
Home Theater Cost Guide
Updated: Jul 21, 2020
Choosing the right Space:
The biggest decision you'll need to make when deciding the home theater location is
where to build it. The best time to design a home theater is during your meeting with the
architect and General Contractor. It will save you hundreds of dollars during the wiring
phase and is preferred by most installers. If you build a home theater in an existing
home; you'll have some construction challenges and need to be creative when
retrofitting the room, additional devices will be needed to expand or extend existing
wiring and cable infrastructure and the aesthetics would not be as pleasing.
You are also limited to the size and function of your theater. Some of the benefits of
retrofitting an existing room include lower cost, fewer construction requirements, and a
good use of existing space. However, the room might not provide the ideal theater
layout, windows and doors could present a problem, and theater noise could become an
issue throughout the rest of the house. If space and your budget allows, you can also
consider building a new addition or use an unused space like a basement or garage.
If neither of those options is possible, identify an existing room that is large enough to
convert into a home theater. It should have room for seating, at least 8ft ceiling height
for a projector and access to pull wiring or enough in the budget to have the holes
needed to wire the room patched and repainted. The plan is to have all wires and most
devices hidden and controlled with a universal control system. While the components
are hidden away they also need to be in a place where they can be easily accessed or
changed in the future.
For new construction, be sure the room is large, free from windows but with good
ventilation, and that the walls are soundproof by starting with thick (at least 1 inch or
better) drywall. Double-wall construction can be used for audio baffles by creating a
dead space between two sheets of thick drywall separated by about 4 inches of space.
Floor electrical outlets and ambient lighting strips also should be built in. In addition,
wiring for speakers and lighting should be run throughout the room.
Theater Remodeling Cost
$4,400 - $45,000:
The average homeowner has spent between $11,000 to $30,000 Remodeling a new space taking into consideration the Labor, construction materials, and, if needed, permits for the new construction. Add in there luxury items like a wet bar, tier seating and upholstered walls the cost could sometimes exceed the average cost. Best thing to do is have someone help you through the process. Spending the time trying to figure all this out and miss a critical step in the design process can end up costing you more. Besides how much is your time worth?
● Large enough for the desired seating and with appropriate viewing distances to the screen
● Few doors (one is best, but two is safer)