How Much To Finish Basement?

[2mickeys1minnie]

We would really like to finish our basement.....right now we don't use it except for storage and we'd like to convert it to a play room/family room for the kids. We need new windows, insulation, sheet rock, paint and flooring. There is also an old bathroom down there that needs to be updated. Does anyone have an idea of how much this would run? Thx....

 

[pigletto]

We had the builder do it and it cost us another 25,000 on the purchase price. But that was for another 1800 square feet and included windows, a back door, another bathroom, flooring, a bedroom, a family room and a play room. I am sure it would have cost less to do it ourselves but we really wanted it done before we moved in.
How many square feet are you working with and are you planning to do most of it yourselves? That will make a BIG difference in price.

 

[luvmy3]

I know my dh's friend got an estimate for his basement and it was around $20,000 for labor and materials. He didn't need windows but wanted to finish the entire basement and put in a bathroom not update one. His home is just under 4000 square feet and his basement is very large.

It really depends on so many factors, like where you live (our area is always more than others), square footage, existing plumbing lines, if you are going to do any of the work yourself, etc.

 

[merekc]

We are looking to refinish about 600 sq. ft. of our basement, leaving the rest storage. We are going very basic, not adding any plumbing. We won't be replacing windows, but nothing is currently done. We were quoted between $20-30 a sq. ft by contracters.

We are planning to do it ourself for much less.

 

[2mickeys1minnie]

We are going to do all of the work ourselves....the finished area that we are going to do is about 800 square feet.

 

[mickeyboat]

Make sure you have some form of egress from the basement? Will the windows be accessible?

Denae

 

[2mickeys1minnie]

Make sure you have some form of egress from the basement? Will the windows be accessible?

Denae

There is an outside separate entrance as well as an egress window well and several other windows. It was used as an apartment by the old owner.

 

[RadioFanatic]

we just finished our basement - it was already partially done. We needed two walls made and insulated, two walls fixed up, electric put in, drop ceiling, painting and two doors added. We did not do the floor right now as it was too prohibitively expensive - we just bought rugs to cover it. It cost $2500 to do. The rugs were an additional $250.

 

[DawnM]

We are finishing our 950 sq. ft. basement space.

It has electrical, but we need some electrical work done. DH has framed it in and insulated it. Now we plan to hire and electrician and some drywallers. DH will paint himself and we will most likely put in some indoor/outdoor sturdy carpet as we haven't had any water problems.

We figure it will be less than 10K with much of it done ourselves.

Dawn

 

[RitaE]

DH did all the labor on ours.

He built a back bedroom with a closet and a game room. He put in new windows, sheet rock and paneling, and a drop ceiling. We did need some electrical work done, we hired a BIL to do that. We originally put in some cheapo carpeting down there, you know that blue stuff they have at Lowes on the big rolls? Then within a month the sump pump failed and the carpet was ruined.

I finally ended up buying large indoor/outdoor patio carpeting. Once a year (or when we get water in the basement) we take it outside and hose it down.

All in all it was around $13k.