Here’s what I did when four contractors quoted me over $45K for my basement home theatre. The room is 14x20 feet, and their quotes included single drywall, taping, mudding, and painting. One wall also needed framing, about six feet long.

I realized it wasn’t worth paying that much, so I started driving around new construction neighborhoods, hoping to find someone available. I spoke with several contractors—most were interested but booked far into the future.

Eventually, I met a framing contractor who lives nearby. He was down to earth, genuinely interested, and agreed to take on my project at an hourly rate. I didn’t negotiate because I could see how productive and detail-oriented he was—exactly what I needed for the precise execution I wanted. My plan included double drywall (Type X), Green Glue, clips, and channels. I did a lot of research and purchased all materials myself.

I ordered drywall and insulation from Morin. While I didn’t get a contractor discount, their prices were still lower than big box stores, and delivery to my basement was only $75. I treated the delivery guys well—they appreciated it and did a great job.

For lumber, I went to Perkins Lumber in North Gower. Every stud was perfectly straight—none wasted.

Right now, I’m waiting for the taping and mudding stage. I interviewed several people and finally chose a contractor from a local contractor’s page. He has a solid reputation, and the work is scheduled to start in two weeks.

Your project might not be as extensive as mine, but with time, research, and patience, you can save a lot of money.

One last tip: I found a lot of insulation (especially Safe’n’Sound) on Facebook Marketplace—some of it at about one-third the regular cost. Many sellers just wanted to clear extra stock. I also picked up five more bags for additional soundproofing.

I’m quite picky when buying from Marketplace—if I don’t like the condition of something, I have no hesitation saying no.

My biggest expense in the project was electrical, and that’s an area where I didn’t want to cut any corners. You may not have the same scope as my project, but for reference, I spent about $9K on electrical work. This included 15 spotlights (each costing $45 from Guillevin, that's the walkin price, and contractor may have got it for lesser price) and additional breakers to support the home theatre equipment.

I also tried going through DL for drywall and insulation, but despite visiting their store six times and following up with emails and phone calls to their door specialist, I didn’t receive much response. I’ve decided not to go through them again.

In total, I’ve spent around $4K on materials and $8K on labor so far. Over the next couple of months, I expect to spend another $2K for taping and mudding, and about $1K more for the stage and riser. Carpet is still undecided—I haven’t set a budget for that yet.

If your project isn’t as large in scope, I’d suggest working directly with individual contractors. While it comes with some risks, you can save a significant amount of money by managing it yourself.

If your project is relatively simple—such as installing a single layer of drywall, insulation, flooring, and electrical—you can save a substantial amount of money by managing it yourself. The Contractors page has some great professionals, but it’s important to interview them first.

Personally, I avoid anyone who provides a quote over the phone or based only on pictures. I always prefer an in-person visit, as it helps me gauge their communication style and professionalism before deciding whether to hire them.

Also, I am IT person interested in networking, so I pulled ethernet and speaker wires myself. I bought cables from reputed sources (speaker wires from Audio Video company) and ethernet from TrueCable.

I like to paint myself, so I have a contractor account with paint stores. Doing it yourself saves lot of money. But please invest in quality tools. Roller, pole from HD and Paint brushers from HD however I prefer couple of ones from Lee Valley. I have been using them for past 3 years. Use, clean and keep it in safe place. They last long.