How to Build a Walk in Humidor | DIY Guide | Your Elegant Bar

February 11, 2020 5 min read 3 Comments

What's the big deal with building your own DIY walk-in humidor? Well, for starters you can save some serious coin. A walk-in cigar room is an affordable project that requires less effort than you think—and considering how much cigar enthusiasts spend on quality products, the costs are worth it. Many cigar smokers build a walk-in humidor for less than $4,000, while having the ability to choose from a wide range of style and functionality options.

I have come across tons of cigar aficionado and businesses who wants to build a walk in room but do not have the understanding of what it takes and as we know cigars have to be properly preserved or you could loose 10s of thousands of cigars very quickly. 

Humidors are a great way to keep your cigars fresh, so it's no surprise that people have questions about them. In this article I will answer some frequently asked questions for you and give you some estimated on material and prices to build you 1st or next walk in humidor. 

What is a walk-in humidor?

A walk-in humidor is a room for storing cigars in an environment where the humidity and temperature are controlled 24/7. This preserves the quality and freshness of the cigars to ensure they have enhanced flavor over time. There are different shapes and sizes of walk-in humidors available, depending on how many cigars you plan to store and collect. We will discuss the different types of walk in humidor later in this article.

What are the benefits of building a walk-in humidor?

You know, there's something truly special about building a walk-in humidor. It's not just about the ability to collect a vast number of cigars and ensure their quality stays intact, it's also about the sheer convenience and style of it all.

When you have a walk-in humidor, you get to arrange your cigars exactly how you want, making it much simpler to locate any specific one you're after. It's not just about efficient storage though. Imagine how impressed your friends, family members, and guests would be when you show off your collection, all beautifully organized in custom rows. It's an impressive sight that really speaks to your class and taste.

And remember, a walk-in humidor beats having multiple display cabinets for a couple of reasons. With multiple cabinets, you're eating up a lot of room space, and let's not forget each one of them needs its own humidification system. Some of our customers have tried using automatic distilled water lines for each of these humidifiers, but it quickly becomes a costly venture because you're running multiple machines at the same time. A walk-in humidor, on the other hand, requires just one humidification system. So, in the long run, you're saving on space, equipment, and costs. It's an all-around win.

How many cigars should I have to build a homemade Cigar Humidor Room?

This question depends on the amount of space you have to build your walk-in humidor. This is what we have seen, a small closet (3 ft wide by 6 ft high) would be the smaller end of the range and would fit a collection of 12-15 cigar boxes.

A larger walk-in closet will fit more cigar boxes based on the amount of shelving available. A good rule of thumb to use is approximately 3-6 cigar boxes per 4 ft - 8 ft shelf (of course, you can try measuring your cigar boxes and shelves at home to be sure). This allows for room between the boxes so they do not appear too crowded.


Two stacks of shelves in a large walk-in humidor to show how to build a walk in humidor

Image Source

This image was posted on a website by a gentleman who built this humidor room on his own. He had been collecting cigars for around ten years at the time he built this humidor. Building a home humidor similar to this would cost you around $4000, including the backing, flooring, and humidification.

How much would it cost?

(2023 pricing estimates) The cost of a 4’ shelf will run around $97 (including brackets and hardware). Depending on whether you are redoing the flooring and backing, you can get this done within a $1300-$1800 budget. And it will include a humidifier.

For a small closet space you can use a Cigaroze EB-100 and EB-03C can be used in large size room. Humidifresh will cost more, but we are advocates of spending some more money if it can get you a better item that will preserve your cigars better. You can find the current Spanish Cedar prices here.

Shelves in a large walk-in humidor to show how to build a walk in humidor

For a bigger DIY walk-in cigar humidor, you would have to double the cost of shelving. Then add in the cost of flooring. It would be best if you also considered Spanish Cedar paneling for the walls. Spanish Cedar wood offers several benefits in terms of cigar storage.

A 4' x 1/4” sheet of Spanish Cedar paneling would cost you around $85 - $90. If you want to add to the looks of your DIY walk-in cigar humidor closet, consider adding some trim. Of course, you’d be looking at some additional costs in that case.

How to pick the right size humidifier?

This part is simple. Measure the size of the room. Multiply the length, width, and height of the room, and that will give you the total area of the space, in cubic ft. Now all the humidifiers in the market clearly indicate how many cubic ft. they can handle. For example, Cigaroze EB-100 will work well in a room of up to 30-90 cubic ft. space. A room with an area ranging from 100 to 1000 can use an ARIS 826 Humidifier. Consider an Ultrasonic machine for any 800 - 4000 cubic ft. room.

Do I need to hire a contractor to get this done?

Not everyone is a hands-on person who can do everything by themselves. So, you have 2 options.

I have personally always hired contractors to do the works for. The contractor will perform all the calculations and can help you with purchasing the material, or you can choose to get modular units that are pre-made. The good thing about modular units is that they are already made, so all you have to do is simply place them in the space you have. These modular units are used in a built-in wall/closet space or even a big room stand-alone unit and they give you all benefits of a walk in humidor plus some more. For example, alot of our customers like that they do not even have to hire a contractor to modify the whole room when they get the modular units. Secondly, not only they look luxurious they also can be moved out of the room easily in case you want to change location etc.

A case in a large walk-in humidor to show how to build a walk in humidor

Good News: If all this sounds too complicated, don't worry. Your Elegant Bar can provide you with the guidance and material required for a complete walk-in humidor. No matter how big or small, residential or commercial, we can provide the material for all types of DIY walk-in cigar humidor jobs. We can even set you up with other types of humidors, if you’re open to it. Or we can even build custom humidors, just for you. Reach out and get your walk-in humidor today. You can reach out to us at support@yourelegantbar.com or 8885013227.

You can also finance your order with us!

 

3 Responses

Chris Kitchens
Chris Kitchens

August 31, 2021

hey guys, I’m converting my closet into a walk in humidor and was wondering if I could buy the supplies I need from you. The area I need cedar sheets and shelves is about 160ft or so.

Jose Reynaldo
Jose Reynaldo

July 04, 2021

Please need prices on a walk in Humidor for my store

Barry coakwell
Barry coakwell

September 12, 2020

Hi we need information on building a walk in humidor thanks barry

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