The Cost of Remodeling a Basement.
If you’re looking for more living space but don’t have the land or timeline for an addition, finishing your basement may be the perfect solution for you. There are a multitude of options for remodeling your basement, ranging anywhere from simply finishing the floors, walls, and ceiling to creating a whole separate living quarters for guests or tenants.
Determining your wants and needs for this additional living space is a good place to start. If you have a large family, this might mean adding a finished guest bedroom and bathroom to your basement. Maybe your children are looking for a comfortable TV and game room to hang out with their friends. Perhaps you work from home full time, the ultimate office space might be exactly what your basement needs. Whatever it is you’re seeking, DiStefano Brothers will bring your vision to fruition.
Basement renovations do have some special considerations that differ from remodeling other parts of your home.
- Egress. Especially if you’re looking to add bedrooms to your basement, operable egress windows are required in each sleeping room by code.
- Septic. If adding bedrooms is in the plan for your basement, we must ensure your septic is rated to accommodate the additional sleeping quarters. If it is not equipped, it must be brought up to meet today’s code, an added expense.
- Temperature. Being underground, basements can run cold. We employ trusted HVAC subcontractors with years of experience to make sure the space is properly conditioned, and our interior design team will guide you to materials that bring warmth and comfort to the space.
- Moisture Control. During assessment of existing site conditions, we check for moisture issues and determine the most effective course of action to keep moisture at bay (please remember that some circumstances are out of our control – Superstorm Sandy, anyone?!).
- Size. With a blank slate, you have options on how much of the basement to finish. Some may want to keep half as unfinished storage; others would prefer to take advantage of every square foot of additional space. This may also be a decision that’s determined by your budget, so let’s get into that now!
Level 1
Project Cost: $50,000 – $99,999
- ½ living area, ½ remains unfinished storage
- Custom cabinetry designed and built in-house
- High-performance, waterproof vinyl plank flooring
- Shiplap feature wall
- Smooth plastered and painted ceiling
- Recessed can lighting
- 1 interior hardwood staircase, sanded and finished with polyurethane

Level 2
Project Cost: $100,000 – $174,999
- 1 bedroom
- 1 full bathroom, including a furniture style vanity and custom tile shower
- Floor to ceiling semi-custom cabinetry with dry bar
- Durable, waterproof luxury vinyl plank flooring
- Shiplap feature walls throughout
- Combination of acoustical tile drop ceiling and smooth plastered and painted ceiling
- Recessed can lighting and decorative sconces
- Painted original staircase
Level 3
Project Cost: $175,000+
- Living room with linear gas fireplace insert and semi-custom cabinetry
- 1 full bathroom, including a marble tile feature wall, lighted mirror, and luxe gold plumbing fixtures
- Office
- Wet bar with semi-custom cabinetry and quartz countertops
- Porcelain tile flooring (sourced from Modena, Italy!)
- Smooth plastered and painted ceiling
- All mechanicals hidden by finished ceiling soffits
- Crown molding detail finishing all walls and soffits
- Recessed can lighting, undercabinet lighting, and decorative pendant and sconces
- 1 interior stained hardwood staircase with shiplap feature walls and accent lighting
- 1 exterior staircase with shiplap feature walls and finished with DiStefano Brothers Concrete Coatings
- Gable roof doghouse exit with vinyl trim and siding and mahogany exterior door
If a basement renovation sounds like the solution you are looking for, let’s talk!