How To Use This Basement Remodeling Cost Calculator

This online basement remodeling cost calculator is here to give you a basic estimate for finishing your basement. Finishing your basement includes many different variables, so it’s a good idea to get a good idea of the cost as early as possible. Circumstances, materials, and the like can change over time, but a good “ballpark” estimate will give you a basic idea of where you’re starting from. We provide you with this calculator so you can get a better understanding of roughly what finishing your basement will cost.

This cost to finish a basement calculator is an excellent resource to help you determine cost based on square footage. With our online calculator for basement renovation costs, simply enter the square footage, and you’ll receive an estimate of what finishing that space would cost.

Of course, every project is different and individual costs will vary depending on design choice, number of rooms involved, material quality, the difference between doing it yourself and hiring professionals, and other factors.

Basic Assumptions

Before using this basement remodeling calculator, understand that its pricing is based on a few basic assumptions about your floor. The calculator is assuming that you’re starting with a concrete floor in an unfinished basement. Anything beyond that, including removal of old flooring materials, is not taken into account in this estimate. You should keep this in mind.

How to Save Money

Finishing your basement can be very costly if you’re not careful, so you should do what you can to mitigate the cost. Save yourself some money while still getting the job done. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you save money when finishing your basement.

1. Consider what you can do yourself. Finishing your basement is a full process and is not easy. But if you’re looking to save money and are quite handy, consider waterproofing the basement yourself. Basement waterproofing with SANI-TRED® uses a proven application process that is perfect for the do-it-yourself community. You can (and should) hire contractors for specialized tasks like plumbing or electrical, but many can do the waterproofing yourself for less.
2. Buy the materials yourself and get “labor only” bids. By buying materials yourself, you can save quite a bit for the same supplies without the contractor buying them and charging you a markup.
3. Rent tools you need or buy them used online instead of investing in brand new tools you’ll probably only use once.
4. Once the major construction is done, walls put up, electricity and plumbing up to code, do the finishing touches yourself. Once the contractor is done, you can clean up, paint, furnish, and perform other tasks yourself instead of paying someone else to do it.

Successfully Finish Your Basement

Basements are a key part of many homes, but too many homeowners overlook their basement’s potential. While a basement can be used as a larger storage room, they are capable of so much more. While unfinished basements can function well as storage rooms, you can take steps to waterproof and finish your basement to transform it into a fully functional extra room in your home. If you want to finish your basement, here are some tips to help you along the way.

Dry Out Your Basement

The first step in finishing your basement it keeping it dry. Basements often deal with a lot of moisture vapor and hydrostatic pressure, which allow water into an unprotected basement. Because of this, any finished basement has to be waterproofed first. First, test your basement for moisture vapor so you know how much moisture you’re dealing with. There are homes tests you can do yourself or you can hire a professional to do the test for you.

After you’ve determined how much moisture is affecting your basement, the next step is to dry out your basement walls and floors with a concrete torch. Drying your concrete ensures that SANI-TRED® products will fully adhere to your basement walls and floor to completely waterproof your new space.

Waterproofing your basement with SANI-TRED® (https://sanitred.com/basement-waterproofing/how-to-waterproof-your-basement-with-sanitred/)

Choosing a Floor

Once you’ve completely waterproofed and your basement is protected, you can move on to the room’s interior. Choosing the right flooring is an important part of making your finished basement truly your own. The type of flooring material you choose will definitely factor into your final price, so choose wisely and pick the floor that’s best for your finished basement.

Finishing Basement Walls

Another important part of finishing your basement is choosing the right walls. Basements have concrete walls and floors, but once they’re waterproofed, you can design the entire space with new walls and floors to completely transform the space. As with flooring, choosing the right basement walls can also affect the final price of your basement transformation. False walls are common and can be customized to meet your needs while keeping the original concrete walls is an option for others. Keeping your concrete walls is a cheaper option, but false walls provide more customization. In the end, it all comes down to what you’re looking for.

Upgrading the Ceilings

In addition to floors and walls, upgrading your basement ceiling is another option to consider. Finishing your basement creates a new room in your home and a part of any room is the ceiling. While it’s cheaper to leave the ceiling the way it is, many basements have exposed wiring and duct work that service the home above. In certain cases, leaving all this exposed may be the better option, but for others, upgrading the ceiling could be the right choice. Understand that any addition to the room will up the overall price, so be sure to make the right choice for the space and your wallet.

Tying it All Together

Now that your basement waterproofed, fully constructed, and finished, now you have to bring the space together. Make your finished basement a place you want to spend time in; add furniture, entertainment, and personal touches to transform your basement into a brand new room.

If you’re looking to finish your basement and are wondering about how much it’ll cost, use the above basement finishing cost calculator to get a basic estimate. Using this estimate, you can get a better idea of how much finishing your basement will cost. Of course, this is not a final cost, but it will give you a good starting point to work from.