CEILING Function (Functions in Excel)

Number	Raised Up
2.1	3	=CEILING(C4,1)
1.5	2	=CEILING(C5,1)
1.9	2	=CEILING(C6,1)
20	30	=CEILING(C7,30)
25	30	=CEILING(C8,30)
40	60	=CEILING(C9,30)

What Does It Do ?

This function rounds a number up to the nearest multiple specified by the user.

Syntax

=CEILING(ValueToRound,MultipleToRoundUpTo)

The ValueToRound can be a cell address or a calculation.

Formatting

No special formatting is needed.

Example 1

The following table was used by a estate agent renting holiday apartments.

The properties being rented are only available on a weekly basis.

When the customer supplies the number of days required in the property the =CEILING()

function rounds it up by a multiple of 7 to calculate the number of full weeks to be billed.

	Days Required	Days To Be Billed
Customer 1	3	7	=CEILING(D28,7)
Customer 2	4	7	=CEILING(D29,7)
Customer 3	10	14	=CEILING(D30,7)

Example 2

The following table was used by a builders merchant delivering products to a construction site.

The merchant needs to hire trucks to move each product.

Each product needs a particular type of truck of a fixed capacity.

Table 1 calculates the number of trucks required by dividing the Units To Be Moved by

the Capacity of the truck.

This results of the division are not whole numbers, and the builder cannot hire just part

of a truck.

Table 1
Item	Units To Be Moved	Truck Capacity	Trucks Needed
Bricks	1000	300	3.33	=D45/E45
Wood	5000	600	8.33	=D46/E46
Cement	2000	350	5.71	=D47/E47

Table 2 shows how the =CEILING() function has been used to round up the result of

the division to a whole number, and thus given the exact amount of trucks needed.

Table 2
Item	Units To Be Moved	Truck Capacity	Trucks Needed
Bricks	1000	300	4	=CEILING(D54/E54,1)
Wood	5000	600	9	=CEILING(D55/E55,1)
Cement	2000	350	6	=CEILING(D56/E56,1)

Example 3

The following tables were used by a shopkeeper to calculate the selling price of an item.

The shopkeeper buys products by the box.

The cost of the item is calculated by dividing the Box Cost by the Box Quantity.

The shopkeeper always wants the price to end in 99 pence.

Table 1 shows how just a normal division results in varying Item Costs.

Table 1
Item	Box Qnty	Box Cost	Cost Per Item
Plugs	11	£20	1.81818	=D69/C69
Sockets	7	£18.25	2.60714	=D70/C70
Junctions	5	£28.10	5.62000	=D71/C71
Adapters	16	£28	1.75000	=D72/C72

Table 2 shows how the =CEILING() function has been used to raise the Item Cost to always end in 99 pence.

Table 2
Item	In Box			Box Cost		Cost Per Item	Raised Cost
Plugs	11			£20		1.81818	1.99
Sockets	7			£18.25		2.60714	2.99
Junctions	5			£28.10		5.62000	5.99
Adapters	16			£28		1.75000	1.99
							=INT(E83)+CEILING(MOD(E83,1),0.99)
Explanation
=INT(E83)					Calculates the integer part of the price.
=MOD(E83,1)					Calculates the decimal part of the price.
=CEILING(MOD(E83),0.99)					Raises the decimal to 0.99

Related Posts by Categories