Might be the appropriate place to note that good contractors aren't the ones starving.
Basement Finish
- Thread starter cloneteach
- Start date
Might be the appropriate place to note that good contractors aren't the ones starving.
OK....if you're thinking of doing it yourself...read these two quotes...take 2 years doing it once in a while, or take up every weekend for 9 months...is it worth that to save a few thousand dollars? If so and you enjoy the work, have at it, that's not what I went to college for.
I finished a basement with a large family room and a bedroom, left a large storage room and space with stubs for a bathroom (estimate was another 8K for the bathroom). I did most of the framing, I hired the electrical, drywall, and flooring. I painted and did trim work myself (In hindsight, I'd gladly hire the framing and trim work...interior painting is easy). Cost 10K for about 800 square feet. Not cheap option, had ceramic tile and nice carpet.
I am currently finishing my basement as well, I studed up interior walls and just finished drywall. I am hiring the mud and taping to be done and the carpet install. Our house is 2000 sq feet with about 1700 finished in the basement. Expecting the basement to cost 20-25k which is mostly just materials. I went outlet and light crazy but too many is better than not enough!
Is this something that could be done in increments? What would the order be? I have little desire to do this myself. I am not handy and don't want it to look like my elementary art projects.
Interesting that this same thread title has appeared in both the Men's Basketball and Football forums...
Consider getting a nice acoustic ceiling installed, should you have the head space for it. It will allow you access to the floor joists at a later date, should you need to do something new (like running more speaker wire) or make repairs on existing items.
I think once permits are issued you have 12 months, so you'd have to reapply if it takes longer than that.
Depends on how the increments work...My last house, I wanted to get a storage room done, so I got a permit to frame that in. Later I finished the rest.
If you wanted to finish the whole basement at once, the order would be framers, electrical/plumbing (if needed) drywall, flooring/trimwork/painting. (folks will argue about the order of those last 3 so I lumped them together).
If you're going to put in a theater, you should browse over on AVSForum. Read the sections about soundproofing and decoupling your walls. You're lucky if you can start from scratch. It's more difficult to do that in an already finished space.
My $.02: If you consider yourself "not handy" my reccomendation would just be to pay someone else to do it. You are going to have the sunk cost of the materials no matter if its you or someone else. Things sound really simple, I mean building a wall, how hard can that be? Truth is that it is harder than it sounds, especially for someone with little to no experience.
Another huge advantage of paying for others to do it is that it will be done quickly. I did mine myself and it took the better part of two years. Now that being said I work FT and did most of it by myself with just a bit of help here and there. I also took most of the summer periods of time during the summer to work on "outside" projects. You should also consider that you will have to haul or pay for delivery of all of the materials, get them into the basement etc. (You will pay for this with the pro's too but they will do all of the work :smile
Probably more like $.04 but whatever
The best way to learn to do something is do it yourself. Get some books, watch some vids and do one room. I just think it is crazy what guys get paid to do house work.
My builder wanted to finish 1,000 sqft for $27,000. I said no way. I've got everything framed, duct work is being installed right now as I type, and plumbing and electrical will be done in 2-3 weeks. I should be able to finish everything (full bath too) for around $11-13,000.
If contracting it out, I would be hesitant going with anyone over $30/sqft and anyone under $20/sqft.
If contracting it out, I would be hesitant going with anyone over $30/sqft and anyone under $20/sqft.
How many of you used a sub floor when finishing it?
I'm wondering if I frame in a utility room now and want to finish it later, should I make sure that the door jamb is enough off the concrete to accommodate a sub floor on the finished side later. I'd like to have the door obviously at the correct height from the finished side.
I'm wondering if I frame in a utility room now and want to finish it later, should I make sure that the door jamb is enough off the concrete to accommodate a sub floor on the finished side later. I'd like to have the door obviously at the correct height from the finished side.
There are some areas where you can save money (carpet, which runs the risk of getting wet; painting, light fixtures, etc) but DO NOT skimp on the bathroom, especially plumbing, and especially if you are going to have a shower installed. Also, think about some type of 'hanging ceiling' in areas that can get wet from above, like beneath the kitchen sink or any first floor bathrooms.
Nothing kills a nice finished basement faster than water damage.
Nothing kills a nice finished basement faster than water damage.
You can always cut it when you put the sub floor in. That way you how high it needs to be.
des moines builders are busy right now. late fall would be a good time to get quotes for inside work that can be done in the winter.
I'm doing my framing now. I had an architect buddy draw up the plans I sketched. Some Jethro's wings and a good bottle of scotch and I had a floorplan to give to Menard's to order me wood, drywall, mud, tape, etc. They figured it all out so we'll see how good they are. I had it all delivered for $59 and did it during their 11% rebate.
I had to start with hiring Iowa Concrete to cut my floor for plumbing. I moved the bathroom 20' from where it was stubbed. $400. I rented a jackhammer to break it up smaller and set it aside. $35. I hired three high schoolers from church for $20/hr and they hauled the pieces to my truck in 15 minutes. Since that went so quick I had them carry my lumber down for me. Another 15 minutes. Best $60 I ever spent. The plumber dug out the trench and laid the drain pipes and carried/mixed/poured the concrete for $1,000. Once I finish framing, hopefully this weekend, he is coming in to set the shower/tub and all the plumbing for toilet, bar, sink, etc. for the additional $875
I have the electrician scheduled for the 24th and the drywall a week later. I'm taking three days off this week to finish the framing.
I went through a few contractors, and finally found a buddy that gave me names of great guys that do these things on their time.
~$3,000 in materials, including shower/tub, drywall, lumber, cabinets, etc.
$1,875 in plumbing
$1,900 in electrical with him giving me a sub-panel in basement.
$1,800 for drywall labor. Material already included above.
$300 for 'warm tiles,
$400 for HVAC, two returns and one heat vent plus fart fan
$1,500-$2,000 carpet installed
$1,000 for granite and sinks for bath and bar
$1,000 for cabinets and trim
$200-$300 for home theater wiring
~700 sq. feet finished and ~150 sq. ft unfinished
So I'm hoping to stay around $16,000 or less. Everything below drywall is still estimated as I'm not there yet. I have taken four days off after this week and won't plan to take any others. I'm planning to be done in 4-6 weeks total. So, this is around $23/sq. ft. My contractor buddies say that the going rate is around $30/sq ft. Depending on what you do for material and design, and the challenges, like moving plumbing across the whole ******* house.
Good luck, I love this stuff.
I had to start with hiring Iowa Concrete to cut my floor for plumbing. I moved the bathroom 20' from where it was stubbed. $400. I rented a jackhammer to break it up smaller and set it aside. $35. I hired three high schoolers from church for $20/hr and they hauled the pieces to my truck in 15 minutes. Since that went so quick I had them carry my lumber down for me. Another 15 minutes. Best $60 I ever spent. The plumber dug out the trench and laid the drain pipes and carried/mixed/poured the concrete for $1,000. Once I finish framing, hopefully this weekend, he is coming in to set the shower/tub and all the plumbing for toilet, bar, sink, etc. for the additional $875
I have the electrician scheduled for the 24th and the drywall a week later. I'm taking three days off this week to finish the framing.
I went through a few contractors, and finally found a buddy that gave me names of great guys that do these things on their time.
~$3,000 in materials, including shower/tub, drywall, lumber, cabinets, etc.
$1,875 in plumbing
$1,900 in electrical with him giving me a sub-panel in basement.
$1,800 for drywall labor. Material already included above.
$300 for 'warm tiles,
$400 for HVAC, two returns and one heat vent plus fart fan
$1,500-$2,000 carpet installed
$1,000 for granite and sinks for bath and bar
$1,000 for cabinets and trim
$200-$300 for home theater wiring
~700 sq. feet finished and ~150 sq. ft unfinished
So I'm hoping to stay around $16,000 or less. Everything below drywall is still estimated as I'm not there yet. I have taken four days off after this week and won't plan to take any others. I'm planning to be done in 4-6 weeks total. So, this is around $23/sq. ft. My contractor buddies say that the going rate is around $30/sq ft. Depending on what you do for material and design, and the challenges, like moving plumbing across the whole ******* house.
Good luck, I love this stuff.
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