Professional Documents
Culture Documents
As you begin to plan your finished basement use this information to help
you develop an accurate budget and cost estimate. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.
jason@ifinishedmybasement.com
Review the Costs This will tab has 8 of the top variables which can greatly affect cost. I'm sure there are others,
Step 1 Considerations tab. these are the most common and largest by percentage.
Use the High Level Estimator On the left side of this page I have "my" basement project high level cost break-out. In the
Step 2 to Estimate your Basement
Project Costs.
middle I have a spot for your basement with columns for low, middle and high estimates. To the
far right is a rough estimate if you're using a contractor.
My basement costs included certain assumptions. While I believe the low and high estimate
Step 3 Review My Assumptions values will account for those you can read them for yourself to decide if your situation may be
different.
This last tab is what I used from week to week on my personal basement project to track costs.
Check out the Detailed DIY
Step 4 Budget
Anytime I bought something I recorded it here. If I got something for free or used a tool that I
already had that is also listed and accounted for in the estimate values.
All content, estimates and calculations are property of www.ifinishedmybasement.com. All rights are
reserved. Do not re-distribute or alter and re-distribute without written permission and author consent.
(seriously, don't make me mad, I'm really good at lawyer stuff)
www.iFinishedMyBasement.com
8 Important Cost Considerations
What is the approximate square footage of The finished square footage affects the cost of variable items like wood, drywall, paint,
1 your finished basement space? etc.
Bathrooms, although seeming small, pack a lot of materials and are a large percentage
2 Bathroom - half, full or none of the cost. However, several components are optional. Try laminate instead of tile or
reduce to a half bath if the cost is to high.
This affects whether or not your drywall guys can use 8' or 12' foot boards. A 12' board
Basement Entrance - exterior entrance or
3 interior only
cannot fit down your interior stairs. A walk out basement can save you money. FYI, I
contracted out all of my drywall work and I suggest you do the same.
To save money consider skippin flooring at first and just staining or painting the floor.
4 Flooring - carpet, engineered wood, nothing Carpet is the next cheapest option but get something durable. Engineered wood and
laminate strip simulated wood look the best but are the most expensive.
A 9' ceiling requires a lot more drywall work and longer framing studs, plus a bit more
5 Ceiling Height - 7', 8', 9' paint. Most basements are 8' nominially, if yours is closer to 9' you should lean towards
the higher end of the cost estimate
This is primarily to estimate the number of doors and door trim that you will need.
6 # of Rooms
Include closets, HVAC any room with a door.
Pre-wiring for speakers, cable TV wiring, etc. None of the actual electronics, just the
7 AV wiring prep. This is a small percentage of cost and will pay big dividends down the road, my
suggestion is not skimp on this area.
Buy brand new, buy used, borrow, rent or skip all together, you can save a little bit but it
8 Tools may cost you big in time and quality. I suggest borrowing or buying used, see the tools
page of the website for details.
All content, estimates and calculations are property of www.ifinishedmybasement.com. All rights are
reserved. Do not re-distribute or alter and re-distribute without written permission and author consent.
(seriously, don't make me mad, I'm really good at lawyer stuff)
Jason's Basement Project < YOUR > Basement Project
Total Finished Cost Per Total Finished Sq. Professional Basement Contractor
Sq. Feet Total Cost % of Cost Sq. Ft. Feet Low Medium High
1200 14,225 11.85 1581 14,942 18,178 20,343 Finished Square Feet 1200
Low Med High
Change the
Variable square footage to Variable Cost per Sq. Foot 20 27 35
Framing 1,000 7.0% 0.83 adjust the cost Framing 1,120 1,318 1,449 Variable Cost 24,000 32,400 42,000
estimates.
Electrical 1,500 10.5% 1.25 Electrical 1,680 1,976 2,174
Audio/Visual 300 2.1% 0.25 Audio/Visual 336 395 435 Tools, Books, Permits 0 0 0
Bathroom 2,500 17.6% 2.08 Bathroom 2,800 3,294 3,623
Flooring 1,500 10.5% 1.25 Flooring 1,680 1,976 2,174 Total Per Square foot 24,000 32,400 42,000
Drywall 2,650 18.6% 2.21 Drywall 2,968 3,491 3,841
Trim and Doors 2,000 14.1% 1.67 Trim and Doors 2,240 2,635 2,899 Savings $9,775 $18,175 $27,775
Paint 1,000 7.0% 0.83 Paint 1,120 1,318 1,449 41% 56% 66%
* these are estimates, your local contractor may or may not have different rates.
Total 12,450 87.5% Total 13,942 16,403 18,043
All content, estimates and calculations are property of www.ifinishedmybasement.com. All rights are
reserved. Do not re-distribute or alter and re-distribute without written permission and author consent.
(seriously, don't make me mad, I'm really good at lawyer stuff)
Jason's Basement Assumptions
Bathroom has a tile floor and tile shower surround. Mid level vanity, sink and faucet. Solid
1 core door and a small closet. Sconce lighting with a mirror and a fan.
2 Base trim for the entire basement. No crown moulding. All rooms painted.
All doors are solid core and have 3" molding. (none of that slim 1.5" to 2" stuff.) Doors for
3 the workroom and storage room are extra wide.
Currently my floors are only stained, but I did add some extra cost in for carpeting for this
4 estimating effort.
I insulated a good portion of the ceiling and some of the walls in order to try and abate some
5 of the noise. Especially within the HVAC room. Cost included in the estimate.
I already had a couple of tools but I bumped up the costs in the estimates as if I had to
6 purchase all of them.
I bumped up the electrical estimate to includ LED lighting and LED compatible dimmer
7 switches for a lights. Mine is only standard lighting but all have dimmers, however if I were to
do mine again tomorrow I would use all LED.
All painted surfaces were primed and then painted with 2 coats of Behr paint from Home
8 Depot
Misc. projects such as caulkboard, built in shelves, plug for movie project and art niche were
9 included in my estimate and in the sample estimates, go with the lower end of the costs if
you won't have special projects.
Spent 12,136
2708.89
already as well.
1077 N 100 W Basement Project
Budget 20,000
Actual Costs 22,183
Remaining Funds -2,183
Note