Basement Remodeling Golden, CO
When your finished basement feels dark, dated or just badly laid out, basement remodeling can make it the room everyone wants to be in. We redo layouts, add bathrooms and fix what the last crew got wrong.
- Free, written estimates
- We pull the permits and handle inspections
- Answering calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Get a Free Estimate
Tell us about your project. We'll call you back to set up a walkthrough.
Basement Remodeling
A basement finished twenty or thirty years ago can still feel like a cave, and basement remodeling is how you fix that without starting from bare concrete.
The walls are up and the room is there, but something is off. Maybe the ceiling is low and covered in texture. Maybe the carpet smells musty, the paneling is dark or there is one tiny bathroom with no fan. Or the layout chops the space into small rooms that nobody uses.
Remodeling is a different job than finishing. If your basement is still bare concrete and studs, basement finishing is the place to start. If it is already finished but no longer works for you, a remodel lets us keep what is good and replace what is not.
We start by walking the space with you and looking behind the surface. We check for water stains, soft spots and old leaks, test outlets and look at the panel, and see how the plumbing and ductwork run. That tells us how much can stay and how much has to come out.
Basements are just one part of the house our remodeler crew works on, so the same team can carry the project upstairs if you want.
Below you will find what a basement remodel costs, what we often find in older basements and how long the work takes.
What a Basement Remodel Costs
Nationally, a basement remodel averages about $25,000, with most projects between about $12,500 and $37,500.
By size, that often works out to about $25 to $65 per square foot, or about $12,500 to $32,500 for 500 square feet and $25,000 to $65,000 for 1,000 square feet. Full finishes from bare concrete in the Denver area tend to run higher.
Individual upgrades vary a lot. New flooring often runs about $4 to $15 per square foot. Adding a bathroom can cost anywhere from about $5,000 to $25,000 depending on how far the plumbing has to go. Six recessed lights often run about $700 to $1,650.
Because a remodel works with what is already there, the final number depends on what we find. We open up suspect areas during the walkthrough when we can, and we list every item on your estimate so you can choose what to do now and what can wait.
Fixing a Basement Someone Else Finished
Plenty of basement remodel work starts with undoing someone else's shortcuts.
Behind old drywall it is common to find wiring that was never done to code, outlets in odd places, plumbing that was patched instead of fixed and walls nailed tight to a slab that moves with Colorado's clay soil. Those problems are why drywall cracks, doors stick and bathrooms leak.
Older basements also tend to have low or bumpy ceilings, thin carpet straight on concrete, small windows and dark paneling. Each one has a fix. Textured ceilings can be scraped or covered, carpet can give way to luxury vinyl plank that handles moisture better, and paneling can come down for drywall and paint.
When we open the walls, we bring wiring, plumbing and insulation up to current code and rebuild walls as floating walls where the slab needs room to move. That way the new finish lasts.
Popular Basement Upgrades
The most common basement remodel upgrade is a better bathroom, since so many older basements have a small, dark one or none at all.
A wet bar or kitchenette is next. Placed near the bathroom plumbing, it can be simple or fully built in, and it makes the basement work for guests, game nights or a teenager's space.
Lighting changes everything down there. Recessed lights spread even light across a low ceiling, and dimmers let a media room go dark for movie night.
Other popular changes include opening up the stairway, turning one large room into a bedroom and a family room, adding a home gym or office and building in shelving and storage. If you add a bedroom, it needs an egress window big enough to climb out of.
How Long a Basement Remodel Takes
Most of the time in a basement remodel goes to planning and permits, not swinging hammers.
Design usually takes about 2 to 3 weeks. In Golden, remodels need a permit with a plan review, and the city's goal for residential plan review is about 15 working days.
Active construction often takes about 4 to 8 weeks. A simple refresh with new walls, flooring and paint sits at the short end. Adding a full bathroom can add about 2 to 3 weeks, and a custom bar, tiled bath and layered lighting push it longer.
From the first walkthrough to the final inspection, many basement remodels take about 10 to 16 weeks. We give you a schedule up front and keep you posted when anything changes.
What Homeowners Say
"I had to redo a basement remodel that was horribly designed. We were able to look at the old layout and come out with a better design for it all. Gutted the existing Bathroom and rebuilt a tiled bathroom with a new theme that was 1000 times better... Being an extended project that had many parts that had to be tackled individually it was easy to work with Jeff and his team. Excellent communication throughout the process and no surprises with costs. If I had to do it again I would choose Jeff and his team every time."Zeris, Google Review
Basement Remodeling Questions
These are the questions we hear most before a basement remodel.
What's the average cost to renovate a basement?
Nationally, a basement remodel averages about $25,000, with most projects between about $12,500 and $37,500, or about $25 to $65 per square foot. Full finishes from bare concrete in the Denver area tend to cost more. Adding a bathroom, a wet bar or egress windows raises the total.
Can you finish a basement for $10,000?
Not usually, if it is bare concrete. A full finish with walls, wiring, heat and a ceiling costs much more. But $10,000 can go a long way on an already finished basement. Painting runs about $350 to $850 a room, six recessed lights about $700 to $1,650 and new flooring about $4 to $15 a square foot, so a refresh of a smaller space can fit that budget.
How long does a basement remodel take?
Active construction often takes about 4 to 8 weeks. Design and permits add time before that, and from the first walkthrough to the final inspection many basement remodels take about 10 to 16 weeks. Adding a full bathroom can add about 2 to 3 weeks.
Is remodeling a basement worth the money?
For most families, yes. In a national report from the National Association of Realtors, turning a basement into living space recovered about 67 percent of its cost at sale, and homeowners rated it 8.8 out of 10 for how happy it made them. It also adds usable space for a lot less than building an addition.
Ready to Redo Your Basement?
Tell us what bugs you about your basement today and we will call you back to set up a free walkthrough. You get a written estimate before any work starts.
(720) 909-3011Serving Golden, Lakewood, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Edgewater, Morrison, Applewood, West Pleasant View and Fairmount.
Request Your Estimate
Send us a few details and we will reach out to set up a time.