Living in a building or home where noise can be heard too easily can be a nuisance and severely interrupt your day to day life, especially if you happen to have overly loud neighbors.
While some buildings are constructed in a way so that all rooms are completely soundproofed, we don’t all have that luxury – in this case, it’s not too difficult or expensive to soundproof a room by yourself. The first step to soundproofing a room or living space is by soundproofing the walls.
The average cost of soundproofing a wall usually is in the range of $1,000-2,500, which includes material cost, size of the wall, and, if needed, installation costs. There are also other factors that may play a part in how expensive (or inexpensive) it is to soundproof a wall.
Although the process of soundproofing a wall can be a pain, the benefit of having a quiet room will improve the quality of your life at home.
In this article, we will explore the various elements that cost money in a typical soundproofing wall project, and provide estimates for how much you can expect to pay for material costs and installation.
You may want to check out the cost of soundproofing the entire room. This will help in planning what tasks you can accomplish within your budget.
How Much Do Materials Cost to Soundproof a Wall?
The first step to soundproofing a wall is to figure out which materials to use and determine how much the materials cost, in order to get an estimate of exactly how much it will be for the entire project.
Knowing your budget is a great way to pick which materials you plan to use. As you can expect, the higher quality materials will cost more than the lower quality ones. Because of this, it’s wise to consider how much soundproofing you actually need depending on your living situation. If you are having a third-party do your soundproofing for you, make sure to get an estimate before the entire project starts.
Let’s go over some of the most common soundproofing materials for walls and how much they might cost you.
Common Soundproofing Materials and Their Cost
There are many different materials that you can use to soundproof a wall, and the materials that you do choose will determine your project cost more than any other factor.
Some of these materials will be more effective than others, and some will not be possible depending on your room and wall layout (for example, you can’t replace windows on a wall with no windows, so that isn’t an option). Choosing the materials you use to soundproof your wall is ultimately up to you, so make sure to consider carefully.
The most common materials and methods used to soundproof a wall and their costs are:
- Textured Wall Panels – These will significantly reduce the amount of noise traveling through your walls and throughout the house. Estimated cost – $275/two 24” x 48” panels.
- Textured Wall Paint – This paint is a cheaper alternative to acoustic panels but is just as effective. Estimated cost – around $250.
- Soundproof Curtains – These curtains can be hung on windows to minimize sound travel. Estimated cost – less than $100.
- Blanket Insulation – This will help with sound travel through walls the same way soundproof curtains would. Estimated cost – under $100.
- Wall Hangings – While not as soundproofing as other materials and methods, this is an easy and inexpensive way to reduce sound travel through your walls. Estimated cost – less than $100.
- Acoustic Tiles – These can be used to help soundproof walls, as well as other surfaces in your home or apartment. Estimated cost – around $10 per 20x20inch tiles.
- Foam Panels – Although these look much like egg curtains, they are far better to help soundproof a wall. Estimated cost – $1.40-$3.00 per square feet
- Resilient Channels – These are metal rails that help to absorb sound as it travels, which will help soundproof any wall. Estimated cost – $190+ per box.
- Soundproof Drywall – This type of drywall is made from gypsum board and steel, so it helps keep sound from traveling. Estimated cost – $40 per sheet.
- New Windows – If you happen to need to soundproof a wall with windows, then the solution can be to install new ones that are intended to be soundproof – while this may be costly, it can work wonders. Estimated cost – varies greatly.
Which Material Is Best to Soundproof a Wall?
Assuming you have a large budget and are willing to spend extra money in order to get the best soundproofing for your wall, soundproof drywall is the best material you can use for your project.
The next best material to use for soundproofing a wall is textured wall panels, which are slightly less expensive yet slightly less effective. Although soundproof drywall should be your first choice (assuming you have the funds), textured wall panels are your next best bet.
Now that we’ve gone over the materials you can use to soundproof your wall and their costs, let’s look at another factor that will play a part in how expensive it will be to soundproof your wall.
How Much Does the Size of the Wall Determine How Much It Will Cost?
The size of your wall is a huge factor in how much it will actually cost for the entire project. Since your material will usually be charged by how much square feet it covers or how much of it you will need, how big your wall is will determine how much soundproofing material you need to purchase.
For example, let’s say you are looking to soundproof a wall that is about 4 feet by 8 feet, and you will be using textured wall panels – considering the cost is about $275 for two 24” x 48” panels, you will pay about that much.
What if the wall is 8 feet by 16 feet? This means you will need twice as many materials, so the textured wall panels will cost twice as much, around $550. This shows how much the size of your wall can impact how much materials you will need.
Let’s now look at how much you can expect the actual installation to cost for soundproofing your wall.
How Much Does It Cost to Install Soundproofing for a Wall?
On top of the material costs for soundproofing a wall, there are also fees incurred if you choose to have a third-party do the installation process for you. Depending on the materials you decide to use and the layout of the wall, a team may be absolutely necessary to prevent the risk of destroying the wall you are soundproofing.
If you are having a wall soundproofed for you, the typical cost will be anywhere from $200 to $400. This figure is based on the average time it takes for a wall to be soundproofed by a professional and the average hourly costs for general contractors or handymen (hourly rates can be anywhere from $15-65 per hour).
Obviously, this figure can vary depending on who is doing the installation (private contractor versus a public company, time and cost of the project, etc.) but the labor costs will likely be smaller than the actual material costs.
Conclusion
Soundproofing a wall can potentially be expensive if you use higher quality materials, but the benefits you get usually make the costs worth it.
Depending on how big the wall is and who is doing the installation, how much you spend on your soundproofing project will also vary greatly.
If you’re looking to soundproof a wall, you can expect to spend anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500. No matter how much you end up spending, you should be confident in knowing that what you are getting out of it will make the entire project worth your time and money.