Home Technology Budgeting Tool

Welcome to the Home Technology Calculator powered by the Home Technology Association (HTA). This objective tool was developed by the HTA to help consumers plan and budget for any home technology project.

Where are you? *

What is your home's square footage? *

(a round number is OK)

Describe the cost-of-living / cost of labor for your area: *

Fairly Inexpensive

About Average

Expensive

Let's talk about wiring. What best describes your situation? *

My house is already wired

I am building a house and need all new wiring

I need some new wiring installed

My house has old wiring, need all new

How extensive / future-ready would you like your home’s wiring to be?

Basic (basic audio/video wiring, network, security cameras)

Automated Home (home control wiring to subsystems & touchpanels, additional TV & speaker locations)

Full Technology Package (adds advanced lighting, motorized shading, fiberoptic cabling, distributed video systems, extensive speaker & TV locations, dedicated home cinema)

Prewire pricing will vary based on exactly what features you would like in your home. Read this article about the importance of wiring/cabling in today's "wireless" world. Your local HTA Certified technology integrator is the best resource for exact prewire pricing. Wiring budget is for low-voltage wiring only, not electrical.

How about Wi-Fi? *

None

Consumer-grade

SMB & Enterprise-grade

Our modern lifestyle and our home's technology systems are extremely reliant on a quality network and Wi-Fi system. Consider the network and Wi-Fi system to be the most important technology system in the home. Homeowners that value reliability, security, performance, and frequently stream TV and movies should consider only SMB-grade (Small and Medium Business) networks at minimum and Enterprise-grade networks ideally. Network and Wi-Fi products supplied by your Internet provider, office supply store, or computer store are not recommended by the HTA or any reputable technology integrator. Depending on your home’s size, construction methods, and specific needs, network costs may be higher than estimated here. Click here to read more about this subject.

Let's talk music. How many rooms would you like music in the two categories described below? Include exterior areas too!
Higher-quality sound or higher-grade architectural finishes.

If none, just enter 0

Basic background music.

If none, just enter 0

Now on to Televisions. Please select how many TV's you would like in each of the two categories below.
Range includes video sources such as AppleTV, a Blu-ray player, satellite receiver, and remotely-locating them for best aesthetics. A basic soundbar is included for better audio. For advice on the best size TV for your room, click here.

Note: Do not include TVs for any home theater or surround sound systems here. That is in the next 2 questions.

TV's between 60" - 100" diagonal size

If none, just enter 0

TV’s between 32" - 55" diagonal size

If none, just enter 0

Do you want to centralize your video sources (Cable TV, Apple TV, Roku, Blu-ray player, etc.) in one location and have them viewable on all TV's? *

This is called “video distribution” and reduces the amount of audio/video equipment located at each TV location / room.

Yes

Do you have a dedicated home theater room? Please select a budget. *

Pricing listed below does not include seating or room build-out costs.

Entry Level ($15K - 50K)

This budget is typically for a 4-6 seat theater room with a 100" - 120" screen, a sub $10K video projector, and a receiver-based audio system with in-wall speakers.

Enhanced ($51K - 100K)

This budget is typically for a 6-8 seat room with a 120" - 140" screen, a brighter, higher performance projector, and a higher quality sound system.

Performance ($101K - 175K)

This budget is typically for an 8-16 seat theater with a 12' - 15' wide screen, high performance projector, and theater-quality sound system.

High-Performance ($176K - 375K)

This budget is typically for an 8-20 seat theater with a 12' - 20' wide screen, reference-grade video projector, reference-quality sound system, and acoustic design.

Ultra-High Performance ($376K+)

This budget is typically a spare no expense theater with the very best equipment available and acoustic design. Equipment cost may well exceed $1M depending on room size and level of performance desired.

Do you plan on outfitting a room in your house with a surround sound system? Please select a budget.

A surround sound system creates an immersive sound experience, much like a dedicated home theater room, though in a dual-purpose room such as a Family Room, Master Bedroom, etc. They are often called 'Media Rooms'. To learn the difference between a home theater and media room, click here. If you would like more than one media room location, click on the "Add Another Surround System" button below.

Entry Level ($5K - 15K)

This budget is typically for a 65-75" TV with a "receiver-based" 5.1 audio system with in-wall or in-ceiling speakers and a subwoofer.

Enhanced ($16K - 30K)

This budget is typically for a 75-85" TV, a "separates-based" 7.1 audio system with higher performance in-wall or in-ceiling speakers and a subwoofer (or two).

Performance ($31K - 75K)

This budget is typically for a 85"-100" TV, a "separates-based" 11 speaker Dolby Atmos audio system with higher performance speakers and a subwoofer (or two).

High-Performance ($76K - 175K)

This budget is typically for a 75" TV for daytime use plus a 135" motorized projection screen for movie viewing and a theater-quality 11 speaker Dolby Atmos audio system.

Let's move on to Security. Do you want a security and fire detection system? *

Yes

How many security cameras do you think you need to cover your home? *

Enter camera number. If none, just enter 0.
Typically, homeowners want to see the following areas: front of house, front door, driveway / gate, sides of house, and pool. If you are more concerned about security, you may want to add cameras for the perimeter of your property. Good-quality cameras see about 75 feet of distance on average. The high range of the budget estimate includes higher resolution cameras, better night vision, and longer surveillance recording time. To learn more about security camera option, click here.

Do you need a whole-house intercom / phone system? *

Yes

Do you want a lighting control system for the whole house? *

Lighting control systems reduce wall clutter, allow preset lighting scenes at the push of a button, increase security, and add convenience. Learn 5 reasons you may want a lighting system by clicking here

Yes, for the whole house and exterior

Yes, for the main areas of the house and exterior only

Only for a couple rooms

No, I will use conventional wall switches

Do you want any motorized shading?
Motorized shades add beauty, convenience, address privacy concerns, and can be used to save energy. If desired, provide your best guess on how many windows/shades you want to motorize. The higher-end of the budget range includes higher-end fabrics, large windows, and dual-roller shades (both sheer and privacy shades on one window). Learn 9 benefits of motorized shading by clicking here. *

If none, just enter 0

Do you want to control your house through different multiple apps? *

Single app

Multiple app

No house control

For example, a music app, an app to operate your TV, an app for lights, an app for locks, an app for cameras, an app to open close garage doors & gates, etc. Or do you want to control the house through a single unified app that controls all the systems in the home? Learn more on the pros and cons of each by clicking here.

Does this home require very high-end architectural finishes that would apply to the home’s technology systems? This would include such items as mirror televisions, flush-mount wall devices, architectural lighting keypads, and motorized concealment systems for televisions, etc. *

Yes

Success! You have completed your budget estimate! Scroll below to see your budget range and advice on finding the right installer for your project.

Your Estimated Budget Range is:

	Low	High
Entertainment
House Wiring Budget	0	0
House Music Budget	0	0
House Televisions Budget	0	0
Theater Budget	0	0
Media Room Budget	0	0
Security
Alarm Budget	0	0
Security Cameras Budget	0	0
Home Networking and Communications
Wi-Fi / Network Budget	0	0
Telephone / Intercom System Budget	0	0
Home Control / Smart Home
Lighting Control System Budget	0	0
Motorized Shading Budget	0	0
Home Control System	0	0
Hi-end Architectural Finishes & Concealment	0	0
Total Range	0	0

The calculated budget range indicates a range of pricing from basic to high-performance systems. All labor and materials are included in the budget. Sales tax is excluded.

HTA Certification is the gold standard of quality for home technology professionals. To learn why you should only consider HTA Certified firms for your project, visit htacertified.org.

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