Depends where you are. In FL it seems no one knows how to do a level 5 finished ceiling (what you're calling a flat ceiling), whereas in NY it's considered standard.

I assume your builder is talking about an orange peel look? We have orange peel on our ceilings and walls in our FL home and you'll really not notice it.

The discoloration argument doesn't even make sense, if your fireplace is sooty and smokey, the ceiling will be discolored regardless. Texture won't hide that. I would hate anything other than a flat ceiling. People who buy houses with textured ceilings often spend either a lot of time or money getting it removed which is a messy process. I would be quite concerned that he doesn't have subs who can properly do a flat ceiling...what else can't his subs do? Finally and most importantly...you were "adamant" about wanting a flat ceiling. This is the kind of thing that has the potential to bug you for a long time after I would try to find a way to make it work.

I wanted flat ceilings in our new house, and it was a lot of extra work. The underside of the trusses is anything but true. I had to cross-strap the entire ceiling, and shim all of the intersections to get a true flat plane. I'd hate to think what a builder would have charged for all of that. It does save some on the drywall work, though, as they have a lot less mudding to do.

Where we lived in FL, the ceilings were popcorn; a lot more texture than 'slightly stippled'. We considered removing this hideous stuff, until I looked at how wavy the ceilings were.

Mush is right; a truly flat ceiling is expensive.

JDS; no one does blueboard in my area, for instance. One of the things I found (once the internet became a big thing), is that building and finishes can be quite regional.

Texture isn't going to hide the crappy drywall installation either. The trusses should not be "telegraphing" through PERIOD. I had the Ryland homes brush stipple and it was a constant pain in the ass and hid NOTHING. I have had flat ceilings in one tract townhouse and one custom home. No problem.

Flat ceiling paint on a slight stipple on a surface over your head? I think you'll be find. Now move on to the next thing to obsess about (I know all about that-- there's always something waiting in the wings that needs to be worried about.)!

I battled royally with our builder over smooth ceilings and walls. He insisted that we would be unhappy with the finish if they weren't textured. I had to insist because the style of our house does not lend itself to textured walls and ceilings. In the end I simply explained to the drywall crew how we would like the finish to look and they seemed to enjoy making the effort to please us. They charged us no extra for the flat finish. We are very happy with the ceilings. They are flat and smooth. The walls on the other hand are not all absolutely perfect, but acceptable especially given the historical style of the house. They are definitely preferable, in our home, to a textured finish.

Thank you all. Our builder is awesome. I have nothing but praise for him thats why I was thrown a bit when he suggested a light stipple. I did visit a house that had it and it wasn't terrible. We have 9' and 12' ceilings so maybe you wouldn't even notice it. However I think ill stick to my guns and insist on flat finish.

All the million dollar+ homes I've built have had Level 4 finishes throughout, except for highlighted areas that were textured to hide the imperfections. But ceilings were never a problem unless you had uplighting.