Wine Cellar Construction & Planning Charts
Determining Your Wine Cellar Size
The most common questions when thinking about building a wine cellar is "How big do I need to make my wine cellar?" and "How many wine bottles can I fit into my wine room space?". Our chart below helps you to determine the estimated wine bottle capacity for your specific wine room size. Simply enter your wine room dimensions to view your room area, rough wall space and average wine bottle capacity.
| Room Length (ft) | Room Width (ft) | Room Area (sq. ft) |
Usable Wall Space (ft) | Avg. Bottle Capacity* |
| 5 | 5 | 25 | 9 | 495 |
| 5 | 10 | 50 | 19 | 1045 |
| 10 | 10 | 100 | 29 | 1595 |
| 10 | 15 | 150 | 39 | 2145 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
*Assumes an 8' ceiling height and 3' door
Average Wine Cellar Construction Costs
This chart provides key project element cost estimates for sample room sizes based on our historical data. These estimates are an average and can vary greatly based on the nature of your wine storage project.
| Rm. Area | Capacity | Build Out | Racks | Install | Cooling | Total |
| 25 | 495 | $6,000-$9,200 | $6,000-$7,500 | $1,725 | $2,950 | $16,675-$21,375 |
| 50 | 1045 | $9,500-$13,200 | $11,000-$14,000 | $2,475 | $3,300 | $26,275-$32,975 |
| 100 | 1595 | $14,000-$17,200 | $14,000-$16,000 | $3,225 | $4,500 | $35,725-$40,925 |
| 150 | 2145 | $19,500-$25,200 | $25,000-$28,000 | $4,725 | $5,000 | $54,225-$62,925 |
| 300 | 3245 | $26,000-$30,000 | $28,000-$32,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $66,000-$74,000 |
Construction Material Thicknesses and R-Values
This chart shows the relationship of insulation values for sample wall thickness and material types. We recommend a minimum R-value of R-19 in the wine cellar walls and R-30 in the ceilings.
| Wall Frame Thickness | Insulation Thickness | R-Value Fiberglass Batting | R-Value Rigid Foam |
| 4" | 3.5" | R-11 | R-25* |
| 6" | 5.5" | R-19 | R-39* |
| 10" | 9" | R-30 | R-65* |
*Rigid foam insulation R-values range from R-4 to R-8 per inch of thickness (2.54 cm), depending on the manufacturer.
What is R-Value?
In construction, the R-value is the measurement of a material's capacity to resist heat flow from one side to the other. In simple terms, R-values measure the effectiveness of insulation and a higher number represents more effective insulation.
R-values are additive. For instance if you have a material with an R-value of 12 attached to another material with an R-value of 3, then both materials combined have an R-value of 15.
| Material | R-Value/in | 3 1/2" | 5 1/4" | 10" | 12" | 15" |
| Fiberglass (batt) | 3.1 - 3.4 | 10.8 - 11.9 | 16.3 - 17.8 | 31.0 - 34.0 | 37.2 - 40.8 | 46.5 - 51.0 |
| Fiberglass blown (attic) | 2.2 - 4.3 | 7.7 - 15.0 | 11.5 - 22.6 | 22.0 - 43.0 | 26.4 - 51.6 | 33.0 - 64.5 |
| Fiberglass blown (wall) | 3.7 - 4.3 | 12.9 - 15.0 | 19.4 - 22.6 | 37.0 - 43.0 | 44.4 - 51.6 | 55.5 - 64.5 |
| Mineral Wool (batt) | 3.1 - 3.4 | 10.8 - 11.9 | 16.3 - 17.8 | 31.0 - 34.0 | 37.2 - 40.8 | 46.5 - 51.0 |
| Mineral Wool blown (attic) | 3.1 - 3.4 | 10.8 - 14.0 | 16.3 - 21.0 | 31.0 - 40.0 | 37.2 - 48.0 | 46.5 - 60.0 |
| Mineral Wool blown (wall) | 3.1 - 3.4 | 10.8 - 14.0 | 16.3 - 21.0 | 31.0 - 40.0 | 37.2 - 48.0 | 46.5 - 60.0 |
| Cellulose blown (attic) | 3.2 - 3.7 | 11.2 - 12.9 | 16.8 - 15.0 | 32.0 - 37.0 | 38.4 - 44.4 | 48.0 - 55.5 |
| Cellulose blown (wall) | 3.8 - 3.9 | 13.3 - 13.6 | 19.9 - 20.8 | 38.0 - 39.0 | 45.6 - 46.8 | 57.0 - 58.5 |
| Polystrene Board | 3.8 - 5.0 | 13.3 - 17.5 | 19.9 - 26.2 | 38.0 - 50.0 | 45.6 - 60.0 | 57.0 - 75.0 |
| Polyurethane Board | 5.5 - 6.5 | 19.2 - 22.7 | 28.9 - 34.1 | 55.0 - 65.0 | 66.0 - 78.0 | 82.5 - 97.5 |
| Open Cell Spray Foam | 5.6 - 8.0 | 18.2 - 28.0 | 29.4 - 42.0 | 56.0 - 80.0 | 67.2 - 96.0 | 84.0 - 120.0 |
| Polyisocyanurate (foil-faced) | 3.5 - 3.6 | 12.2 - 12.6 | 18.4 - 18.9 | 35.0 - 36.0 | 42.0 - 43.2 | 52.5 - 54.0 |
| Closed Cell Spray Foam | 6.0 - 6.5 | 21.0 - 22.7 | 31.5 - 34.1 | 60.0 - 65.0 | 72.0 - 78.0 | 90.0 - 97.5 |
Wine Racking Costs
This chart helps you determine the estimated costs for your wine cellar racking based on bottle capacity and the complexity of your wine cellar design. A simple design would involve features available in our kit line, where an advanced design would include elements like true curves, arch tops, and cabinetry. Simply enter your estimated bottle capacity to see the range of wine cellar racking costs.
| Bottles | Simple Racking | Multiple Design Elements | Advanced Design Elements |
| 500 | $2,000.00 | $4,000.00 | $6,000.00 |
| 1000 | $4,000.00 | $8,000.00 | $12,000.00 |
| 1500 | $6,000.00 | $12,000.00 | $18,000.00 |
| 2000 | $8,000.00 | $16,000.00 | $24,000.00 |
| 2500 | $10,000.00 | $20,000.00 | $30,000.00 |
| 3000 | $12,000.00 | $24,000.00 | $36,000.00 |
| $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
*Max bottle capacity 9999
