The cost of acoustic wood panels is set by their specification and how much coverage a room needs, not by a single headline price — so reputable supply is quoted per project against a tested specification rather than sold at a flat rate per panel. The drivers that move a quote up or down are the wood veneer or finish, the type and depth of the acoustic backer behind the slats, whether a Euroclass fire rating is required, the total absorptive area needed to reach your target, the panel size, and the fixing method and labour. The figure that actually matters is cost-to-outcome — enough absorption in the right places to fix the room — not the price of one panel in isolation.
How much do acoustic panels cost?
There is no single, honest per-panel price for acoustic wood panels, because the cost is set by two things: the specification you choose and the coverage the room needs. Two panels that look similar can be built very differently behind the slats, and two rooms of the same size can need very different areas of treatment. For that reason, reputable supply is quoted per project against a tested specification rather than sold at a flat rate.
The useful way to think about it is cost-to-outcome: the total spend needed to bring a room's reverberation down to a comfortable, workable level, in the right places. A cheap panel that under-performs, or too little of it, costs more in the end than the right specification fitted once. The sections below set out the drivers that move a quote up or down.
The finish: veneer, colour and slat detail
The visible finish is an obvious cost driver. Real-wood veneers and the choice of species and colour sit at one end; printed or reconstituted finishes sit at another. Slat width, spacing and edge detailing also change the machining involved. None of this changes the physics of absorption on its own, but it does change the material and manufacturing cost — so the look you specify is a genuine part of the price, not a free choice.
The backer, depth and air gap
Behind the slats sits the acoustic backer — commonly an acoustic felt or a mineral-wool layer — and its type and depth matter for both performance and price. A thicker backer, or a deeper air gap behind the panel, generally lifts low-frequency absorption, which is exactly what many rooms lack. Because the backing and cavity change how much the panel absorbs, they are not a place to cut cost blindly; the build-up is precisely what a test report measures, so a cheaper backer can quietly buy you less performance.
Fire rating: when a Euroclass class adds cost
Whether the space needs a Euroclass reaction-to-fire rating under BS EN 13501-1 can move the cost noticeably. Untreated timber typically achieves around Class D; reaching a higher class such as B-s1,d0 generally requires a fire-retardant treatment or specific construction, evidenced by a test report — and that treatment and testing add cost.
So a fire rating is not a free upgrade. In regulated buildings — escape routes, schools, healthcare, tall buildings — the required class is set by the project, not by preference, so it is worth confirming early because it affects both the panel you can use and the quote. Reaction to fire is also a separate matter from fire-resistance, and neither is about acoustic absorption.
Coverage, panel size and fixing — the key variables
A key variable is usually how much you need, not the unit price. Absorption follows Sabine's equation, RT = 0.161 × V / A, so a large, hard, high-ceilinged room needs far more absorptive area than a small one to reach the same result. Working out how many panels a room needs is what turns a per-square-metre rate into a real project figure.
Panel size and the fixing method then shape the labour. Larger boards cover area faster; battening out, adding a substructure, or fixing to an awkward ceiling all add installation time and cost. Looking at completed project specifications is a good way to see how finish, coverage and fixing combine in practice, rather than judging on a single panel price.
Judge cost against outcome, not price per panel
The right question is not 'what does one panel cost?' but 'what does it cost to fix this room properly?'. Start from the outcome you want, size the treatment against the room, then choose the finish and fire class within that budget. Our guide on how to choose acoustic panels walks through that order so you neither over-buy nor under-treat.
Before committing, order a sample — handling the real finish and backing in person is a low-cost step in the whole process, and it stops an expensive surprise once the panels are on the wall. A quote is worth judging on whether it fixes the room, not on a low headline price per panel.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't a supplier just give a price per panel?
Because no single figure is honest across every project. The cost is driven by the specification you choose — finish, backer, depth and any fire rating — and by how much coverage the room needs to reach a comfortable reverberation time. Reputable supply is therefore quoted per project against a tested specification, not sold at a flat rate per panel.
What makes some acoustic panels more expensive than others?
The main drivers are the visible finish or wood veneer, the type and depth of the acoustic backer behind the slats, whether a Euroclass fire rating is required, the panel size, and the fixing method and labour. Two panels that look alike can be built very differently behind the slats, which is where much of the price difference — and the performance difference — sits.
Does a fire rating cost more?
Generally, yes. Untreated timber typically achieves around Class D, so reaching a higher reaction-to-fire class such as B-s1,d0 usually requires a fire-retardant treatment or specific construction, evidenced by a test report — and that adds cost. In regulated spaces the required class is set by the project, so it is worth confirming early because it affects both the panel and the quote.
How do I keep the cost down without wasting money?
Think in terms of cost-to-outcome rather than price per panel. Size the treatment properly against the room so you neither over-buy nor under-treat, and do not cut the backer or its depth blindly, because those drive the absorption you are paying for. Order a sample before committing, and judge a quote on whether it fixes the room, not on a low unit price.