what is called a 'blind header'.

A 'blind header' is built right up into the ceiling. Rather than support the joists under the ceiling, the joists are attached to it.

The result is a flush ceiling or a much less pronounced projection of the header below ceiling level.

See if it is possible for your builder to use this technique.

Thank you both so much for responding.

Sue36 - It will look like a beam, and there will be two intersecting each other. We had asked our contractor about using steel and he said that it flexes more than the engineered product. He is using an LVL-LAM beam (a double 2x12 that is spanning 12 feet.

Manhattan42 - I'm curious about the blind header. How does a blind header attach to the existing joist and still support the weight of the wall? Even if I could reduce these headers by six inches, it would be fantastic.

Are the headers going to be exposed and stained or drywalled and painted. We wanted to leave ours exposed, but there were too many restrictions, one of which was we needed a place to run ductwork. So here is how we disguised ours. I designed the whole ceiling of this room around the soffit needed for the ductwork.

Do you have any photos you can post?

I wanted to say a couple of things, all of them very generic.

You are indicating that your ceilings are 8 feet and that your header sticks down another foot, so a 12" header. A 12" header is a pretty standard size particularly when there is a second story above it. By standard I mean I'm not surprised to hear it's that large.

It's true that switching away from a standard wood beam to a gluelam would make the header small but not substantially so. You might gain an inch or so. You might need to switch up to a steel beam in order to get a 4" difference and a steel beam is an entirely different chicken. It will cost much more and usually needs to be okayed by an engineer before placement.

I wanted to point out that a blind header is necessarily more expensive than a standard header install. I can't tell you how MUCH more but definitely expect additional money to be involved.

Most headers hang down way further than expected. Good luck!

This is all very helpful. I'm still not sure what to think about our header. I think it will seem much lower than Houseful's (I can't be sure, but it looks like those ceilings are more than 8 feet high).

I think part of what is making our header look so low, is that he hasn't removed the double 2x4 header on the existing load bearing wall. So the double header is between the floor joist above and the new lam beam (12 inches) below. Shouldn't we be able to remove the double header and have the lam beam support the joists or is that necessary for some reason?

We have 8' ceilings and our header/beam was supposed to be 12" but turned out more like 15". I was upset when it was going in. Looked awful to me. And low. Seemed like we weren't going to get the open feel I thought we were paying for!

Well, all is done and it is great. Not really a huge visual obstacle at all and there is plenty of room to walk without threat of decapitation.

Here is a link that might be useful: my before and after pics

missmuffet, I think only the contractor on the job can tell you that. regarding whats possible, anything is possible, all it takes is time and money. there may be a good reason why he kept it there and did it that way, or it may be he thought it wasn't a problem.

I have a flush header in my remodeling project for both my living room and kitchen, not completed yet, we took out the upstairs floor in the remodel as well, so it was built from scratch. a 12' span and a 15' span.

Each has 2 pieces of 3/4 steel and 3 10" microlams sitting on 2 4x4s on each side. its an impressive piece to support the new second story. I guess the point of what I'm saying is, it takes a lot of steel and microlams to get rid of the dropped header. It would also take a lot more work than even what is done at my house to insert this into an already built house as things would still need to be supported.