How Much Does it Cost to Finish a Basement?
Finishing a basement is a great way to add a room to your home for just about any use. You can create a fun family area, another bedroom, a home office, a entertainment room, the possibilities are endless.
You will also increase the value of your home and it is less expensive then adding an addition. Now that you’ve decided to increase your home’s potential, you might be wondering how much it costs to finish a basement.
There are several things to consider when doing how much it costs to finish a basement. First you must decide how the room will be used.
For instance a home office will use different materials then say a play room. Have a clear idea what the room will be used and draw out a plan of what needs to be done. You will need to measure in any support beams, ceiling ducts, windows, and other objects to make sure you have a nice finished appearance.
After you’ve measured everything out, you will need to calculate how much supplies you will need. This includes everything from 2×4’s to sheets of drywall. When you are looking at how much it costs to finish a basement, you will also need to decide on what type of flooring you will use.
Decide if you want to go with carpeting or hard wood, tile or laminate. Whichever you decide on will have different costs associated with them.
Factor in the cost of molding and a subfloor as well as the simple things like outlet covers and light fixtures. Lighting fixtures have a variety of costs associated with them. For instance recessed lighting will include not only the lights and the wiring, but also the labor to cut out the drywall and place them correctly.
You will also need to include the cost of paint and paint supplies if you don’t already have them. There is a huge variety of prices on the market. Shop around at home improvement stores to find items within your budget and that fits in with the style of your room.
When deciding how much it costs to finish a basement, you will also have to look at how long it takes. If you do it yourself, you could save money, but it can take almost 6 months to finish. And you still might have to contract out things like wiring, plumbing, drywall, etc, unless you know how to do all of that already. A contractor may charge about $20-$25 a square foot, but it could get done in several weeks.