Cost to soundproof your home or condo

There are several reasons why soundproofing your home in 2021 is more important than ever before.

1.) More people are working & schooling from home full time

ZOOM calls & virtual class placements have become a part of our daily lives as a result of the COVID19 lockdowns and these activities necessitate separate spaces that are isolated away from other people.

The problem that arises for many people is that they don't have the option of moving to another property to address this issue so they must rework their existing home to accommodate these lifestyle shifts which is where proper soundproofing comes in.

2.) More people are living in condos

In March 2021, there were 2614 condos sold in Toronto vs. 1450 detached homes and this trend holds true for the past several years due to the fact they are the most affordable property type in the city.

Condo living inherently creates smaller spaces to accommodate more people which leads to unescapable noise issues from neighbours whether it be a loud TV, voices, or a dog barking.

I've personally experienced both of these issues over the past year as my fiancé has been doing her school courses & placements online throughout the week while I've also had to do phone/ZOOM calls with clients which makes it quite difficult for both of us to talk.

In addition, we had a new neighbour move who would routinely make a ton of noise late at night that would come clearly through our walls.

How can soundproofing help these issues & how much does it cost?

Soundproofing can range in price from fairly being cheap & easy to extremely costly & complex depending on several factors.

First major determent of cost is the size of the room.

Obviously the larger the room is, the more cost there will be as a result of more materials needed.

The second major factor to impact the cost is the materials chosen & which surfaces need to be soundproofed.

Here's a quick breakdown on the rough costs for soundproofing
*All prices in USD*

Cost of soundproofing a room = $1024 - 2512
Bedroom w/ Soundproof drywall = $360 for 10' x 10' room (3 times the cost of regular drywall)
One-car Garage = $640
House = $10-30 per Sq. Ft
Condo = $1-3 per Sq. Ft for loose fill insulation (cheaper option) but can be same $10-30 per Sq. Ft for better materials

Windows

- $300 - 1500 per window

Walls

- Wall Panels = $1.60 - 4.60 per Sq. Ft

- Foam insulation = $1.40 - 3.00 per Sq. Ft

- Acoustic tile = $10 per 20" square

- Acoustic foam = $10 - 100 (varies on size)

- Soundproof drywall = $40 per sheet (one of the best options but also most expensive ~ QuietRock)

- Textured soundproof paint which is much thicker than standard wall paints that contains sound-absorbing fillers which consist of thermacels that lessen the transfer of sound through walls (30% reduction in mid-frequencies ~ not so effective with louder noises/vibrations) = $2.25 - 3.25 / Sq. Ft

Ceiling

- Can use many of the same materials for ceilings as you would for walls

- Multiple installation methods

- If you have a concrete ceiling like I do, you'll need to address the issue slightly differently

Doors

- Blanket constructed of sound-absorbing materials = $300 - 455

- Soundproof sliding glass doors = $1300 - 4000 (reduces noise levels by 75%)

Floors

- Carpet is most prevalently used way to soundproof a floor = $1000/room

- Mass-loaded vinyl = $100 - 200 / 40 Sq. Ft roll

There can also be an additional cost from removal of existing materials, installation costs & complexity of the project.

Summary

If you are planning on doing renovations to your home or condo in the near future, definitely think about how to incorporate soundproofing elements as it can help with any noise issues you may have.

Thinking about soundproofing your home in the future?

Let me know in the comments section below!

Rylie C.

Sources