In short. Over the past three years, the dedicated theaters we have built have ranged from $35,000 to $1.5 million, with most near $150,000. Media rooms have ranged from $25,000 to $250,000, with most near $100,000. Lighting control, motorized shading and sales tax are separate.
Those figures come from our own work across Westchester, Fairfield County, New York City and the Hamptons, as reported to the Home Technology Association. They are wide for a reason. A cinema is a room before it is a system, and the room decides most of the cost.
A media room or a dedicated cinema
A media room is a family room that also shows films well. It is used in daylight, shares space with the rest of the house, and usually centers on a large display with sound built into the walls and ceiling.
A dedicated cinema is a room built for one purpose. It can go fully dark, it is separated from the rest of the house so sound stays in and noise stays out, and it is usually built around projection, rows of seating and treated walls. Most of the difference in price between the two is construction, not equipment.
What moves the number
- The room itself. Building a room from framing, isolating it from the bedrooms above, and quieting the air system cost more than fitting out a finished basement. In a new house, this is planned with the architect. In an existing house, it is planned around what is already there.
- Picture. A large display suits a room used in daylight. A projector and screen suit a room that can go dark. At Rooster Hill in Greenwich, a 15-seat cinema beneath a gold-leaf dome, we used Barco projection.
- Sound. The number of speakers, the immersive format and the amplification behind them. Rooster Hill uses Meridian.
- Seating. One row or three, risers, motion, fabric and leather. We are an Authorized CinemaTech Dealer, and seating is often where clients choose to spend.
- Acoustics and finish. Treatment that controls echo and bass, hidden behind fabric, wood or plaster chosen with the interior designer.
- Control. One touch to dim the lights, lower the shades and start the film. We build this on Savant, with Lutron lighting.
At the lower end of the range, the work is usually an existing room, a large display and a focused speaker layout. At the upper end, it is a purpose-built room, projection, a full immersive speaker system, custom seating and architectural finishes.
How long it takes
A dedicated cinema usually takes three to six months from first design to final calibration. In a new build, it follows the construction schedule, so it runs longer. A media room in an existing space can often be finished in a few weeks.
Where the budget does the most good
Plan early. Wiring, power, cooling and the equipment location cost little to plan during design and a great deal to change after the drywall is up. Treat the room before upgrading the equipment, because a well-treated room makes modest equipment sound better than the reverse. And leave room in the budget for calibration, which is the last step and the one most often skipped.
Recent cinemas
- Rooster Hill Cinema, Greenwich: 15 seats beneath a gold-leaf dome, Meridian sound, Barco projection.
- The Bermuda oceanfront estate theater
- The Rayva Origami theater
Planning a cinema? We would be glad to walk the room with you. See our home theater work.