How to Build a Basement Home Bar: What Equipment is Needed and Its Cost
Posted by Ron on 23rd Aug 2021
Building a home basement bar is much easier than you think. In fact, this could turn into a DIY project of your dreams and provide countless hours of enjoyment and fun for your friends and family.
As with any other home project, it all starts with choosing the right idea, planning, preparing the tools, and - yes, you’ve got it right - inspiration. As for home bar equipment, you won’t find prices lower than Beverage Craft.
Basement Bar Ideas That You Can Build at Home
Ultimately, the extent of home basement bar ideas you can achieve comes down to these three main factors:
- available space
- desired setup
- budget
Oh, and let’s not forget about the level of your DIY skills. For simplicity’s sake, let’s say you’re running on a moderate budget and have plenty of space available - this leaves us with just one element in the equation - the desired setup. What are your options?
The easiest one would be just setting up a countertop with a kegerator underneath/inside it and placing a few stools around it.
A slightly more sophisticated option is a home basement corner bar. The location in the corner already creates a dedicated space and makes it easy to plan everything else around it.
Finally, if you have the whole floor of your basement available, then why not go all the way and turn it into a full-fledged party room with a distinct bar, entertainment and chillout zones.
With these three options in mind, you can start planning your future project and decide how to set up a small home bar in the basement.
Key Components and Equipment for Home Basement Bar
When it comes to your home bar equipment list, the items featured on it can be roughly split into three categories: DIY tools, materials/parts, and beer equipment (including the beer itself).
With DIY tools, a fairly standard set is required for this project. Nothing surprising here:
- Jigsaw/miter saw
- Orbital sander
- Drill
- Level and framing square
- Nail gun and caulk gun
- Clamps
- Air compressor and air hose
Next on your list of home bar beer equipment are various materials. Which ones? Well, if what we’re considering bare essentials bar that features a countertop/bar, bar molding, work counter/sink, and a foot rail, then your basic materials would be:
- Wood (perhaps, finished in a veneer and painted)
- Galvanized metal for the sides of the bar (a highly practical solution)
- Brass rails (for the molding and/or footrest)
Finally, the most important aspect of bar equipment for home is the beer itself and how you will pour it. Focusing on the basic setup, you should include the following items:
- Kegerator (a special kind of refrigerator designed to store and dispense beer)
- Kegs (the most popular variety is the Cornelius ‘Corny’ keg; depending on the size of your kegerator and how many different styles of beer you want to pour)
- Tap tower (a must-have element in the draft beer setup equation. All your home bar visitors know this is where the beer comes from; if you want to go fancy with your beer tower, get a ceramic one)
- Tap handle (there are plenty of creative options here)
- Beer drip tray (for easy cleanup)
That does it for the home bar essentials equipment. But how much does it all cost? More on that below.
How Much Does Equipment for a Basement Home Bar Cost?
A key factor in determining the cost of the home bar for basement is how big you want to go and how much work you’re willing to do yourself.
If you are not a big fan of large-scale DIY and home improvement projects, you can take the easy route with a prefabricated home bar set, which starts at about $500, and a keg tap kit for another $200-$300. With that in place, all you need is a keg of beer, and you’re set.
If want to go big and make something impressive out of you home bar in the basement, the costs will predictably increase, but not to the point where you wouldn’t be able to afford it.
Below is a basic breakdown of the costs. If you want to save some money, consider going DIY with some of the items on the list:
| Item | Cost (average) |
| Interior design services | $3,000-10,000 |
| Carpentry services | $50-90/hour |
| Prefabricated bar parts | $800-$4,000 |
| Basement renovation | $50-120 per square foot |
| Lighting and electrical | $500-3,000 |
| Flooring installation | $10-50 per square foot |
| Plumbing* | $1,000-6,000 |
* If you want to go with the wet bar option, meaning you will have a sink in your home basement bar.
Getting the beer equipment is the easiest part since we’ve always got home and commercial bar equipment for sale on the Beverage Craft website. A full home bar draught beer setup could cost you anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 depending on how big you want to go.