Signature Spaces
A dedicated home theater costs about $75,000 at entry level, $150,000 to $275,000 at mid level and $350,000 to $500,000 at luxury level (Beyond Audio, June 2026). Room construction runs $100 to $250 per sq ft before equipment (ListenUp, July 2026). Volcano Builders builds the room: sound isolation, riser, power, quiet HVAC, millwork and finishes. A partner AV integrator supplies and calibrates the equipment. Our media lounges start at $50K+ and dedicated theaters at $100K+.
By appointment. Limited start dates.
See starting pricesHome theater design starts with the room. We plan and build it in four configurations.
A family room, bonus room or finished lower level with a large screen, Dolby Atmos speakers in the walls and ceiling, and seating for daily use. The room keeps its windows, with motorized shades.
Starting at $50K+
In an existing finished room. Unfinished basements price as a basement finish plus the media package.
A closed room of 200 to 400 sq ft with isolated walls and ceiling, two rows on a riser, a projector and an acoustically transparent screen.
Starting at $100K+
A dedicated theater plus a lounge or bar, a powder room and a vented equipment room, finished as one level of the house.
Starting at $220K+
A theater or suite built as new floor area, with ceiling height, room proportions and door placement set before framing.
Priced by consultation
See home addition pricingWe build the room. An AV integrator supplies, installs and calibrates the equipment.
Integrators advise joining "before framing begins" (ListenUp, July 2026), because speaker positions, conduit, rack heat and screen size all set where walls, circuits and ducts go.
Our media lounges start at $50K+, dedicated theaters at $100K+ and lower-level entertainment suites at $220K+.
Starting prices include construction, project management, the AV integrator's equipment package and a standard finish material allowance for each tier.
The configuration sets which rooms we build. The tier sets the scope, the equipment and the finish inside them.
Starting at $50K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
Starting at $85K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
Starting at $150K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
Starting at $225K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
In a media lounge (A), the room keeps its windows, so blackout becomes motorized shades and seating can be sofas.
Starting at $100K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
Starting at $185K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
Starting at $325K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
Starting at $500K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
Starting at $220K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
Starting at $325K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
Starting at $500K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
Starting at $750K+
Includes a standard material allowance. Upgrades are priced from your selections.
In a lower-level suite (C), each tier also includes the matching tier of our lower-level basement suite for the rest of the level.
Theater addition By consultation. See home addition pricing
Not included in starting prices: Design fees · City permit fees · WA sales tax · Appliances you buy · Finish upgrades beyond the allowance. We price these in writing if your project needs them.
Lowering a basement slab (a dig-out) or moving bearing walls and beams, quoted after an engineer's review. Panel upgrades, priced after a load calculation. Loose furniture, art and rugs. Streaming, movie server titles and other content subscriptions. Equipment service after the integrator's warranty: our warranty covers the room build.
We started from published 2026 market costs, then added the room we build around the equipment: isolation, riser, power, air and finishes. Dedicated theaters (B) sit inside the market's mid band at Mid-Range because the room is in the price. Lower-level suites (C) start from our approved lower-level basement suite tiers ($140K+ to $325K+) plus the theater.
| Market figure | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated theater, entry level | From about $75,000 | Beyond Audio, Jun 2026 |
| Dedicated theater, mid level | $150,000 to $275,000 | Beyond Audio, Jun 2026 |
| Dedicated theater, luxury level | $350,000 to $500,000 | Beyond Audio, Jun 2026 |
| Theater construction and finishing, before AV | $100 to $250 per sq ft | ListenUp, Jul 2026 |
| Media room, typical cost range | $8,000 to $30,000 | ListenUp, Jul 2026 |
| 4K laser projector with a 135 in screen | $25,000 to $45,000 | Beyond Audio, Jun 2026 |
| Seattle basement with family room and bath, design-build | From about $200,000 | CRD Design Build, Mar 2026 |
Prices checked October 2026. Sources: Beyond Audio, ListenUp, CRD Design Build (links in Sources below).
Book a consultation. We walk the space with you and price it in writing.
This Seattle basement shows the framing, wiring, recessed lighting and finish work our crews deliver.
A theater is built to code sections and published layout guides, and each one sets a dimension, a circuit or a material on the drawings.
| Item | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Room, one row | 10 x 12 ft practical minimum; 12 x 16 to 14 x 18 ft target | Block Renovation, Aug 2026 |
| Room, two rows | About 15 x 20 ft; 16 x 22 ft or larger for 8 or more seats | Block Renovation, Aug 2026 |
| Proportions | Height 1, width 1.6, length 2.3 (example 9 x 14.4 x 20.7 ft); avoid square rooms | Seatcraft, May 2026 |
| Ceiling, design | An 8 ft finished ceiling is workable for many home theaters (Block Renovation); a 9 ft ceiling leaves about 8 ft over a 12 in riser (Seatcraft) | Block Renovation, Aug 2026; Seatcraft, May 2026 |
| Ceiling, code | Habitable rooms 7 ft; basement beams and ducts may project down to 6 ft 4 in | 2021 SRC R305.1 |
| Seat distance, 120 in screen | Front row 11 to 13 ft; second row 16 to 18 ft | Seatcraft, May 2026 |
| Listener to wall | More than 20 in from head to the nearest wall | Block Renovation, Aug 2026 |
| Overhead speakers | About 45 degrees above the seat for 7.1.4, within 30 to 55 degrees | Block Renovation, Aug 2026 |
| Riser steps | Each step 7 3/4 in max; a handrail 34 to 38 in high at 4 or more risers | 2021 SRC R311.7.5.1, R311.7.8 |
| Guards | Required where a walking surface is more than 30 in above the floor below; 36 in high | 2021 SRC R312.1 |
| Acoustic finishes | Fabric and panels on walls and ceilings: flame spread 200 max, smoke developed 450 max | 2021 SRC R302.9 |
| Insulation | Flame spread 25 max, smoke developed 450 max | 2021 SRC R302.10.1 |
| Fireblocking | At soffits, drop ceilings and cove ceilings, and around wire and duct penetrations | 2021 SRC R302.11 |
| Power | Dedicated AV circuits, $800 to $2,500; circuit count set by the integrator's equipment list | ListenUp, Jul 2026 |
| Quiet air | HVAC noise mitigation $2,000 to $8,000; equipment ventilation $1,500 to $5,000 | ListenUp, Jul 2026 |
| Floor load | 40 psf design live load in living areas | 2021 SRC Table R301.5 |
A theater with new walls, circuits or ducts needs permits in Seattle, Bellevue and the cities listed below. We prepare the drawings and our expediter submits the permit documents. City permit fees are the owner's cost.
| Phase | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Permit, Bellevue | About 3 weeks with plan review | City of Bellevue, Jan 2025 |
| Permit, Seattle | Goal 30 days; 75th percentile 64 days in City control for single family alterations | SDCI, goals as of Oct 2025 |
| AV install and calibration | After drywall and finishes; length set by the integrator's scope | Integrator scope |
Equipment is chosen before framing. Screen size, speaker positions and rack heat set the walls, circuits and ducts we build.
Call (206) 666-0412 or use the form below.
We measure the room and check the ceiling height under beams and ducts, the electrical panel and the floor under the riser.
Screen, speakers and seating are set before framing.
We build and finish the room. The city inspects each stage. The integrator installs and calibrates after the finishes, and the room is covered by our warranty.
By appointment. Limited start dates.
Market figures, not Volcano prices. Each add-on is priced in your written proposal.
| Add-on | Market figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Direct-view LED video wall in place of projection | $60,000 to $120,000 | Beyond Audio, Jun 2026 |
| 9.2.6 or larger immersive audio | $50,000 to $150,000+ | ListenUp, Jul 2026 |
| Integrated lighting and shade control | $2,000 to $5,000 | ListenUp, Jul 2026 |
| Dedicated equipment room | $3,000 to $12,000 | ListenUp, Jul 2026 |
| Conduit for later upgrades | $1,000 to $3,000 | ListenUp, Jul 2026 |
| ISF or THX calibration | $300 to $1,500 | ListenUp, Jul 2026 |
| Star ceiling | Priced in your proposal | |
| Lobby, concessions or bar | Priced in your proposal | |
| Golf simulator in the same room | See Golf Simulators and Recreation Rooms |
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Bar and his team did an excellent job on our condo bathroom renovation. From the start, Bar was easy to communicate with and quick to respond to all our questions and concerns. We couldn't be happier with the results and highly recommend Volcano Builders to anyone considering a remodel.
Bar and the team at Volcano Builders did a great job! Professional service, great communication throughout the whole process, and everything was done with care and attention to detail. Highly recommend!
WA License VOLCABI792C6. Over 200 projects completed. Our main office is in Bellevue.
Published 2026 figures put a dedicated theater at about $75,000 at entry level, $150,000 to $275,000 at mid level and $350,000 to $500,000 at luxury level (Beyond Audio, June 2026). Room construction adds $100 to $250 per sq ft before equipment (ListenUp, July 2026). Our design-build prices, with the room included, start at $50K+ for a media lounge and $100K+ for a dedicated theater.
A home theater is a closed, light controlled room with projection, tiered seats and treated walls. A media room keeps its windows, uses a large flat screen and sofas, and serves daily family use (Ideal Automation, June 2026). A media room skips the riser and full isolation, so it fits rooms with windows and lower ceilings.
Plan about 12 x 16 to 14 x 18 ft for one row and about 15 x 20 ft for two rows (Block Renovation, August 2026). A 9 ft ceiling leaves about 8 ft of headroom over a 12 in riser (Seatcraft, May 2026). The code minimum is 7 ft (2021 Seattle Residential Code R305.1). Avoid square rooms (Seatcraft, May 2026).
Yes. Altering an existing basement does not require a new escape window unless a sleeping room is added (SRC R310.6). Basement beams and ducts may sit as low as 6 ft 4 in under the code (SRC R305.1). In Bellevue, finishing an unfinished basement takes plan review, about three weeks.
Yes, for new walls, new circuits or new ductwork. Seattle requires an electrical permit for new circuits, while most low voltage wiring in single family homes needs none (SDCI). Bellevue requires permits for new walls and new or moved circuits. We prepare the drawings and our expediter submits the permit documents.
We build the room: framing, isolation, riser, power, quiet HVAC, millwork and finishes. A partner AV integrator supplies, installs and calibrates the projector, speakers and controls. The integrator joins before framing, as integrators advise (ListenUp, July 2026), so both work from one plan and one schedule.
Sound isolation runs $5,000 to $20,000+ and acoustic treatment $3,000 to $25,000+ (ListenUp, July 2026). Acoustic treatment can add $20,000 to $60,000 depending on room volume (Beyond Audio, June 2026). Isolation keeps sound in the room with clips, channels and added drywall. Treatment shapes sound inside the room with panels.
A projector suits a dark, dedicated room. A 4K laser projector with a 135 in screen runs $25,000 to $45,000, and a direct-view LED wall $60,000 to $120,000 (Beyond Audio, June 2026). A large flat screen suits a media room with windows. The integrator sets the screen size before we frame the front wall.
Plan for three phases in order: design with the integrator, the permit, then the build. A Bellevue permit with plan review takes about 3 weeks, and Seattle's goal is 30 days (City of Bellevue; SDCI). The integrator installs and calibrates after drywall and finishes.
Signature Spaces
Tell us about the room and the space you have in mind.
By appointment. Limited start dates.
Prefer to call? (206) 666-0412. Mon to Fri 6am to 9pm, Sat and Sun 9am to 5pm.
Four quick steps. Tell us about your project and we’ll reach out to discuss it and see if we’re the right fit.
Prices checked October 2026.
