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Home theater budget question

1K views 34 replies 18 participants last post by  doublewing11 
#1 ·
Hi all,


I'm saving to buy my first house and as part of that effort I am going to save enough to have a home theater professionally installed once I purchase the house. The problem I'm running into here is that I can't find any information about cost anywhere on the 'net to judge how much I need to save. I've been lurking here for years, and I thought maybe if I described my plans someone could give me rough advice?


Since I'll be buying a house rather than trying to retrofit an existing one I'm imagining that I will be able to install into a finished room, so I won't have to finish a basement or anything. To have numbers around the expected space I'll say 18' x 24'. What I'm expecting to do is...


-Build a wall to enclose the room
-Soundproofing, I'm expecting I would be using double drywall with greenstuff or something similar
-Wiring for both electricity and sound
-Again, for sake of estimating the worst case, run a heating/cooling duct in.
-The look I'm going for is traditional theater, so 2 to 4 columns with lights, carpeting, sound panels, rope lighting on the floor.
-Display would likely be a screen with projector, I'd like to go 110". It's unlikely I'd go LCD based on the research I've done here.
-Sound would be a 7.2 system
-Nice to have would be a concession stand built outside of the room.
-Two to three theater seats with buttkickers installed, so there'd need to be wiring run for those as well.


I can dig up the prices on the parts, it's the installation prices I can't estimate. Unfortunately, I'm a software guy, I don't have the skill to do the installation work myself (You do NOT want to see what happens when you leave me alone with a saw and wood!). I can save as much as $60k, but I'm wondering if that's overkill on my part or fair estimation for the work and equipment.


I know it's a bit of a weird question, just trying to get a handle on how much I need to save up to build a decent home theater, I really don't want to come up short or spend a lot of time saving to discover it isn't going to cost as much as I saved. Any help/advice is very greatly appreciated!
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Sounds like you have a pretty good budget to play with....I would give @BIGmouthinDC a PM once you have enough post to do that and see what he can do for you if I had a bigger budget I would of had him build my room. If you go through some of the build threads you can see his work like the white oaks cinema house and theater build. Your going to need someone who knows what there doing not just a guy to throw together a room and take your money with no HT experience. If that doesn't work out shop around your local Home Theater stores and see there work but just don't look at there best work with big price tag. You want to see work that's in your budget not 100K installs but maybe 50K installs ask what will they do from A to Z. Framing ,electrical, low voltage, automation, sound proofing, does the price come with the projector screen and so on. I can keep going but I hope someone else can shed further light on this. Mike
 
#3 · (Edited)
You will need every nickle of $60,000 if you have to hire everything out and buy all your equipment from scratch. . Too bad you have no confidence in your ability to work with your hands. you could easily save 40-50%. People who say they have no skill really have no confidence or experience. You can easily change both, take some local classes. How many years (decades) do you plan on being a homeowner? are you always going to rely on others.

If you want to spend $20,000 have a single layer of drywall hung, add carpet, hang a projector and a screen on the front wall. Use inwall/ wall mounted speakers. Invest in some medium price range electronics. Forget about columns, stage or riser. Move in a single row of seating pain the room dark and call it a theater.
 
#7 ·
You will need every nickle of $60,000 if you have to hire everything out and buy all your equipment from scratch. . Too bad you have no confidence in your ability to work with your hands. you could easily save 40-50%. People who say they have no skill really have no confidence or experience. You can easily change both, take some local classes. How many years (decades) do you plan on being a homeowner? Are you always going to rely on others?

If you want to spend $20,000 have a single layer of drywall hung, add carpet, hang a projector and a screen on the front wall. Use inwall/ wall mounted speakers. Invest in some medium price range electronics. Forget about columns, stage or riser. Move in a single row of seating paint the room dark and call it a theater.
BEST advice ever, on AVS! :)


Although I've seen a few higher end, more budget friendly, single row home theaters.
 
#4 ·
Thanks guys!


Yeah, I wish I were good enough to do the project myself, but it doesn't seem to be my gift. I've spent the last 4 years trying to build a MAME cabinet, every summer I had to redo it because of mistakes I made. Wiring up a modular control panel and setting up the software? No problem. Getting the cabinet and control panels cut to the right size, didn't go as well.


The bright side of the whole thing, I can build and install a HTPC with ease, installing all of the electronics I can do.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Hah! I would agree with that. Up until about 5 years ago I had never used a Skil saw. I was able to demo a room, redo some HVAC ductwork, re wire the electrical, convert a bay window into a book shelf, and build out an entire useable theater that I think is somewhat aesthetically pleasing. The internet can teach the basics. DIY is a priceless experience.

But, that being said, it's not for everybody. I've heard that Dennis Erskine can do very nice rooms for under $100K. @Nyall Mellor; has designed some pretty sexy stuff as well. I think Nyall will work with you on different kinds of speakers with his designs, whereas I've heard the Erskine Group likes dealing with equipment that only they are a dealer for. That may have changed but I'm pretty sure that was the case at one point in time. Big may correct me if I'm wrong on that point.

If you're looking for a turnkey deal, then I would look to the Erskine Group. It may also be slightly more than $60K but awfully convenient and this room will be done right, 100%. If you're feeling adventurous and think you can maybe chip in on some of the labor such as DIY'ing your speakers to save some money, and can find your own contractors, then Nyall at Acoustic Frontiers may be the ticket.
 
#9 ·
Im the same, im a computer guy, but so what, it isn't rocket science, it cant be that hard to nail some wood together and hang some sheets of dry wall?? can it?


where are you located? im hoping I can find fellow avs members around NOVA to help me out for beers and pizza - im sure others would lend you a hand?
 
#10 ·
Since I'll be buying a house rather than trying to retrofit an existing one I'm imagining that I will be able to install into a finished room, so I won't have to finish a basement or anything. To have numbers around the expected space I'll say 18' x 24'.
Buying or building? If you're buying, you'll be "retrofitting" any finished space (including anything set up as a 'media room' in new tract/spec home construction). But you're not going to find a 18x24' room ready to 'upgrade' to a theater. An unfinished basement with enough free area and ceiling height would be the best bet in a finished or non-custom home (if you're in an area with basements!).

I can dig up the prices on the parts, it's the installation prices I can't estimate. Unfortunately, I'm a software guy, I don't have the skill to do the installation work myself (You do NOT want to see what happens when you leave me alone with a saw and wood!). I can save as much as $60k, but I'm wondering if that's overkill on my part or fair estimation for the work and equipment.
You can learn to do any of the skills needed, if you have the time and inclination. There's nothing wrong with hiring out some or all of this - just know that in order to do a theater "right" takes some specialized knowledge. You can either gain that knowledge, or pay for it (and that expertise is not common). I did half of my theater - design, electrical, AV install; hired a builder for the framing, drywall, finish carpentry and paint...

I know it's a bit of a weird question, just trying to get a handle on how much I need to save up to build a decent home theater
It's not a weird question, just a hard one to answer. No different than "how much does a house (or car) cost?"... Just too many variables. The simplest answer, though, is - how much ya got? :D


Jeff
 
#11 ·
I always feel like you should budget for it like you would a car. If you think your next car might be a Maserati, you probably want a theater with a similar price tag - same for a Honda Civic. The difference, as highlighted by Big, is the potential savings of doing it yourself. The catch is knowing where to spend the money, IMO. Calibrating expectations for audio quality and sound isolation goes a long way to identifying your budget.
 
#12 · (Edited)
You have a lot more reading and research to do!:D

7.2 is so yesterday, especially for those lucky enough starting from scratch! Object audio is the latest crazy and IMHO, here to stay. Low volt wiring for Atmos/DTS:X would be at top of my list which would dictate looking at 10 ft ceilings or higher............lower ceilings are doable.

For a 24 X 18 ft room, 110" screen either wide or diagonal seems quite small. Two or three seats with butt kickers in a room that size seems waistful too for amount of room space.........maybe two rows of four seats? BTW, if you build on top of floating floor, definitely no need for butt kickers! ;)

Having a room rocked and then torn out is not cost nor work load effective. Would be nice to rough-in HVAC, electrical, and low volt wire leaving room unfinished........or better yet, hire a designer as suggested to plan construction. Designer fees at a minimum are cost of one piece of electronic equipment.......and well worth the added piece of mind.

I have detailed 90% of my cost breakdown for Phase I of my room but for some reason my iPhone will NOT let me attach link. I'm currently at my beach cottage and will post details later when I get home.

As a heads up, cost for Phase I was about $32,000 for materials only not including electrical/HVAC rough-in, Sheetrock and framing. Phase II with Knotty Alder soffit trim, ceiling cloud, acoustic treatments, low volt wiring was another $3600.

Detailed list of Phase I materials only.

Gives you an idea of DIY cost in materials................and sure, you can go either direction with budget.
 
#13 ·
Gyar, I'm like you -- I knew I had neither the skill nor the time to do the work myself. I had huge amounts of problems with the contractors and some self-inflicted wounds with local inspectors, but in the end it worked out. The end product was way better than anything I could have ever done myself, and you can always DIY the control system -- that's what I did with iRule. Jautor's comment about whether you will be buying or building a home is crucial -- it will dictate what kind of space you have.


I had built a home and specified to the architect that there was to be a 21' x 16' space in the basement for a theater with 10' ceilings and no ductwork going through it. That was before I had got on this forum and discovered the ins and outs and dos and don'ts. I wish I had specified another 5-6' in length because then it would have been exactly what I wanted. My initial budget for construction, electronics, and installation was $60K but I will confess I went way over that. Toward the end of the project,I just stopped caring about the budget and went all-out to make it work.
 
#14 ·
Hey thanks everyone!


I can buy or build, I'm in a financial position where either is an option. There likely is some stuff I'm able to do myself, setting up the A/V equipment is definitely in my skill set. Building does solve a lot of issues, I could probably get to the point where I could do the construction, but wiring is definitely something I'd need a professional for. If I build I can likely get those things taken care of as part of the process.


From there I can likely handle the bulk of the rest of the work. I hadn't thought of building before. Now I'm off to do more research!
 
#24 · (Edited)
i think you are on the right track here.. As stated by others, Do-It-Yourself has some huge advantages. For most of us the biggest advantage is budgetary. But there is also a huge reward in designing and building the room yourself. But, it's also good to know your limitations and there is nothing wrong with hiring out a few of the skill jobs so that you know they are done right (and to code, when needed).


Consider this game-plan:
1.) Spend some time on this forum reading the sticky thread about sound-proofing and decide how important that topic is to you.
2.) Then spend some time looking at other theaters (hundreds of threads on this forum) and get an idea in your head about what you want your space to look like and what features you desire.
3.) Take a crack at coming up with your own plan/design. Then ask for advice from the group. Here is an area where hiring out can be a huge advantage if you have the budget (search the forum here for design experts for hire)
4.) Learn about the different stages of build and important topics (again.. sound-proofing, electrical, HVAC.. important!!!, seating and risers, false walls or screen walls, columns, soffits)
5.) Buliding materials.. Learn what you need and decide if you want to accumulate it yourself
6.) Now that you have a general idea of what needs to be done to build the theater and all the complexities.. Decide what parts you want to do yourself and what you want to hire out for.

I think you'd be well served doing a hybrid of DIY and hired professional. Once you have an exact room picked out, consider hiring a pro to do the design. Then accumulate supplies. Then determine which stages you want to do yourself vs. what you want to pay for. I bet you could easily do the framing, sound-proofing clips/channel, double drywall with green glue, soffit construction, etc.. Consider hiring a pro to do electrical, HVAC, tape and mud and finish the drywall, and do any exposed finish work (trim, columns, exposed wood for soffits, bar, etc.

just a few thoughts for you..
 
#15 ·
If you're building, just be careful with what the builder might charge for some of the items you need. When I built about 10 years ago, my builder wanted $700 for each Cat5 and Coax jack. If you can leave the walls open and have good access to the wiring locations, you could probably cut that in half, or more.
 
#16 ·
I've been a computer guy my entire life. Never worked a construction job ever. I left Apple Computer after 7 years to take a year off to build a home theater. Actually I built an entire house around the theater. :) It's not difficult. Construction guys are not smarter than you, they just work harder. Building that house is the single greatest joy I've ever had and will probably never have a better sense of achievement. If money is no object feel free to throw that 60 grand into someone elses pocket, but for reference I built a 2400 sq ft home for about 100 grand. And this included the home theater.
 
#19 ·
Construction guys are not smarter than you, they just work harder.
Gonna partially disagree. You are right, they aren't necessarily smarter than any of us home theater nerds. They have a different skill set that they have learned, and probably began learning when they were young. As far as them working harder, c'mon.

My personal list of the laziest human beings on Earth by profession:

1. Musicians (Very self entitled, and I don't mean the ones that "make it". I mean the ones that suck and never move on from playing bowling alleys and their nephew's homecoming dance. They usually end up as an assistant manager at Spencer's or Hot Topic.)

2. Pipeline Welders (Slightly less self entitled than musicians but very nearly just as lazy. They work half a year and do tons of meth.)
3. Construction Guys (In order of laziness based on construction specialty)
a. Electricians
b. Drywallers and painters
c. Framers
d. Concrete guys
4. Strippers and Hooters Girls (Yes, even the ones that are "just putting themselves through school")
5. Career Bartenders (See #4 's explanation)

That list is in order from laziest (meaning they really would struggle working in a different career field because they only work when they feel like it or "it's the perfect gig") to, still very lazy, and sleeps until 1 in the afternoon most days. But they can usually do okay in a structured environment once they make the decision to settle down and stop snorting coke and boozing heavily.

Now, everyone of these career fields has it's outliers. There are very hardworking and honest contractors but not many. Pipeline welders and musicians are fairly hopeless but I'm sure once they get someone pregnant or get busted for meth or coke the second time, they usually try to settle down with the right woman and become productive. I probably could have grouped 4 and 5 together but they really are different in terms of laziness and many bartenders actually do finish school. Those that make #4 on the list rarely do.
 
#21 ·
Thank you. It was a great experience. Me and father, a retired truck driver, actually built us each a house, I also built an additional 1000 square foot garage, he built a 4000 sq ft shop, and then he built a smalller 1200 sq ft home that hebis renting out. The rental house was a pet project of his to see how cheaply he could build a house. Bought everything when it was cheap over the course of a couple years. We even poured the foundation on that one ourselves. He spent about 25 grand building that one and is now renting it out for 1200 a month. My only point is the more you do yourself yhe more youll save. And were not talking about small savings. My house appraised at 3 times what it cost to build.
 
#25 · (Edited)
This is a timely thread as I was just thinking about this. I actually bought a set of plans from DE back in 2000 or 2001 as part of a dream for a basement theater in my first home. Never happened. I did create a wonderful media family room using my DIY skills and this forum back in 2002. I still miss my huge screen even though I have a large plasma in my home now. I love feeling of accomplishment and the attention to detail in the work I do myself.

I now find myself in my mid 40s, in my second home, in the odd situation of having very limited free time (due to work) but I also now have means to add a home theater room to my house. Having popped into and out of this forum over the years I understand what is involved to design and build a proper HT room. I don't have the time to supervise contractor hacks working to a nice set of plans on a daily basis. I basically want to pay DE's guys to come in and do it right. I have two boys and my older son starts high school next year with the younger one close behind. I hear the clock ticking with the time I have left with my children in the home. We love watching movies together and I am getting bugged right now as I type this to watch "American Sniper" tonight as I just came out on iTunes.

I've just read in a post somewhere from Shawn (SierraMikeBravo) stating that of the many theaters he has done, only a few have gone over $100k. But the question is what part of the theater build was the $100k? Yes, I know, I will reach out to the Erskine group when ready but don't want to waste their time as my wife and I are still in the early evaluation phase of the idea to spend the considerable sum of money to do it right. I also understand that when we get to this level of expense, its typically not forum material to put up these numbers for the world to see.
 
#26 ·
I'm going through the process myself right now. I could write more, but I'll just say this: It's difficult to beat professionals at the job they do. If you're willing to trade time and frustration for a modest savings, go ahead. I'd rather not.

IME, cheap=wrong=frustration=redo=money=same cost as doing it right the first time.

YMMV
 
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