Build-out and Equipment

Construction — permitted plans, a licensed contractor, inspection at every stage

The order in which construction proceeds

1. Site review before signing — With an architect, look at the use stated on the existing certificate of occupancy, sprinklers, number of exits, number of restrooms, electrical capacity, and heating and cooling.
2. Design — Architectural; mechanical, electrical and plumbing; and an acoustical consultant if needed.
3. Permits — The landlord's approval of the plans, the city's plan check, health department review and fire review.
4. Contractor selection — Get bids from three contractors whose licenses you have looked up.
5. Construction and interim inspections — Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire inspections take place before the walls are closed up.
6. Final inspection and certificate of occupancy — The certificate of occupancy (CO) is issued only after you pass the final building, fire and health inspections, and only then can you operate.

Change of use and occupant load — where budgets break

When a space that was a clothing store or an office becomes a noraebang, its use under the building code changes. The standards below are from the California Building Code, which is based on the International Building Code (IBC). Other states use the same model code, but the edition adopted and the local amendments differ. The final classification is decided by the city building official.

• Occupant load calculation — An assembly space with tables and chairs is calculated at 15 square feet per person (net area). A net area of 1,500 square feet gives 100 people.
• 50 people — Below 50, the space may be classified as Business use (B). From 50, it becomes Assembly use (A) and needs 2 exits.
• Serving alcohol and food makes it A-2 — This is the same classification as bars and nightclubs. The word "karaoke" does not appear in the building code.

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So a cheap space on a second floor or in a basement may need sprinklers regardless of area, and even a 3,000-square-foot noraebang easily exceeds an occupant load of 100. The cost of installing sprinklers in a building that has none is the largest variable in the budget.

Issues that arise in a layout with many small rooms

• Corridors — The width usually needs to be at least 44 inches, and a dead-end corridor cannot exceed 20 feet (according to a building code commentary source). A maze-like layout will be flagged in plan check.
• Doors — Do not put locks on room doors. Do not cover the windows (the Permits & Licensing section).
• Restrooms — The number of toilets is set by the occupant load. The model plumbing code requires 1 per 40 persons for each sex in bars and nightclubs (according to a commentary source; differs by state).
• Disability access — A clear door width of at least 32 inches, routes of at least 36 inches, a wheelchair turning space 60 inches in diameter, and accessible restrooms and counters (2010 ADA Standards). The path of travel to the altered area and the restrooms must also be brought into compliance, and that cost is treated as disproportionate if it exceeds 20% of the construction cost.

Soundproofing and ventilation go together

• Walls — The sound transmission class (STC) of an ordinary wall is in the 30s, and a double-stud wall is in the 60s under laboratory conditions. Field performance comes out 3–5 points lower than in the laboratory (manufacturer and test sources).
• Bass — STC is a measure for the speech frequency range, so it does not guarantee performance against subwoofer bass. Wall mass and structural decoupling need to be used together.
• Doors and ducts — The weakest points are the doors and the HVAC ducts. Fit solid-core doors with seals on all four sides, and put silencers between rooms connected by the same duct.
• Ventilation — The more tightly a room is sealed for soundproofing, the faster it becomes stuffy without outside-air ventilation. Design supply air and ventilation for each room individually.
• Cost — There is an industry blog figure of $5,000–$15,000 per room, but it is not a verified figure. Confirm with quotes.

How to choose a contractor

• License lookup — Example: in California, work with combined labor and materials of $1,000 or more, or work that needs a building permit, requires a license, and you can look it up by number on the site of the state license board (CSLB). Texas has no statewide general contractor license, but electrical, plumbing, and heating and cooling work require a state license. Georgia requires a state license above $2,500 (according to industry and city sources).
• The cost of going unlicensed — In California, an unlicensed contractor cannot bring a lawsuit to collect payment, and the person who hired them can claim the return of money already paid (B&P §7031). But you do not get back the losses from construction stopping and permits not being issued.
• Liens — If the contractor does not pay its subcontractors or material suppliers, they can place a mechanics lien on the building. Get a lien waiver each time you make a payment.
• Contract and payment — A written contract, progress payments tied to percentage of completion, changes only by written change order, verification of insurance certificates, and permits in the contractor's name. Do not pay cash in advance.

Equipment and sound — before you bring it over from Korea

Karaoke machines

• Korean karaoke machines — According to testimony set out in a decision of a federal court in New York, a TJ commercial machine costs about $1,000 per unit, and new-song updates cost $25–$40 per machine per month. One retailer in Los Angeles lists a TJ commercial model at about $1,000. We could not verify an official U.S. distributor for Kumyoung.
• Cloud subscription services — Services such as KaraFun Business and Singa Business run on a tablet and an internet connection. They have fewer Korean songs than Korean karaoke machines. Get a quote from each company for pricing.
• Either way — First decide how many English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish and Japanese songs you need, based on your customer mix.

Electrical and certification

• Voltage — U.S. outlets are 110–120V. A 220V amplifier used in Korea needs a step-up transformer, and connecting several transformers can become an issue at the electrical inspection.
• Certification — U.S. electrical rules require installed equipment to be approved by the inspector, and the mark of a recognized testing laboratory such as UL or ETL is usually the evidence of that. Equipment without a mark may be required to undergo a field evaluation or may become an issue with insurance. Ask the seller about certification before you buy. We could not verify whether the TJ and Kumyoung models sold in the U.S. are certified.
• When to order — Order the equipment after the electrical plans are final and the inspection is scheduled.

Room size and reservation systems

• One subscription service company advises that rooms for 6–10 people are the most profitable and that you should allow 11–16 square feet per person (vendor source). This means several mid-sized rooms are better for occupancy than one large room.
• There are several reservation systems that combine online booking and payment with room time management. Decide at this stage whether to have a deposit or a no-show policy.
• Prices for the amplifier, speakers, wireless microphones and screen for each room vary so much by specification that we did not find a reliable average. Base your figure on quotes from two or three sound equipment vendors.