What a finished basement with us includes
Most basement jobs are some mix of the list below. Some basements only need a family room and a better staircase. Others get a bedroom, a bathroom and a laundry area. We price what you want, in the order it has to be built.
- A moisture check of walls, floor and window wells before anything is framed
- Framing and insulated exterior walls
- Wiring, lighting and outlets
- Heating and cooling run to the new rooms
- Bathrooms, wet bars and laundry areas
- Egress windows for bedrooms
- Drywall or drop ceilings, with access to valves and cleanouts
- Flooring rated for below grade, trim, doors and paint
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work is done by licensed trades we schedule and supervise, and permitted where the city or village requires it.
Before we frame anything
A finished basement hides the foundation. Anything wrong with the foundation is cheaper to fix while it's still bare, so we check these first:
- Water. Stains, efflorescence (the white crust on block walls), a damp floor after rain, a sump pump that runs often. If water gets in now, it will get in behind new drywall. We'll tell you what we see and whether the fix is grading and gutters outside or work on the foundation itself.
- Radon. Radon is common in Wisconsin basements. Test before you finish. If you need a mitigation system, the pipe is far easier to run before the walls go up. How to test, and what a kit costs.
- Ceiling height. Ducts, beams and drain lines set how low the finished ceiling will be. We measure at the walkthrough and show you where soffits will go.
- What has to stay reachable. Water shutoff, main drain cleanout, electrical panel, furnace and water heater. We plan the walls around them, not over them.
Planning a bedroom down there? A basement bedroom needs an egress window, a window big enough and low enough to climb out of in a fire. If your basement doesn't have one, it goes in the quote. Check a window against Wisconsin's egress rules.
The order things happen in
- Walkthrough and plan. We measure, check for water, and sketch the rooms with you.
- Permit. Finishing a basement usually needs one. We pull it and schedule the inspections.
- Framing and rough-in. Walls, wiring, plumbing and ductwork, then the rough inspection.
- Insulation, drywall and ceilings. Insulation is checked before it's covered.
- Flooring, trim, doors and fixtures. Then the final inspection and clean-up.
Living with the work
The rest of the house stays usable. We keep a dust barrier at the top of the stairs, protect the floors on the way in and out, and sweep up every day. If your laundry is in the basement, tell us at the walkthrough and we'll plan around it.
Basement guides
- Before you finish: water, radon and height
- Egress window rules and checker
- Basement permits and inspections by town
- Turning a basement into an ADU
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to finish my basement in Madison?
Usually, yes. New walls, wiring, plumbing and bedrooms generally need a permit and inspections. We pull the permit and schedule the inspections as part of the job. See the basement permit and inspection rules for each town.
How long does it take to finish a basement?
It depends on size and on what goes in. A bathroom adds plumbing and an extra inspection, and an egress window adds excavation. The quote gives you a schedule for your job.
My basement gets damp. Can it still be finished?
Often, once the water is dealt with. We'll say whether it's an outside fix, like grading or gutters, or a foundation fix, and we won't frame over a wall that's still wet.
Can you add a bathroom in the basement?
Usually. How hard it is depends on where the drain lines are. If the toilet and shower are below the main drain, the bathroom needs a pump, called an ejector, and we'll show you where it would go.