How Much Does it Cost to Finish a Basement

There are various factors that should be considered when we plan to renovate or fix the basement. As the basement is constructed below the ground, the basement construction material and methods that are used to fix and finish the basement, are different as compared to the rest of the rooms in the house. If you are planning to hire a contractor for the job, will charge you more for this job, as compared to the other rooms. The main reason for this is that monetary value of raw material and the cost to finish the basement is more if you compare it with that of other rooms.

A finished basement, has advantages of its own. One of the biggest advantage is the availability of space. The basement is a large room as it covers most of the surface area of the house. The basement can be used as a storage room or a place to hang out. You can also easily install a huge flat screen television and home theater in the basement. Children or teenagers, can also hang out in the basement or have a party without disturbing the neighbors. One can also make a home office in the basement. The advantages are numerous and of course beneficial.

Many factors such as surface area of the basement, surface area of walls, paints, waterproofing and French drain that is build around the basement influence the cost to finish a basement. In addition to that interior designing, architecture, furnishing, tiles and flooring, ceiling finishing etc also tend to have a significant effect on the basement finishing cost.

Calculating the Cost to Finish a Basement

There are variable factors that should be considered while calculating the cost to finish a basement. You may use the following guidelines for this purpose.

• French Drain: The basement is that part of the house that is flooded the most. Constructing a French drain is an effective way of directing the rainwater away from the basement. The French drain is an important aspect of basement waterproofing and is a high priority task. While installing a french drain you will need to purchase a lot of drainage piping, which would cost you about $11 to $23 for every 25 inches.
• Purpose: The second factor is the purpose for which you plan to use the basement. The cost of finishing basement basically depends on the purpose. The paints, ceiling finishing and flooring, all depend on the utility of the basement.
• Walls: The third factor that you need to have a look at is the walls of the basement. The basement walls may be infested with mold and moisture. This weakens the walls and the basement becomes humid and smelly. Cracks in the basement can be sealed with the help of plaster, and a coat of waterproofing solution can be applied to the walls. A paint having waterproofing qualities can also be used to further protect the walls. To calculate the cost of renovating the basement, you need to assess the extent to which the walls have been affected. The surface area of the wall is to be considered if you are planning to hire a contractor. There are several brands of basement water proofing paints and solutions which would cost you about $100 to $200 per can.
• Flooring: The flooring of the basement, is usually divided into two parts, that is the actual flooring and the sub flooring. The basement flooring cost also depends on the surface area of both, the floor and the sub-floor. There are several different ways in which you can install the flooring of the basement. The cost of basement flooring will range from $50 to $150 per square feet.
• Ceiling: The ceiling is another important aspect that has to be considered while calculating the cost of basement renovation. The ceiling requires a coat of waterproofing solution and strong paint as mold growth is commonly observed in most of the basement ceilings. The ceiling can be made with the help of a drywall, which would cost you about 50 to 60 dollars per square feet. If you are planning on painting the ceiling, then a can of waterproof paint would range from $100 to $200.

The cost to finish a basement is very less if you take it up as a do-it-yourself project. If you appoint a contractor to renovate the basement, then he is bound to charge you by a specific rate such as $25 per sq.ft basement, for labor. P.S. The costs that have been mentioned above, are not exact costs and may change from time to time, and from place to place.