How Much Does a Wine Cellar Cost?

Jason SteeleUpdated June 1, 2023

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Building a home wine cellar may be a dream come true for wine lovers, and also potentially increase the value of your home. There are different types of wine cellars, including walk-in closet wine cellars, basement wine cellars, and underground wine cellars. How much does it cost to build a wine cellar? Wine cellars can cost well into the thousands of dollars, but the type you build, and the size of the wine cellar, will influence the cost considerably.Read on to learn more about wine cellar cost and ways to make it more affordable.

The Cost of Building a Wine Cellar

Nationally, the average cost of building a wine cellar is between $30,000 and $40,000. However, the wine cellar cost can start as low as $5,000 and go up to $100,000. Like many home renovation costs, the price of building a wine cellar depends on a variety of factors, including the size of the room and the specific features you include. Typically, it costs about $300 to $600 per square foot to build a wine cellar, depending on the location of the room within your home, the extent of the work being done, and the type of refrigeration installed. Recommended: 9 Ways to Finance a Home Addition

Factors Affecting Wine Cellar Cost

Now that you have a sense of how much does a wine cellar cost, it’s helpful to know the main factors that affect the final price tag. Here’s what to budget for.

Size of the Wine Cellar

The size of your wine cellar is a significant factor in the overall cost. Wine cellars are usually around 25 to 125 square feet. The size of the room also impacts the price of the materials used to build it and refrigeration costs. You may be considering creating a wine cellar basement. In other words, your current cellar could be turned into a wine cellar. That’s one possibility to keep in mind when finishing a basement. You could get your basement remodeled and a wine cellar built at the same time.

Type of Wine Racks and Shelving

You’ll need to install wine racks or shelving to store your bottles of wine. Racks are typically made of wood, although they can also be made of metal or glass. A standard rack can hold 16 bottles of wine. If you need to install custom racks or cabinets, you should plan on spending $2 to $20 per bottle.

Cooling System

Wine cellars need cooling systems to keep the wine at the optimal temperature. Depending how big your wine cellar is, a wall refrigerator might be the most cost-effective choice. These can cost between $1,000 and $3,500. A higher-end duct cooling system, on the other hand, costs about $3,000 to $10,000.

Lighting, Walls, and Flooring

For the walls of your wine cellar, wood or wood paneling are typically good choices. You could also use drywall that’s insulated. Finishing the walls will cost you $1,000 to $3,000. For flooring, you could go with tile, which can be as much as $5,000 for the entire room, or vinyl flooring, for about $1,500.Lighting costs will generally be between $150 and $750, including installation. Halogen lights can damage wine, so you should use LED or fluorescent lighting. And be sure to block out natural light from any windows, which can also damage wine.

Additional Features

There are many extras you could add to your wine cellar, including a bar and a tasting room, depending on how fancy you want to get, and how much you want to spend. Some good (and less expensive) features to consider are a humidifier and a thermostat to help keep your wine at the proper temperature and humidity levels.

Can I Build a Wine Cellar Myself?

Whether you can build a wine cellar yourself depends on the type of cellar you have in mind. With most wine cellars, the building usually needs to be done by professionals to make sure that everything is installed properly to preserve the wine correctly. There’s also complex work to be done, such as installing refrigeration systems and dealing with electrical lines.However, if you’re planning on a walk-in closet with a simple wine rack, it may be possible for you to build that yourself, especially if you’re handy. Recommended: 8 Tips for Finding a Contractor for Home Renovations

Cost-Saving Tips for Building a Wine Cellar

These three tips can help lower the cost of your wine cellar:

Keep the size and storage capacity of the wine cellar on the smaller side. The bigger the room is, the higher the price tag will be. Plus, you’ll pay more for the building materials, the flooring, the lighting, and the cooling system for a bigger space.
Install a wall refrigerator rather than a ducted or split cooling system for your wine. That could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Use vinyl flooring, rather than tile, to save around a few thousand dollars.

Wine Cellar Maintenance Costs

After your wine cellar is built, you’ll pay ongoing maintenance costs. One of the biggest expenses is the electricity needed to keep the wine cellar at the optimum storage temperature of 55 to 60 degrees. Electric will cost you $25 to $70 a month or more. Additionally, your wine fridge might need repairs occasionally. Overall, you should plan to spend around $300 to $850 a year for maintenance costs for your wine cellar.

How to Afford Building a Wine Cellar

If you don’t have enough money in your bank account to pay for building a wine cellar outright, there are a number of ways to finance the project. Credit cards. You could put the wine cellar cost on your credit card. Doing so is easy and convenient. But keep in mind that credit cards have high interest rates. You’ll also need a credit card with a high enough credit limit to cover the cost of building your wine cellar.If you’re able to get a new credit card with a 0% intro APR, you won’t be charged interest for the introductory period. But unless you can pay off the entire wine cellar cost before that period ends, you’ll pay interest on the balance. Home equity line of credit. A home equity line of credit (HELOC) allows you to borrow against your home’s equity up to an approved limit. Instead of receiving a lump sum of money, you can borrow HELOC funds as needed for your wine cellar during the draw period, which typically lasts up to 10 years. When the draw period ends, the repayment period begins, which can be as many as 30 years. However, you’ll need to have enough equity in your home — usually at least 15% — in order to qualify for a HELOC. And keep in mind that if you can’t pay off what you owe, the lender could foreclose on your house. Personal loan. You could take out a personal loan to pay for the cost of your wine cellar. With a personal loan, you get a lump sum of money that you repay in monthly installments with interest. Here’s how the process works: You apply to a bank, credit union, or online lender for a personal loan. The lender reviews your application, and if you’re approved for a loan, you’ll get the funds quickly, typically within days. The higher your credit score, the lower the interest rate you may receive.Personal loans can be used for virtually any purpose, including renovations to your house. In fact, personal loans for home improvement are common for home remodeling projects.

The Takeaway

If you enjoy wine, building a wine cellar may be a rewarding addition to your home in more ways than one. Not only can you buy and collect wines and have fun tasting them, building a wine cellar could also be an investment because it might increase your home’s value. However, a wine cellar can be costly to build. You can keep expenses down by adjusting the size of the room, and choosing cost-effective building materials and a more energy-efficient cooling system. And there are ways to help fund the project if you don’t have the cash on hand.A personal loan could give you the funds you need to build your wine cellar. Lantern can help you find the best loan for your needs. In our online marketplace, you can compare offers from multiple lenders at the same time to find the one with the best interest rates and terms to suit your needs. Find and compare rates with Lantern and get your home renovation started!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to build a wine cellar in your basement?

What is the average cost of a wine cellar?

How can I save money on building a wine cellar?

What are the maintenance costs for a wine cellar?

Is it worth the investment to build a wine cellar?

Photo credit: iStock/RonTech2000

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About the Author

Jason Steele

Jason Steele has been writing about credit cards and award travel since 2008. One of the nation's leading experts in this field, he has contributed to dozens of personal finance and travel outlets and has been widely quoted in the mainstream media.

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