Building A Budget Home Bar
EHBP-09 45 Degree Corner Bar
You can build a Champagne bar on a beer budget.
Our Home Bar Designs help to keep your project on or even under budget. The estimated cost of materials runs between $150- $750 depending on the project.
Note: Due to COVID-19 and supply chain issues, prices may be considerably higher in 2020 and beyond. On the bright side, an investment in a home bar is an investment in having a safe and secure place to relax in case of future lockdowns. Those who built a home bar prior to the “pandemic” were quite happy.
Spend more or less by substituting materials.
Limited materials budget?
Use scrap 2×4 framing and pallet wood or recycled corrugated metal as sheeting. The good news is that your upfront costs are returned many times over on the back-end, read below or see our article discussing the cost of beer.
Three Options to Build Your Home Bar:
- Hire a professional contractor
- Buy a manufactured bar unit
- Build a do-it-yourself home bar project
Choose according to your budget. Read more about these options below…
Option 1: Hire a professional contractor
A contractor is your most expensive option. To refinish an entire basement and build a fully functional bar will start at around $10,000. If you have an ample budget and would like to avoid all the mess, then a contractor may be your best bet. Either way, it’s not a bad idea to have a contractor stop by to do a free estimate. Their estimate might actually motivate you to do it yourself.
Option 2: Buy a Manufactured Bar
The second option is to do the basement renovation work yourself then buy a pre-made or manufactured bar. You can save a few grand on labor by doing wall framing and sheetrock yourself, but the bar alone will cost well over $1500 with some models well beyond $10,000. If you are looking for something very simple, perhaps a manufactured bar is right for you. Here are some popular home bar units offered on Amazon.
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As you can see above, $200 buys very little. However, if $10k is in your budget, then WoodNLuxury Manufactured Home Bars can build you a great Italian-made bar for between $5k-$10k.
Option 3: Do It Yourself and Save
The final approach is to tackle the entire project yourself. You’ll save thousands in labor alone. Get as elaborate or as simple as you wish. It will become a lifelong obsession to add decor and improvements to your bar. In the end, the DIY approach is much more satisfying and affordable, not to mention that your friends will be impressed. Check out these home bar photos of DIY home bars built by our site members.
Building a home based basement bar can save you over $2,756.00 per year!
Sweet Home Bar Savings!
Once you complete your home bar, the real savings start to kick in! Let’s use a single 12 pack of beer as an example:
First, go to your local liquor store and buy a 12 pack of your favorite brand beer. That will run you about $10.00 at current prices. ($9.50 where I live)
Next, go to your local bar and buy 12 cans of beer from the bartender. At $3.50 per can (on average) that 12 pack will cost you $42.00! Now do the math: $42-$10= $32.00 You just paid for the plans and your lunch. The bottom line, drinking at home is much more affordable. (duh?) It’s also safer.
Can you really save thousands per year?
It’s a fact, if you drink at home, you can save $32.00 on every single 12 pack you consume or $64 per week for cases. If you drink a case of beer per week (hey, come on, it’s the holiday season!), that comes out to an incredible $3,328 per year! ($64 x 52 weeks = $3328). With potential savings like that, you could pay for one awesome bar project! Read more about saving money in the Cost of Beer article and check out the beer markup calculator.
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Budget Home Bar Plans:
We’ll help save you time, money and reduce your scrap material. Our plans typically cost between $100 and $500 in materials to build, saving thousands right away over options 1 and 2 above. In this economy, saving money any way you can is a top priority, so don’t let a dime hold up a dollar, the small plans investment will get you started on your affordable basement bar project today! Join Now
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Please remember to always drink responsibly