There are quite a collection of amazing home theaters. My wife and I have been studying them for some time (sort of lurking if you will). We plan on building a home theater.


We see many theaters that cover the breadth and depth of interior design and components that we would want (naturally our own decor and design but comparable). However, I have no idea if any of these are even feasible. It is like looking for a house and having no idea of the prices (non comps).

Anyhow, I was hoping some of you builders might post your build thread and what total costs were. I would rather opt for the do it yourself, but if the cost is reasonable I'd consider hiring a professional.

Thanks.

C.

I finished my whole basement (~1000 sq ft) and did my theater for around $30k. Of that amount, the majority was carpet, seating, millwork/doors, drywall, HVAC and the projector. I would say the theater portion was around $10k and the rest was just general basement finishing stuff. I did most of the work myself, except for HVAC, drywall, some plumbing and carpeting.

You can see the link to my build thread in my sig.

Excellent home theater. That is more along the lines of what we are looking for. We are NOT looking for the "over the top" which there are many on this forum. If I had the $$$, I'd consider one of that type. That helps me understand how much money roughly is spent for each area. We do wish to have nice equipment but 9k to 12k would make sense for us.

I'm scared to imagine how much it would have cost if you did not do most of the work yourself :(

Thank you very much!

That helps tremendously.

How many sq feet are you finishing ? What state is the area in now ?

I'm finishing about 920 square feet including the HT proper, a bathroom, a wet bar/kitchinette, and and undecided area to be included with the HT.

Doing everything myself except the drywall.

I'm scared to look at my folder of receipts....

Best advice would be to get some free estimates from various contractors. This way, at least you know where the ballpark figures are. Then you can decide whether it's worth your time or not to DIY. As another poster already stated it is really dependent upon how much square footage, desired specs and location. So getting the estimates would likely be much more helpful than what others (with different size areas and different locales) have paid.

Best advice would be to get some free estimates from various contractors.

and make sure they come with references ... when you start your build thread you will get lots of ideas that are not*normal* construction practice ( sound isolation, wiring for 5.1 or 7.1, conduits for future upgrades, stage, riser, false walls etc etc ) so maybe get the ideas going first so that you can have a more detailed specification as to what you want included in the quote

Hello,

I'm finishing about 800 sq. feet or so in the basement. It includes a theater, kitchenette/pub table area, and a kids media room.

Right now the kids area is 95% completed and the rest of the finished areas of the basement are drywalled and primed. I'm not sure the exact cost of the build to date, but I can get pretty close. Cost to this point including equipment, and carpet for the kids area is in the neighborhood of 14k with about that much again to finish off the rest of the basement. Total estimate for the entire basement build will be close to 30k.

The great thing about doing your own build is that you can be as frugal or frivolous as you want. If you have lurked here very long it doesn't take very long to see a wide range of build from the modest to the magnificent. One thing is for certain whether you spend 1k, 10k, or 100k on your build all of here will encourage you along the way and try to be as helpful as possible.

You can check my signature for the link to my thread if your interested.

Good luck and welcome to the madness.

Regards,

RTROSE

850 Feet.
We are in California.

Very good point. Thanks.

and make sure they come with references ... when you start your build thread you will get lots of ideas that are not*normal* construction practice ( sound isolation, wiring for 5.1 or 7.1, conduits for future upgrades, stage, riser, false walls etc etc ) so maybe get the ideas going first so that you can have a more detailed specification as to what you want included in the quote

Yeah, considering how much money I may spend references and portfolio will be thoroughly reviewed.

Remember that sound proofing measures are the first rather than the last technical detail when it comes to planning your space. Before any project you may need to modify the HVAC system.

Not many contractors are familiar with the sound isolation techniques that are discussed here. You should read the library of articles at Soundproofingcompany.com and in your interviews with contractors be able to test their knowledge.

A couple of points, stuffing insulation in walls and ceiling is not soundproofing, hanging a single 1/2 inch layer of drywall is not sound proofing, attaching wall framing directly to ceiling joists is not soundproofing, Connecting the theater room to same metal ductwork that connects with the rest of the house is not soundproofing

Finished about 800 sq ft in the basement, did everything myself except for carpet install. Did not do any soundproofing other than stuffing insulation (which is not actual soundproofing...). Total cost of basement was about CA$15K, lets say half of that to the HT. This does not include any equipment, which will be another $6500ish.

Also keep in mind that what you specifically plan to do and what you specifically start out with as a basement layout can make a huge impact on your cost. For example, two guys can end up with very similar theaters, but if one of them has to move a structural beam and support jacks to get clear space, it’s going to cost a lot more. Or if a person was to add a simple wet bar say, that cost (plus the possible cost of adding a drain) can skew the difference too.

I am just getting done with finishing a little over 600 sq ft (13.5x23’ theater, 13.5x13.5’ kid’s playroom, 6x11’ computer nook area and a closet) for somewhere around 5 to 7 k not including furniture or electronics. But I didn’t need to make any significant modifications to the basement and did all the work myself (my brother-in-law laid the carpet and we gave him about $300 for the effort.) I did add a relatively expensive drop ceiling, but didn’t add “fancy” soundproofing (just the good old insulation …that isn’t soundproofing…)

-Suntan

Remember that sound proofing measures are the first rather than the last technical detail when it comes to planning your space. Before any project you may need to modify the HVAC system.

Not many contractors are familiar with the sound isolation techniques that are discussed here. You should read the library of articles at Soundproofingcompany.com and in your interviews with contractors be able to test their knowledge.

A couple of points, stuffing insulation in walls and ceiling is not soundproofing, hanging a single 1/2 inch layer of drywall is not sound proofing, attaching wall framing directly to ceiling joists is not soundproofing, Connecting the theater room to same metal ductwork that connects with the rest of the house is not soundproofing


The site Soundproofingcompany.com is awesome. Wow, going to be quite a lot to digest. I wonder what percentage of most HT's is spent on the sound proofing materials when done right?

Finished about 800 sq ft in the basement, did everything myself except for carpet install. Did not do any soundproofing other than stuffing insulation (which is not actual soundproofing...). Total cost of basement was about CA$15K, lets say half of that to the HT. This does not include any equipment, which will be another $6500ish.


Do you any more recent photos of your HT. It looks good.

Also keep in mind that what you specifically plan to do and what you specifically start out with as a basement layout can make a huge impact on your cost. For example, two guys can end up with very similar theaters, but if one of them has to move a structural beam and support jacks to get clear space, it’s going to cost a lot more. Or if a person was to add a simple wet bar say, that cost (plus the possible cost of adding a drain) can skew the difference too.

I am just getting done with finishing a little over 600 sq ft (13.5x23’ theater, 13.5x13.5’ kid’s playroom, 6x11’ computer nook area and a closet) for somewhere around 5 to 7 k not including furniture or electronics. But I didn’t need to make any significant modifications to the basement and did all the work myself (my brother-in-law laid the carpet and we gave him about $300 for the effort.) I did add a relatively expensive drop ceiling, but didn’t add “fancy” soundproofing (just the good old insulation …that isn’t soundproofing…)

-Suntan

How much of a difference in sound quality I wonder is there with no sound-proofing. We don't have a basement so the HT would be in the family room. My wife's vision would be along the lines of an HT without the sound proofing thereby maintaining the room's original wall and ceiling. My vision is open to more invasive measures...but that would depend upon $$$.

At last look I was at around $6000 for about 700sq ft multipurpose room. I still have about another $2000 to spend on a bar, small bathroom remodel, and trim. Then about another $1500 on accessories such as posters, rugs, and random items.

The biggest thing for me is I am taking my sweet ass time to finish so the costs can be spread way out.

So this is existing finish space in a house? So, more tailoring to use than a raw build?

Post a floorplan.

How much of a difference in sound quality I wonder is there with no sound-proofing. We don't have a basement so the HT would be in the family room. My wife's vision would be along the lines of an HT without the sound proofing thereby maintaining the room's original wall and ceiling. My vision is open to more invasive measures...but that would depend upon $$$.

Sound quality isn't really affected by sound proofing. Sound-proofing is about keeping the theater noise in the theater and outside noises out of the theater. Sound quality is affected by acoustic treatments, bass traps, speaker placement, room dimensions and so on.

I so far am all DIY, 1100 sq ft. Just read QueenDVD2's thread if you want to see what you can be infor with hiring someone. I would be totally frustrated with trying to nail down whae a contractor will be there and actually getting them to work.

I will hire out my carpet, and my drywall finishing, otherwise I have done it all. I also will not go into debt, so 1 year in and I am just starting insulation. I got a quote on fireblocking and they wanted $1800. I did it for less than $200 in materials and a few weeks time.

Taking your time also gives you plenty of time to PLAN and RESEARCH so you do it right and can figure out how to do it yourself. this forum is a HUGE resource. View others threads and ask questions. We post our threads because others helped us, and we are hoping we are in turn able to help others.

mine is small, 12x15. and my total cost is around $15-17k with the majority of the $ went to the equipment. but it was a finished room to start with tho.

good luck.

mine is small, 12x15. and my total cost is around $15-17k with the majority of the $ went to the equipment. but it was a finished room to start with tho.

good luck.


Since you had a finished room, did you still do sound proofing?

Excellent home theater. That is more along the lines of what we are looking for. We are NOT looking for the "over the top" which there are many on this forum. If I had the $$$, I'd consider one of that type. That helps me understand how much money roughly is spent for each area. We do wish to have nice equipment but 9k to 12k would make sense for us.

I'm scared to imagine how much it would have cost if you did not do most of the work yourself :(

Thank you very much!

That helps tremendously.

The 10K is just for room construction materials. No way could it include the room, equipment and seating. I would say that the seating alone ran around $4,000. Starting from scratch you are looking at closer to $20,000 DIY for that room when you include equipment and seating.

I did about 1,000 sq ft; split between the HT, playroom, gym, and wine cellar. I started from bare cement walls and floor. Excluding the HT extras and wine cellar racks, it ran about $40-50 per sq foot. I did about half of the work myself. Hiring all professionals would run about 70-80 per sq foot. Those estimates are without doing all the full soundproofing.

Sound quality isn't really affected by sound proofing
Actually, the impact of outside noise, hvac noise, etc., can have a seriously adverse impact on sound quality. OTOH, if sound isolation will break the bank and prohibt building a HT, I'd vote for building the HT. The second one is always better than the first. :)

The 10K is just for room construction materials. No way could it include the room, equipment and seating. I would say that the seating alone ran around $4,000. Starting from scratch you are looking at closer to $20,000 DIY for that room when you include equipment and seating.

Actually the $10k was an estimate for theater specific construction materials and equipment. I figured most of the construction cost for the room was actually just normal basement finishing. I only associated extras with cost to the room. For example, Grafik Eye wouldn't have been needed if it wasn't a theater, but drywall would be needed.

Here's a rough breakdown of my costs for the room:

Low voltage cables: $140
Speaker wire: $235
Insulation for walls and ceilings: $200
Grafik Eye: $400
Integrity Gasket: $120 (cheap attempt at sound proofing)
Riser Construction: $335
Stage Construction: $160
False Wall: $50
Black Ceiling Paint: $85
Rack: $60
IS300: $340 (bass traps and acoustic panels [still working on acoustic panels])

Seating: $4720
DIY Screen: $350
Projector: $2350
Bass Shakers: $250
IR System: $85
Onkyo Receiver: $600
Emotiva surround speakers: $500 (for 2 pair)
Front speakers: $800

I already had the PS3, subwoofer and center channel, so I didn't add those costs

So now that I've actually added all of those up, I guess I'm closer to $12 for just that room, but I'll still stick with my approximately $30k budget for my whole basement. I was keeping really good track for a while, but eventually it just became too much work when I was going to get screws and a 2x4.

I can't really guess how much it would have been if I had hired somebody to do it all. I know my builder was going to charge me about 30K-40K for the basement finish, not including a home theater, so I know I saved a lot by doing most of the work myself.

Since you had a finished room, did you still do sound proofing?
no, I didn't.

Actually the $10k was an estimate for theater specific construction materials and equipment. I figured most of the construction cost for the room was actually just normal basement finishing. I only associated extras with cost to the room. For example, Grafik Eye wouldn't have been needed if it wasn't a theater, but drywall would be needed.

Here's a rough breakdown of my costs for the room:

Low voltage cables: $140
Speaker wire: $235
Insulation for walls and ceilings: $200
Grafik Eye: $400
Integrity Gasket: $120 (cheap attempt at sound proofing)
Riser Construction: $335
Stage Construction: $160
False Wall: $50
Black Ceiling Paint: $85
Rack: $60
IS300: $340 (bass traps and acoustic panels [still working on acoustic panels])

Seating: $4720
DIY Screen: $350
Projector: $2350
Bass Shakers: $250
IR System: $85
Onkyo Receiver: $600
Emotiva surround speakers: $500 (for 2 pair)
Front speakers: $800

I already had the PS3, subwoofer and center channel, so I didn't add those costs

So now that I've actually added all of those up, I guess I'm closer to $12 for just that room, but I'll still stick with my approximately $30k budget for my whole basement. I was keeping really good track for a while, but eventually it just became too much work when I was going to get screws and a 2x4.

I can't really guess how much it would have been if I had hired somebody to do it all. I know my builder was going to charge me about 30K-40K for the basement finish, not including a home theater, so I know I saved a lot by doing most of the work myself.

I am a contractor and you are leaving a lot of costs out of your total that were used in the HT room such as:
Framing lumber, drywall, corner bead, drywall tape, drywall mud, outlets, switches, elec. boxes, light fixtures, romex, conduit, paint, caulking, carpet, clips, screws, nails, doors, door frames, door hardware, trim, base, HVAC, stain and sealer. This is a quick list and I am sure that I have left out a few items. Just because you used these same items in other areas of your basement does not delete those costs from your build.

Using your reasoning. Anyone that is building a new house can complete the unfinished basement for practically free as long as they are doing the work them self since those same materials were used in the rest of the house.

Here's a rough breakdown of my costs for the room:


Rack: $60


.

How are you doing the rack? DIY? (actually looking at buying something right now which is why I am wondering

my livingroom theater was around $4000 with all equipment and materials. All work was done by my Wife and I

In CA

I am almost ready for drywall and with the estimates I got and the 'connections' I have for carpet, I'm looking at the $10k-$12k range for finishing about 600+ sq/ft. It includes two rooms total (den and theater) and a closet. I have done most of the work myself, however, drywall and carpet will be left to the pros. I'm going on a year now (I take months off at a time) and I'd like it to get done within the next few months.,

I already have the equipment, but I bought most of that at cost as I had a buddy that had a part time job at Ultimate Electronics. With the projector including the rest of my equipment, I'm probably anywhere from $6k-$10k on that alone.

My build can be found in my signature.

I am a contractor and you are leaving a lot of costs out of your total that were used in the HT room such as:
Framing lumber, drywall, corner bead, drywall tape, drywall mud, outlets, switches, elec. boxes, light fixtures, romex, conduit, paint, caulking, carpet, clips, screws, nails, doors, door frames, door hardware, trim, base, HVAC, stain and sealer. This is a quick list and I am sure that I have left out a few items. Just because you used these same items in other areas of your basement does not delete those costs from your build.

Using your reasoning. Anyone that is building a new house can complete the unfinished basement for practically free as long as they are doing the work them self since those same materials were used in the rest of the house.

I specifically said I didn't include those costs because they were part of the normal cost of finishing a basement. The $30k I spent includes all of those costs as well as the ~$12K of theater only costs. I was just trying to give the original poster a breakdown of theater related costs. I figured he would have a better understanding of how much the normal costs for finishing a space are. I think it is the HT related costs that most people don't know how to estimate.

How are you doing the rack? DIY? (actually looking at buying something right now which is why I am wondering

My rack is not in my room, it is hidden under the stairs, so I went with a cheap shelving system. It works great for me.

My DIY rack (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15879666#post15879666)

My small (11'-5 1/2" x 13'-5 1/2") upstairs (dedicated) room was an existing room and I went for the best sound and image that I could get on a tight budget. So I basically painted the whole room black. My costs:

DIY 12 sound panels and 4 bass traps $350. (I already owned the lumber for the frames)
Black paint for walls and ceiling $24. Floor was already black tile.
Projector $605. (Planar PD7130 Woot deal)
106" fixed frame screen $325.
Projector shelf $20. (I already had the lumber.)
wiring, cables and outlets for audio & video $230 from Monoprice. (Equipment is remote mounted.)
Three DIY 10" sealed powered subwoofers $320. NHT close out. Normally these drivers & amps would have cost about $800. (I already had the lumber.)
One DIY dual 10" passive subwoofer $60. NHT close out. (I already had the lumber.)
One 12" ported subwoofer with pro amp. $450. Shiva-X driver & Nady XA-1100 amp. (I already had the lumber.)
Five matched speakers. $595. RBH close out.
DIY rack $30. (I already had the lumber.)
AVR HArman Kardon AVR254 $162. HK close out on Ebay.
Behringer CX2310 active crossover $46. Ebay.
PHD NTSC, ATSC & QAM tuner $130.
6 channel Kenwood amp $0. It was being thrown out because one channel did not work.
HD DVD player $420. Purchased this back when HD DVD looked like it was going to make it.
Hot Link Pro $60. IR sensors for remote operation.
Larger HVAC boot & floor vent. $20. Larger duct was already in place.
Using existing couch $0

Total cost for my room $3,847.

No sound isolation for this room, but the 1/2" rubber tile on the floor does a surprisingly good job at keeping the sound from transferring through to the room below. Downstairs multi purpose room was purpose built and it is isolated very well except for the door due to looks.

You do not have to spend a fortune to have nice sound and image if that is what you are after and you can DIY. My downstairs room is a multi purpose room. I spent about 80K on the room (no equipment) and I did all of the work except for exterior framing, roof, drywall and wood floor. I spent three times more on the equipment alone for the downstairs room and yet when it comes to watching a movie, the downstairs room can not compete with the cheaper dedicated room. If you want a beautiful room that looks great with the lights on then yes you will spend more money, but a lot of the time making that room look great with the lights on hurts the image & sound when the lights are off. It is all about what compromises you can and can not live with.

Added:
One item that I did not include is HVAC zone control. I spent a $1,000 DIY to do my whole house. Since the HT is on the second floor with the bedrooms I have it on the same zone so I only had to install one damper $40. If I zoned the HT room separately I would have to buy another T-stat and by pass damper for about $120. I already have 6" flex duct, boot and vent. The boot and vent are the ones I removed when I replaced with a larger vent in the HT room. Second vent and by pass damper would be needed so that HVAC system is not restricted too much.

If building a dedicated room, cooling it had better be high on your list of priorities.

I specifically said I didn't include those costs because they were part of the normal cost of finishing a basement. The $30k I spent includes all of those costs as well as the ~$12K of theater only costs. I was just trying to give the original poster a breakdown of theater related costs. I figured he would have a better understanding of how much the normal costs for finishing a space are. I think it is the HT related costs that most people don't know how to estimate.

I think just the opposite. It is pretty easy to add up equipment costs for an HT. Then throw in a little money for wiring and devices. You can look at some body's equipment and price it out pretty easy, but you can't look at some body's room and price it out with out a take-off of materials.

My basement was completely unfinished and in the end it ran about $30K for everything including everything. You can see it in the walk through video in my signature. I GC'ed it and did many things myself. The room itself ran me about $13K including a crud load of extra electric. When I was getting quotes from GC's they wanted $35K to just do the basement alone.

Do you any more recent photos of your HT. It looks good.

Thanks.
Whats posted there is what it looks like today. Getting the PJ this week though, so there should be some more updates soon

I would say that as of right now I'm in for ~12K eqpt included. I've done everyhting save 1 plumbing job (300) and carpet myself. Its a full bath and theater for a rough total of 350 sq ft. I splurged on tile in the bath and carpet together thats nearly 25% of the budget so far.