How to Build Your Own Bar Room

Decide how much you're willing to spend on the project and determine how you will pay for it. Financing options include savings, your credit cards, a personal loan, and a home equity loan.

Choose the bar's theme. An Irish pub is a classic choice that many people like. You could build a sports bar, with multiple flat-screen TVs and adorned with the gear from your favorite sports teams. If you live in a warm climate, a tiki bar is an option to consider.

Design the bar room. You can purchase design plans for the bar itself online, do it yourself with a computer-aided design program, or sketch it out on paper. When designing the room, remember to include all the elements you'll need, such as a refrigerator for beer and mixers or a wet bar, as well as the decor of the room. For instance, if the theme is an Irish pub, wood paneling on the walls helps to recreate that feeling, while a sports bar could just have painted drywall with hanging sports memorabilia.

Prepare the room--or area of the room--where you are building the bar. The amount of preparation needed depends on your plans. If you're doing little more than building a bar in a corner of the room, you need to tear up the rug in that area so you can firmly attach the bar to the subfloor. If you're going to convert an entire room, you may need to strip the entire room down to the bare walls and floor and build from there.

Construct the frame for the bar and back bar, following the plans you purchased or created. Nail or bolt a pressure-treated 2-by-4 board to the floor to connect to the bar frame. This is called a sill plate. Construct the framing and nail it to the sill plate.

Hire an electrician or plumber to run new electrical or plumbing lines in the bar room. Most municipalities require that a licensed professional complete this work.

Cover the framing for the bar and back bar with 3/4-inch plywood. If you want, add a second layer to give it a stronger, fuller look. Install molding on the plywood for decorative purposes, then stain the bar.

Install shelving, mini-fridges or any other equipment you plan to add underneath the bar.

Paint the walls of the bar room. If you're going with something fancier, like wood paneling or stone veneer, you may want to hire a contractor who specializes in that to complete the work. Hang decor, such as paintings or sports memorabilia, on the walls.

Finish the floor of the bar room, if needed. You can use thick, plush carpeting, but that may not be ideal because your guests could spill their drinks. Tile or hardwood flooring both look very attractive and are easy to clean.

Stock the bar with beer, wine and liquor.