[jbcardinals]

I want to put in a home theater with seats and a designated room. I only need one wall built. What will a budget of $15,000 get me, including labor?

 

[Anthony]

Too many variables in that question. Does that include equipment? Just construction?

Having one wall built, provided it does not affect a load bearing wall, or plumbing, or HVAC should not be that expensive. However, for code it will probably need wiring, so add in an electrician.

I can tell you this for sure: I wired up a projector, in wall wiring for the front speakers and subwoofer, rerouted signal wires, hung a projector, and wired in remote dimmers for about $4k. That did not include any of the equipment, painting, carpet, etc. I think my client spent $2k on the projector, $1k on the screen, $3k on the speakers, and $1k on the receiver and DVD player, and $1k on the subwoofer.

Also add in furniture and miscellaneous costs. This was for a room that was already drywalled and finished and mostly wired. The client bought new carpet and had some light drywall repair and painting.

So hopefully that helps a little bit.

 

[salvasol]

First of all ...Welcome to the forum :wave:.

I want to put in a home theater with seats and a designated room. I only need one wall built. What will a budget of $15,000 get me, including labor?

I agree with Anthony ...we need a litlle more information to give you better suggestions; budget is probably right depending on what you want to accomplish; Do you have any equipment that you can use or Are you buying everything from scratch??? ...Are you willing to do some work yourself??? ...How is the room right now??? ...Does it have carpet, drywall, power outlets, etc.??? ...A couple of pictures will help too :yes:

 

[jbcardinals]

The space is already carpeted and dry-walled. In my budget I need to include one riser, a fairly large LCD TV (80" would be the largest), a surround sound system, One wall and door constructed to close off the space, a remote control system, theater seating for 6 (if budget permits), and what ever you, as professionals, think I would need.

*****All with professional installation*****

NO PAINTING NEEDED

Outlets are already there.

 

[bpape]

Still a lot of variables.

A wall with a door and a riser could be $500 or $5000 depending on where you live, cost of carpet to match what you already have for the riser, any foot lighting for the riser, etc.

6 recliners can be anywhere from about $2400 to $9k depending on options, finish, brand, etc.

For the sake of argument, let's say $2k for the room improvements and $3.5k for seating. That leaves us approx $9.5k for equipment

Large flatscreen of good quality will eat over half of that so maybe $4k for the audio side.

$1k for a good sub, $1.5k for decent 7 speakers, $800-$1k for a receiver, $500 for DVD player and you're about done with the budget.

Bryan

 

[Anthony]

I agree with Bryan on the budget breakout. Just make sure you draw it all up and plan on a few overages. My last client spent so much on the speakers and projector, he didn't have money for the sofas. :rolleyesno:

If you are planning on going that large for the screen, you may want to consider a projector. I'm not sure where the break even point is for the size, but I know that's getting pretty close (FP vs. rear proj.)

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[jbcardinals]

Ok, Thanks for your help. I'll probably call someone after the first of the year to come give me a quote and time line. I'm assuming that they aren't too busy now due to the economy. And kind of hoping for a price break for the same reason.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[salvasol]

Any reason you want to hire a professional??? ...you can use that money in your HT (I'm sure we're talking around 2-3K).

Where do you live??? ...maybe one of the members can give you a hand if you want to DIY, is not that hard, we can give you tip to install everything.

You can hire a couple of guys to do the wall and maybe the riser ...:yes:

Wherever you decide, keep us posted ...and ask anything.


P.S.: I agree with Anthony, instead of an 80" LCD you can get a front projector and screen (probably more than 100" for the same price).

 

[jbcardinals]

I need a professional because I'm still recovering from throwing out my back and I never want to risk doing that again. I also work a lot so this would have to be a weekend project. I don't want to do that because I want it done quickly because in about two and half years my son will be out of the house; I want him and his friends to get the most use out of it as possible.

I live in Saratoga Springs, NY. (about 45 minutes north of Albany)

I'll probably go with just a 72" TV because I don't want anything too big. (The space is only 16.5 feet from the back seats to the screen.)

 

[jbcardinals]

Another Question:

When choosing an installation company; Do you suggest going with a large Home Theater company or an independant worker who has done home theaters before?

 

[Anthony]

Well, as an independent worker that installs home theaters, I'm biased

But I have heard horror stories from the big companies. One included a Tweeter guy falling through the ceiling onto the master bed while running wires in an attic. Yikes.

There are a lot of companies that do great install work, though. Around here (Virginia) a place called Audio Buys has done good work on many scales and they are a pretty big company (for a local place).

In the end, it depends on how much you need done. I only have a business license (not a contractor), which means I can only do handyman work and low voltage electrical. If a job requires a permit, major electrical, or any HVAC/plumbing, I have to refer it out. Mostly I do setup, calibration, consulting, and minor install work (hanging flat screens, running signal wires to a projector, etc). I had one guy talk to me about a $120,000 add on to his house that was going to be the theater. While tempting, that was WAAAY out of my league, so I had to pass. He used a GC who had done theaters before and the end product was great.

Unless you know some people who have had good luck with your local stores, I would stay away from Tweeter, Geek Squad, or any of the big-box installer services. No matter what you do, it's a good idea to ask for references and follow up on them, even for simple stuff like painters and drywallers.

Good luck.