How much would it cost to build a home theater in the basement?
It’s a thought that a lot of movie lovers and sports fans will be having at the moment as they hunker down to isolate themselves for an increasing number of weeks – maybe months. For some, sharing a movie theater or sports bar with the general public may become a thing of the past altogether.
Whether you have a huge pot of savings to draw upon or are concerned about spending too much money due to the uncertain state of the economy, it is handy to know just what is possible.
The Big Decision: Design Service or DIY?
There are two routes you can take when building your dream home movie theater. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty at all, and are happy to let someone else interpret your ideas, you can recruit one of the many home theater design services on the market. There is a lot of variation in quality and this is reflected in the range of prices you will come across. According to Audio Advice, the average cost of a design and installation service is $30,000 with a range spanning from $10,000 up to $50,000.
A good quality home theater design service will provide everything from equipment advice and electrical installation to soundproofing and riser construction. The most important task for you is to do your due diligence and research the company thoroughly, including looking through their design portfolio and, where possible, talking to former customers.
The other route you can take – and the one around which this guide is based – is doing everything yourself. This gives you complete creative control but you will have to be prepared to work hard and think outside of the box.
If you do decide to take the DIY path, you will need to budget for everything from soundproofing, flooring and wiring to the projector, screen and audio system you intend to use.
For convenience, we have provided three price guides for each element of the installation: a ‘good’ lead-in option, a ‘better’ mid-range option and a ‘best’ high-end option. The prices are summarized again in a table at the end of the guide and compared again with the professional rates quoted above.
For simplicity, we have imagined an 80 meter square basement (about 861 square feet). For some of the calculations below (e.g. soundproofing and flooring), you will have to adjust the figures if you have a larger or smaller room.
Although practical people tend to want to get working straight away, the more time you can spend on the design phase the better. One of the key decisions you will need to make from the start is what shape your room is going to be. The ideal theater has a ceiling which slopes downwards and walls which slope inwards towards the back of the room. This is known as the ultimate trapagon design.
It can also be a good idea to order some items of equipment (e.g. recliners, projection screen, speaker system, etc.) early. You can then place them in various arrangements in your future theater to compare reality to your paper drawings. This can help to highlight potential problems early in the design and installation process.
Good luck with your project!
SOUNDPROOFING
Most home theater builders are going to be converting a basement, spare room or some other room which is connected to their living space. To maintain harmony in the household, soundproofing is vital.
To understand how to properly soundproof a room (and therefore work out how much it is all going to cost) you need to have a basic understanding of the world of architectural acoustics.
When you soundproof a room you are trying to stop sound waves being transmitted through the ceiling joists or wall studs to the rooms beside or above.
Adding extra mass in the form of drywall sheets is the easiest and least expensive method of reducing some of the noise and can work if you are not going to be cranking the gain up to max capacity too often.
To calculate the amount of drywall you need, you will have to measure the area of your walls.
Taking our example 118 x 314in (861 square foot) room, we get the following figures:
2 x (118in x 314in) = 74,104 square inches
2 x (118in x 393in) = 92,748 square inches
Total = 166,852 square inches (1,159 square feet)
Using standard 4′ x 8′ drywall, you would need a maximum of 1,159 / 32 = 37 sheets.
Then there is the ceiling to think about. In our example 861 square foot room, this requires another 861 / 32 = 27 sheets.
64 sheets of standard drywall at an average of $15 adds up to $960.
However, if you want to really cut down on decibels, you should invest in some sound-engineered drywall from a company like QuietRock. At $40 per sheet, this will cost you $2,560 for the same quantities but an extra layer of viscoelastic compound adds damping to vastly reduce noise transmission.
However, the only way to stop those throaty bass frequencies traveling through the joists is to use the double framing technique. This will double the costs above as you are essentially building two walls separated by an air gap (this effective soundproofing method is called decoupling).
Whatever soundproofing method you use, you will need to budget an extra $100 or so for your framing and hardware materials.
How much will soundproofing cost?
Projector
Projector and screen or HDTV?
This guide focuses on a home theater with a projector and screen set-up. It is, of course, perfectly acceptable to build your theater around a flat screen TV, especially if you have a small room.
However, once you approach the 100 inch screen size mark, you will struggle to find a decent model below $2,000. You are therefore likely to be better off opting for a mid-range projector and screen arrangement for large home theaters.
If you are determined to opt for a TV, the LG 86UM8070PUA 86 inch Smart LED TV and soundbar is worth a look.
The type of projector you choose for your home theater set up will have a huge effect on the movie experience. With its cinema quality lens, sharp colors and superb contrast, the Epson 5050UB is one of the best projectors on the market. If you have over $3,000 available to spend, you can enjoy 4K resolution at 30 frames per second for a stunningly clear picture even on the largest screens. Even better, the 5050UB comes with an optional wireless HDMI transmitter. This means you can stream media from your mobile devices or a computer without needing to worry about finding lengthy cables.
For a mid-range alternative, you can’t go far wrong with the BenQ HT3550. Redesigned in 2019, this projector offers 4K resolution, factory-calibrated color and optimized light output for impressive contrast. Its short throw and optical zoom enables flexible placement in your theater, saving time and hassle when setting up. The main drawback of the HT3550 is its relatively low brightness, especially when using the enhanced color filters. This means you will have to take great care with ambient light control. Still, for around $1,500 it’s a great piece of kit. If you need to project in a relatively light room, the Optoma UHD40 may be a better bet. With its 2,400 lumen output and 4K UHD resolution, this HDR compatible projector is great value for its $1,000 price tag.
For low budget set ups, the stylish Kodak Luma 150 is lightweight and flexible, suitable for a wide range of wired and wireless inputs. You have the option of projecting from a microSD memory card, a flash drive or a computer or mobile device (over HDMI or WiFi). On the downside, the image resolution isn’t a patch on the projectors above and the low brightness limits its use to very dark home theater rooms. Nevertheless, at less than $250, the Luma 150 provides very good value for money. It also has an extremely compact form factor, sitting somewhere between a pico and palmtop projector in size.
How much will a projector cost?
Projector Screen
To make the most out of your projector, you have to install a good quality projector screen. Screens come in various shades of white and grey and can be retractable or fixed. Fixed, acoustically invisible projector screens can also be used to conceal speakers for the ultimate immersive movie experience.
Elite Screens Aeon CineGrey
- 120 inch screen has a lightweight ‘edge free’ design
- Provides an 180 degree viewing angle and a gain of 1.1 for a bright picture.
- Compatible with 4K, UHD and Active 3D projection.
- LED backlighting and a remote control kit
Elite Screens Spectrum 2
- 110 inch fiberglass-backed screen
- ready for plug ‘n’ play and has an installation kit for wall or ceiling mounting
- A tubular motor enables optional remote operation
Another decent projection screen at around the $200 to $250 mark is the STR-169120 Silver Ticket.
Akia 120
- 120 inch projector screen.
- Collapsible and portable screen can be fixed to many different surfaces using handy hook tabs.
At around $20, you can’t go far wrong!
What about Cinemascope projector screens?
With a projector and screen set up you are not limited to the standard HDTV 16:9 aspect ratio. If you purchase a Cinemascope projector screen you get to watch your movies in the ultra-wide cinematic 2.35:1 aspect ratio they are now designed for (no black bars!)
The Elite Screens Lunette Series offers a Cinemascope format with a curved shape for improved depth perception. This product is available for around $450.
How much will a projector screen cost?
Sound Systems
Next, let’s look at audio and how to ensure your home theater sounds as good as it looks. Most audio systems used in home theaters will use either a 5.1 or 7.1 set-up. The difference is the number of surround speakers in the array. A 5.1 speaker system includes one center speaker, one centre-left and one centre-right speaker, one left surround speaker, one right surround speaker and a sub-woofer. The 7.1 contains an extra pair of surround speakers.
Audio is so important to the home theater experience that you will probably need to spend at least $750 on your sound system. The award-winning 3010i Cinema Pack 5.1 from Q Acoustics is the best of the company’s 3000 series and a decent lead-in audio system. It can cost from $750 to $900 and consists of two Q 3010i surround speakers; two Q 3090i left and right channel speakers; a crisp and clear Q 3090Ci center speaker and a powerful Q 3060S subwoofer partnered with a high performance 200mm driver. Despite its compact size, the redesigned speaker cabinets of the 3010i are capable of cranking out a lot of volume compared to previous models. This is a system that packs a mean enough punch to wow most home theater audiences.
If you have the budget for something even better, the Elac Debut 2.0-5.1 Home Theater System, with its two floor-standing F6.2 speakers, is a great mid-range option for around $1,800. Elac’s flagship F6.2 floorstanders are flanked by a pair of B6.2 bookshelf speakers, a C6.2 center speaker and a Sub3010 subwoofer.
If you really want to push the boat out, consider the Monitor Audio Silver 500 AV12 system. This includes a pair of Silver 500 floorstanders with powerful long-throw C-CAM bass drivers capable of delivering bass frequencies down to 30 Hz. The 5.1 system also contains a pair of distinctive trapezoid Silver FX rear surrounds, a versatile C350 center speaker and a Silver W12 Subwoofer with 12-inch driver and 32-bit micro-controller. To get your hands on this kit, expect to pay around $3,500
How much will a sound system cost?
Home Theater Seating
If you’re determined to provide an unparalleled movie experience, the Octane Azure LHR series is highly recommended. With motorized lumbar support, headrest and recliner, the viewer can adjust their seating position for maximum comfort. A versatile accessory dock in each arm provides scope for a wide range of experience-enhancing features such as snack trays, reading lights, tablet holders and more. Upholstered in Italian Luxe Series leather and featuring an LED-lit baserail and drink holder, this seat oozes luxury and style. You should look to budget around $1,000 per chair.
The Octane Diesel XS950 is easier on the pocket but still offers a deluxe experience. Choose from various color options and enjoy the benefits of power recline, LED lighting and a handy accessory dock. All this for around $750 to $900 a chair.
If you are happy to dial down on the bells and whistles, you can still enjoy a luxury seating experience with the Octane Cloud XS850. All the essentials are included with bonded leather upholstery, manual recline and a versatile accessory dock. This product will normally cost you around $400 to $450 per chair.
How many seats do you need?
The total number of theater seats you need will depend upon the size of your room; the distance you need to leave between your screen and the first row; your chosen seating plan and the position of doors and other obstructions.
These figures will be the minimum and maximum seating distance so your rows should sit between these.
Looking at the specification of your chosen seating, you will be able to work out how many seats fit the space available. You must leave enough room between rows to allow for the viewer to fully recline their seat and you should also leave at least 22 inches (56cm) for your side or central walkways.
The following calculations are based on a home theater layout containing 12 seats.
How much will theater seating cost?
Flooring
Flooring should be a fundament consideration when designing a home theater. Some homeowners learn this the hard way when the sound quality of their top-of-the-range sound system proves disappointing. But even the best sound system will perform poorly if the acoustics of the room aren’t spot on. In many home theaters, the main culprit for poor sound quality is the surface of the floor.
Hard surfaces such as wood and laminate slow the decay of sound leading to unwanted reverberation so carpet is almost always the best flooring material for a home theater set-up. The fibers in a carpet absorb the sound waves, preventing them from bouncing around the room like a pinball.
In addition to the acoustic effects, carpet is warm, soft and evokes the authentic cinema ambience. Unless you are planning to restrict your home theater to family only, you will want a carpet that is durable and easy to maintain.
Although any flooring or carpet specialist will be able to help you out with your theater flooring needs, some home theater outlets supply a range of themed and classic carpets designed specifically for theaters. These might include vibrant fluorescent carpets which add a ‘wow’ factor to any movie hall.
The price of carpet tiles and underlay can vary from a few dollars each to over $10 for a high quality tile with acoustic underlay. Taking our example 80 meter square room, that works out at anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 plus for your carpet. Look out for special offers, including free delivery, to keep these numbers as low as possible. If you get a good deal, you might even want to consider carpeting part of the walls as well – the fewer hard surfaces the better!
Although a fully carpeted floor is preferable, rugs can also be used to improve the acoustics of your room. Again, make sure you go for practicality over luxury if you expect a lot of foot traffic (no sheepskin rugs!)
How much will a theater carpet cost?
Acoustic Panels
Soft surfaces like carpets and heavy curtains play an important role in absorbing excess sound waves, keeping your audio clean. Acoustic panels are a great way to improve your home theater sound even further.
The number of panels you need will depend on the size of your theater and how much of the walls you want to cover. For small rooms or partial coverage of a larger space, $300 worth of acoustic panels should be sufficient. If you have a large home theater and intend to cover every space with the highest performing acoustic panels, your bill could be upwards of $8,000.
There is a common misconception that acoustic panels also help with soundproofing. This is not the case; acoustic panels have only a minor dampening effect on frequencies traveling through the walls so they are no substitute for the ‘soundproofing by design’ approach detailed above.
How much do acoustic panels cost?
Wiring and Interconnects
The cost of wiring is easy to omit from your budget but you will need a fair amount of speaker cable at least for your audio-visual system. You might also want to add or upgrade interconnects.
What type of speaker wiring do you need? It is best to stick to a 12 or 14 gauge wire as anything thinner could affect the fidelity of your sound system, especially over a long 50m plus run. This is because thinner wires heat up faster and create more resistance. This can degrade the signal traveling between your amp and speakers.
To balance performance and price, a 100 foot drum of 14 gauge speaker wire should serve you well. Ugly supply a decent quality cable for $179 or you can pay $10 extra for a slightly thicker 12 gauge cable.
Interconnects (e.g. HDMI, VGA, USB cables etc.) come in a wide variety of prices but (we hear you ask) surely these are all included with your audio-visual equipment?
Yes – but even high end systems often ship with basic cables and there are often different connectivity options depending on the equipment you have. For example, if you have a jack for an optical cable on your CD player you can by-pass the native DAC and take full advantage of the DAC in your high end sound system.
Experienced AV professionals know that you can improve the performance of your home theater set up by investing in a few higher quality replacement interconnects. Cables with shielding against radio-frequency interference (RMI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) can enhance your signal. Braided copper guards are best against RMI with foil guards effective against EMI. Another defense against interference is to use optical cables as these transmit signals via pulses of light rather than electrons.
A good connection will reduce jitter so if any of your cables don’t have that satisfactory ‘click’, consider switching it out. Gold-plated connectors may seem ostentatious but they provide anti-corrosive properties, maintaining optimal performance for longer.
The choice is yours but if you do decide you want to spend a little extra to upgrade your interconnects, setting aside $50 to $100 should be sufficient.
If you prefer to hand the electrics over to a specialist, expect to pay anywhere from $250 to $900 (including initial consultation).
How much will wiring and cables cost?
Lighting Systems
Lighting doesn’t have to break the bank but the more features you add and the more time you spend on lighting design, the better experience your guests will have.
There are all manner of creative ideas when it comes to lighting. This might include bias lighting for backlighting your screen; remote controlled LED strip lighting for marking walkways and stunning neon and lazer light projections. These can usually be operated remotely, either via an RF-enabled remote control, a cell phone app or a voice activated home assistant. If you do decide you want to go large with your lighting, adjust your budget accordingly.
Otherwise a simple, multi-level lighting system combining overhead lighting, cove lighting and wall sconces can create an authentic movie theater atmospheric at a sensible price. If you have good carpentry skills (or are working with a designer), consider building in some decorative mounts for your sconces and cove lighting.
Many people opt for lighting systems that can be operated via Bluetooth using a mobile app. The Leviton DW6HD-1BZ Decora is a $30 smart app-controlled dimmer switch that can be wired into your lighting circuits. You can also control the lights with your voice if you have an Alexa device.
Lutron Caseta also supply a smart dimmer device for around $60. You will have to spend an additional $120 for a Smart Bridge to connect this device with Alexa. This device also works with Google Assistant and the Apple HomeKit smart home system.
If you have a different brand of smart home system installed, you should be able to find lighting products that integrate with that system. Check the manufacturer’s website or documentation for guidance.
How much will a lighting system cost?
Risers for Multi-Tiered Layouts
If you have a large space to play with, you are likely to want to include multiple rows of theater seats. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a floor that slopes up towards the rear of your home theater, you are going to need to raise the back rows so that people sitting there can see over the heads of those in front.
This means constructing some kind of platform, often termed a riser, for the back rows.
If you are hiring a home theater design service, you will, of course, factor this in to the overall build but for the DIY home theater builder this will require some carpentry work. Don’t worry! A basic riser should be well within the capabilities of most reasonably practical people. There are also plenty of YouTube videos out there that can help you.
Building a riser normally starts with constructing a foundation frames using treated timber. For extra security, it is a good idea to affix this frame to the wall. You can then add some lateral planks as reinforcing insulation supports and insert non-combustible mineral wool insulation underneath for soundproofing purposes.
The main platform can then be built on top of this foundation with a recess for a step if needed. The frame and joists won’t need to be treated as they are not going to be in contact with the substrate. You can then push in extra insulation between the joists before adding a subfloor made from a couple of layers of OSB or plywood. Using a subfloor adhesive in addition to screws will minimize the risk of squeaking.
The cost of your riser/s will obviously depend on the quality of the materials you use. For a basic platform, $150 should be sufficient but if you are using high quality woods and adding trims and embellishments, you should budget at least $250. Of course, this figure is assuming you are not paying any labor costs.
For the purpose of comparison, hiring a tradesperson to build you a riser is likely to cost between $300 and $450 including materials and labor.
How much will building a riser cost?
Additional Expenses
Props
Are you aiming for a specific theme? Whether you want to kit your basement out like the Starship Enterprise or design a mock football stadium, you are going to want to get in a few props. The great thing about a themed home movie theater is that it can become a fun hobby too as you scour the internet or street markets for fun pieces.
When it comes to props, there is no ballpark figure for cost – you can literally spend as little or as much as you want!
Soundproof door
The main entrance to a home theater can be a blind spot with some homeowners finding that they need to use curtains or drapes to block out light sources. A thin door can also affect soundproofing, leading to unwanted noise in adjoining rooms.
Replacing your existing door with a heavy office door (1 ¾ inch thick with a solid core and wood veneer) should solve the problem. If not, add some acoustic door seals and an automatic door bottom. This should all set you back around $200 at the most
Anomorphic lens
Fitting an anomorphic lens to your projector will enable you to get the full 1:25:1 movie theater experience on your standard widescreen display. They also mark you out as a real home movie pro! Anomorphic lenses tend to range from $60 to $250.
Popcorn machine
No movie experience can claim to be 100% authentic without the presence of popcorn. Ensure your guests enjoy an immersive experience by handing them boxes of hot popcorn served fresh from your own machine.
You can pick up a fairly decent popcorn maker for $50 or you can go the whole hog and spend $500 on a professional machine like the ones at your favorite movie theater.
Movie posters
Movie posters on the walls add another layer of authenticity to the movie theater experience and prints are easy to get hold of for a few dollars. For serious movie buffs, collectible movie posters often pop up for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Unframed posters are preferable. Glass frames can affect the sound quality of your movies (remember what we said about hard surfaces!)
How much will optional extras cost?
Home Theater Cost Calculator
The following home theater cost calculator gives you an ‘at a glance view’ of what it is likely to cost you to build your own budget (good), mid-range (better) or high-end (best) home movie theater.
The average cost of a third-party complete home theater design service is also illustrated for comparison purposes.
| Item | Good Option | Better Option | Best Option | Design Service Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Projector Screen |
$20.00 | $250.00 | $1,000.00 | |
Projector |
$240.00 | $1,500.00 | $3,400.00 | |
 Home Theater Seating |
$5,000.00 | $10,000.00 | $13,000.00 | |
 Flooring
|
$2,400.00 | $3,600.00 | $10,000.00 | |
 Acoustic Panels |
$300.00 | $4,500.00 | $8,000.00 | |
 Soundproofing |
$1,060.00 | $2,660.00 | $5,220.00 | |
 Wiring, Interconnects, etc |
$180.00 | $280.00 | $1,080.00 | |
 Lighting Systems |
$200.00 | $250.00 | $2,200.00 | |
 Sound Systems |
$750.00 | $1,800.00 | $3,500.00 | |
 Risers |
$0.00 | $150.00 | $250.00 | |
| Additional Expenses | $0.00 | $370.00 | $7,020.00 | |
| Totals | $10,150.00 | $25,360.00 | $54,670.00 | $10,000 - $50,000 |
As you can see, there is little difference in overall cost so if you want to sit back, relax and just call the shots, you won’t necessarily be paying over the odds for your brand new home theater.
However, if you are really on a shoestring budget, you can easily take your costs down below the $10,000 mark. For example, you could reduce the number of theater seats and acoustic panels and maybe use rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpets.
At the other end of the scale, $55,000.00 is really at the bottom end of the luxury home theater range. The upper end doesn’t really exist. For example, the Meridien 810 Reference Projector has a lens which takes six months to build and costs $100,000 on its own! An original War of the Worlds movie poster from 1953 is currently on sale for almost $50,000? How about a bespoke Star Wars themed air lock theater entrance, complete with dry ice vapor and installed by a professional set designer? It’s so easy to get carried away when the sky (or at least the size of your wallet) really is the limit…
Key Questions
- How much does a home theater cost?
- How much does a high-end home theater cost?
- Should I use a design service for my home theater?
- Should I DIY my home theater?
- What are my options for soundproofing a home theater?
- How much does home theater soundproofing cost?
- Should I use a projector of HDTV for my home theater?
- How much does a home theater projector cost?
- How much does a Cinemascope projector cost?
- How much does a projector screen for a home theater cost?
- How much does a sound system for a home theater cost?
- How much does home theater seating cost?
- How many seats will I need for my home theater?
- What are my flooring options for a home theater?
- How much does flooring for a home theater cost?
- Can I substitute acoustic panels for soundproofing?
- How much do acoustic panels for home theaters cost?
- What kind of wiring do I need for a home theater?
- How much does wiring for a home theater cost?
- What kind of lighting should I use in my home theater?
- How much does lighting for a home theater cost?
- Why should I use seat risers in my home theater?
- How much do home theater seating risers cost?
- What extra things should I get for my home theater?
- How do I calculate the cost of a home theater?
- How much does it cost to get my home theater setup?
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