$12,000 – $37,500That is the typical basement remodel cost in 2026 for updating a basement that is already finished, and two cost guides land close together: HomeGuide puts it at $12,500 to $37,500 and Angi at $12,020 to $34,631. Fixr prices a full remodel higher, at $27,000 to $81,000 for a 900-square-foot finished basement. New floors, lights and paint sit at the low end; a bathroom, a wet bar or a rental unit push the bill up.
This guide is for a basement that already has walls, a ceiling and a floor. If yours is still bare concrete with exposed wiring and plumbing, finishing it is a different job with different prices, and the figures below will not fit it. Fixr draws the same line between finishing an unfinished basement and remodeling one that is already finished (Fixr). Within remodeling, HomeGuide separates two kinds of work: remodeling changes how an existing finished space looks or works, and renovating replaces worn materials while the layout stays the same (HomeGuide). This page covers both, plus the add-ons people most often ask about: new flooring, a bathroom, a wet bar and a rental unit.
Basement remodel cost by source and scope
| Source (date) | Typical range | Average | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| HomeGuide (February 6, 2026) | $12,500 – $37,500 | $25,000 | $25 – $65 |
| Angi (July 20, 2026) | $12,020 – $34,631 | $22,872 | $30 – $75 |
| Fixr (January 30, 2025) | $27,000 – $81,000 (full remodel, 900 sq ft) | $50,000 | $30 – $90 |
HomeGuide and Angi agree closely on the typical project. HomeGuide reports a minimum of $3,500 and a maximum of $150,000 (HomeGuide); Angi runs from $3,250 on the low end to $57,000 on the high end, and says higher-end remodels with luxury features can go above $120 per square foot (Angi). Fixr’s range starts close to where the other two end because it describes a bigger job: its typical project is a complete remodel of a previously finished 900-square-foot basement with a living room and a home office. Its low example is $25,000 for a partial remodel with new flooring, lights and walls, and its high one $100,000 for a 1,200-square-foot partially finished basement with a theater room and a bathroom (Fixr). Fixr’s page was last updated in January 2025, the oldest of the three.
Our estimate: the $12,000 to $37,500 range at the top of this page takes the lowest low and the highest high of HomeGuide’s and Angi’s typical ranges, with Angi’s $12,020 rounded down to $12,000. We left Fixr’s $27,000 to $81,000 out of it because Fixr prices a full remodel of a 900-square-foot basement rather than the typical project, and we show it separately instead. This is our combination of published figures, not a measured price.
Fixr also splits the work by scope, which is the most useful way to place your own project. A partial remodel updates the surfaces of one area or room, such as new hardwood floors and fresh paint. A conversion gives an already finished space a new use, like turning a storage room into a home gym. A full remodel touches walls, ceilings, floors, lights, plumbing and other utilities, and often divides the basement into separate rooms (Fixr).
| Type of remodel | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Partial remodel | $10,000 – $30,000 |
| Conversion to a new use | $10,000 – $100,000 |
| Full remodel | $27,000 – $81,000 |
Basement remodel cost by size
| Square feet | HomeGuide ($25 – $65 per sq ft) | Fixr ($30 – $90 per sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | $5,000 – $13,000 | — |
| 300 | $7,500 – $19,500 | — |
| 500 | $12,500 – $32,500 | $15,000 – $45,000 |
| 600 | — | $18,000 – $54,000 |
| 700 | — | $21,000 – $63,000 |
| 750 | $18,800 – $48,800 | — |
| 800 | — | $24,000 – $72,000 |
| 900 | — | $27,000 – $81,000 |
| 1,000 | $25,000 – $65,000 | $30,000 – $90,000 |
| 1,200 | $30,000 – $78,000 | — |
| 1,500 | $37,500 – $97,500 | — |
| 1,800 | $45,000 – $117,000 | — |
| 2,000 | $50,000 – $130,000 | — |
Treat size tables as a rough guide only. Angi quotes $30 to $75 per square foot, yet its own size table puts a medium basement of 700 to 1,500 square feet at $17,000 to $24,000, well below what its per-foot figure would give (Angi). The spread is wide because “remodel” covers everything from new paint and light fixtures to moving walls and adding plumbing, so pricing your actual scope, item by item, is more reliable than multiplying square feet.
Cost to update each surface
Most remodels of a finished basement start with the surfaces that wear out or date first: flooring, drywall, ceiling, paint and trim. These are HomeGuide’s renovation line items, the work that replaces materials without changing the layout; Angi and Fixr price several of the same items.
| Update | HomeGuide | Angi | Fixr |
|---|---|---|---|
| New flooring | $4 – $15 per sq ft ($1,200 – $30,000) | $3 – $11 per sq ft; tile $6 – $20 per sq ft | $950 – $31,000 |
| Subfloor replacement | $2.20 – $4.75 per sq ft ($1,750 – $7,100) | — | — |
| Drywall | $1.50 – $3.50 per sq ft ($1,500 – $7,000) | $1.50 – $3 per sq ft | — |
| Ceiling | $2 – $4 per sq ft, drywall ($1,000 – $4,000) | — | $950 – $2,450, drop ceiling |
| Painting | $1 – $3 per sq ft ($350 – $850 per room) | $2.75 per sq ft walls; $4.70 with ceilings and trim | $500 – $3,600 |
| Trim | $350 – $1,200 per room | — | — |
| Lighting | $700 – $1,650 for six recessed lights | $150 – $900 per fixture | $1,500 – $3,000, wiring and lighting |
| Electrical wiring | $4 – $9 per sq ft ($2,000 – $9,000) | $100 – $450 per outlet | — |
| Insulation | $500 – $4,500 | $1.50 – $2.50 per sq ft | — |
| Floor leveling | — | — | $1,200 – $15,000 |
Flooring. Redoing a basement floor costs $4 to $15 per square foot installed, depending on material and size (HomeGuide). Angi puts most basement floors, such as vinyl, vinyl laminate or carpet, at $3 to $11 per square foot and tiled areas at $6 to $20 (Angi). Fixr prices whole basement floors by material: carpet $950 to $3,000, tile $1,000 to $10,000, polished concrete $3,700 to $10,800, epoxy $8,000 to $13,500 and a heated floor $11,200 to $31,000 (Fixr). The guides disagree on the subfloor: HomeGuide prices a replacement at $2.20 to $4.75 per square foot, while Fixr says a subfloor is not necessary in a basement because the concrete acts as one. Ask each contractor whether their quote includes one, and why.
Drywall and ceiling. Drywall runs $1.50 to $3.50 per square foot, or $1,500 to $7,000 for a 1,000-square-foot basement, and a drywall ceiling $2 to $4 per square foot (HomeGuide); Angi’s drywall figure is $1.50 to $3. A drop ceiling costs $950 to $2,450, and Fixr notes it keeps the pipes, wires and ducts that cross most basement ceilings easy to reach for repairs (Fixr). Opening walls in an older basement is also when hidden problems show up, which is why the damage costs further down matter.
Lighting. Basements are often lit by a few ceiling fixtures. Recessed lights cost $125 to $300 each, or $700 to $1,650 for six (HomeGuide). Fixr puts recessed lighting for a basement at $800 to $2,000, track lighting at $500 to $1,000 and wall sconces at $550 to $900, and notes that sconces work no matter how low the ceiling is (Fixr). HomeGuide also suggests that, instead of a full remodel, one or two affordable upgrades such as new light fixtures, paint or trim can be enough.
Our estimate: a cosmetic refresh of a 600-square-foot finished basement with three rooms — new flooring at $4 to $15 per square foot ($2,400 to $9,000), paint and trim in three rooms ($2,100 to $6,150) and six recessed lights ($700 to $1,650) — comes to roughly $5,200 to $16,800. This adds HomeGuide’s unit prices; it is our calculation, not a measured figure, and it excludes permits, subfloor and any repairs found once the old floor is up.
Adding a room or feature
| Room or addition | HomeGuide | Angi | Fixr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add a bathroom | $2,500 – $12,500 | $6,600 – $16,500 | $20,000 – $30,000 |
| Remodel the existing bathroom | $2,500 – $15,000 | — | $3,000 – $25,000 |
| Wet bar | $2,000 – $12,000 (prefabricated) | $800 – $22,500 | $6,000 – $10,000 |
| Bedroom | — | $3,000 – $10,000 | $20,000 – $30,000 |
| Home theater | $2,000 – $42,000 | $10,000 – $60,000 | $70,000 – $90,000 |
| Kitchen | — | — | $30,000 – $60,000 |
| Wine cellar | — | $5,000 – $100,000 | $15,000 – $60,000 |
| Home gym | — | $300 – $15,000 | $2,500 – $5,000 |
| Sauna or steam room | $3,000 – $10,000 | — | — |
| Fireplace | $1,900 – $5,600 | — | — |
| Wood stove | $1,200 – $4,500 | — | — |
| Egress window | $3,000 – $7,000 | $2,700 – $5,900 | $2,500 – $5,300 |
| Walkout door | — | — | $2,500 – $10,000 |
The three guides disagree most on the bigger rooms. Fixr’s low figure for adding a bathroom, $20,000, is above the high figures from HomeGuide and Angi. Fixr’s price assumes plumbing lines have to be run to the space, usually with a trench in the slab for the waste pipe, plus waterproofing, fixtures, lights and finishing (Fixr). If a quote lands near Fixr’s numbers rather than HomeGuide’s, ask whether it includes breaking the slab.
Home theater. HomeGuide’s $2,000 to $42,000 range depends on the size of the room, the quality of the equipment and the number of seats (HomeGuide). Angi puts it at $10,000 to $60,000. Fixr’s $70,000 to $90,000 is for a full theater conversion, which it says usually needs full acoustic insulation and professional planning of the audio and video setup (Fixr). Set the seat count and screen size before asking for quotes, so every bid prices the same room.
Wet bar. A prefabricated wet bar costs $2,000 to $12,000 and a custom one $10,000 to $30,000 (HomeGuide). Fixr puts a basement bar at $6,000 to $10,000 including cabinets, countertop, sink, faucet and installation, and higher with luxury materials such as exotic stone counters or hardwood cabinets (Fixr). Angi’s range is the widest, $800 to $22,500. The sink needs a water supply and a drain, and new plumbing costs $450 to $1,800 per fixture (HomeGuide), so placing the bar near existing pipes keeps the cost down.
Bedroom. Turning a basement room into a bedroom can be as simple as adding furniture or as involved as adding a closet, wall, door or window. A closet costs $25 to $35 per square foot, or $1,500 to $4,500, and a custom walk-in closet $1,000 to $8,000 (HomeGuide). Angi puts a basement bedroom at $3,000 to $10,000; Fixr’s $20,000 to $30,000 covers a code-compliant room built from scratch, with framing, finished walls and floor, lighting, a closet, an egress window or door, and smoke detectors nearby (Fixr). HomeGuide notes that all basement living areas need some type of egress window or emergency exit, and gives two figures for one on the same page, $3,000 to $7,000 in its table and $6,000 to $8,000 in the text. Angi’s $2,700 to $5,900 and Fixr’s $2,500 to $5,300 are both lower, so ask for a quote specific to your wall and window well.
Estimate your basement remodel cost
Use the tables above to estimate your cost. The interactive calculator needs JavaScript.
Updating a basement bathroom
Remodeling a bathroom that already exists costs $100 to $500 per square foot, or $3,500 to $25,000 or more for an average-sized room; a small bathroom costs $3,000 to $15,000 or more. Adding a new bathroom in existing space costs $5,000 to $25,000 in HomeGuide’s text (its table gives $2,500 to $12,500), and more with luxury fixtures, custom designs or an extension to the house (HomeGuide). Fixr puts remodeling an existing basement bathroom at $3,000 to $25,000, depending on its size, its condition, whether it grows and the materials chosen, with full bathrooms costing more than three-quarter or half baths (Fixr).
An existing basement bathroom is the cheaper starting point because the drain lines are already in place. Keeping the toilet, shower and sink where they are avoids the per-fixture plumbing cost of $450 to $1,800 each (HomeGuide). If you only swap fixtures, Angi lists a toilet installation at $225 to $530, a sink at $215 to $660 and a shower at $1,100 to $8,500 (Angi).
Converting a basement into a rental unit
Turning a finished basement into a separate apartment combines several of the lines above: a bathroom, a kitchen or kitchenette, a bedroom with an egress window, and usually new electrical work and permits. Fixr puts converting a basement into an apartment at $60,000 to $120,000. To meet building codes, it says, the unit needs a separate entrance from the rest of the home, a full kitchen, a bathroom, egress, a closet in the bedroom and separate utility controls, and the whole space must be waterproofed and finished (Fixr). HomeGuide and Angi do not publish a single figure for a basement apartment, so the other way to budget it is to add up the parts.
Our estimate: a basic unit built inside an already finished basement — a new bathroom ($5,000 to $25,000), a prefabricated wet bar as a kitchenette ($2,000 to $12,000), an egress window ($3,000 to $8,000, using the widest of HomeGuide’s two figures), new electrical wiring ($2,000 to $9,000) and a permit ($500 to $2,000) — comes to roughly $12,500 to $56,000 with HomeGuide’s ranges. Swapping the wet bar for Fixr’s full basement kitchen ($30,000 to $60,000) and adding its walkout door for a separate entrance ($2,500 to $10,000) gives roughly $43,000 to $114,000, close to Fixr’s own $60,000 to $120,000 at the top end. Both are our sums of published ranges, not measured figures. Fire separation between units would be on top, and local rules on accessory units vary.
Lead paint if you will rent it. In a home built before 1978, renovation that disturbs painted surfaces can create dangerous lead dust. The EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule generally does not apply to homeowners working on their own home, but it does apply if you rent all or part of the home, and it requires contractors doing such work in pre-1978 homes to be lead-safe certified (EPA). The EPA recommends hiring a certified lead inspector or risk assessor to test the surfaces first.
Permits, plans and structural work
| Item | HomeGuide | Angi | Fixr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit | $500 – $2,000 (structural) | $500 – $2,000 | $200 – $1,500 |
| Blueprint plans | $100 – $1,500 | — | — |
| Structural engineer | $100 – $220 per hour | $70 – $250 per hour | — |
| Architect | $100 – $250 per hour | — | — |
| General contractor fee | — | 10% – 25% of project cost | 25% of final costs |
| Lowering the floor | $50 – $100 per sq ft | — | $31,500 – $63,000 |
| Lifting the house | $10,000 – $40,000 | — | — |
| Expanding the basement | — | — | $40,000 – $120,000 |
You need a permit to remodel a basement, and HomeGuide warns that remodeling without one is unsafe and can affect resale value. A basement must be at least 7 to 8 feet tall to count as living space; a low ceiling is the reason some owners lower the floor or lift the house. A structural engineer may also charge 1% to 5% of the project cost, and an architect 5% to 20% of construction (HomeGuide). Fixr gives a minimum ceiling height of 7 feet and notes that most cities and towns require a permit for a basement remodel (Fixr). Angi says an experienced company will typically obtain the permits, but advises reading the contract to confirm it (Angi).
Hidden damage you may find
An old finished basement can hide problems behind its walls and floors. HomeGuide lists these costs if damage turns up (HomeGuide):
- Mold removal: $15 to $30 per square foot, or $1,500 to $6,000. A mold inspection before work costs $300 to $650.
- Asbestos removal: $5 to $15 per square foot, or $2,500 to $9,000 for a 500- to 600-square-foot project, and $20,000 or more for a whole basement.
- Water damage repair: $1,500 to $6,000.
- Foundation repair: $250 to $800 for minor cracks and $2,000 to $20,000 for major problems.
- Waterproofing: $1,900 to $6,300 as a line item, or $6,000 to $18,000 for a full job with wall sealing, a pump and a drain.
- Radon testing: $125 to $400.
The other two guides price the same surprises in a similar band. Fixr puts basement mold removal at $1,500 to $4,000 and leak repair at $2,000 to $10,000 (Fixr). Angi puts foundation repair at $2,000 to $7,100, with minor cracks around $500, asbestos removal at about $2,100 on average and waterproofing at $5 to $10 per square foot (Angi).
The EPA notes that mold may be hidden on the back side of drywall or paneling, the top side of ceiling tiles and the underside of carpets and pads. Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles and carpet may have to be thrown away if they become moldy, and if mold covers more than about 10 square feet the agency points to its remediation guidance for larger jobs (EPA). Budget for replacing, not cleaning, any stained ceiling tiles or carpet you find.
If your utility corner is part of the remodel, it is also a good moment to check the age of the equipment there; our guide to water heater replacement cost covers what a swap costs before it is boxed in.
Timeline and value
A basement remodel takes 3 to 8 weeks on average, longer with backordered materials, demolition or structural changes. HomeGuide puts the return on investment at 65% to 70%, depending on scope and square footage, and notes that the ROI drops if the remodeled space does not meet local code for living space (HomeGuide). Angi’s figures are similar: four to eight weeks of construction, or three to four months once planning and permits are included, and an ROI of around 70% (Angi).
How to keep the bill down
- Start with the cheapest visible upgrades: light fixtures, paint and trim.
- Keep the bathroom, wet bar and kitchenette near existing plumbing to avoid per-fixture costs.
- Choose a prefabricated wet bar over a custom one.
- Remove old materials and buy new materials yourself beforehand, as HomeGuide suggests.
- Keep the existing layout where you can; moving walls turns a renovation into a remodel.
- Don’t finish the space around the furnace and water heater: wall them off and leave access, as Angi suggests.
- Compare at least three written estimates for the same scope, and be wary of a hugely discounted bid (Angi).
Questions to ask before you sign
- Will you handle the building permits, and is the fee in the estimate?
- Does the estimate include materials, labor, delivery and cleanup?
- If you are the general contractor, what is your fee as a share of the project?
- Does the price include a new subfloor or breaking the slab for plumbing, and if so, why is it needed?
- What happens to the price if you find mold, asbestos or water damage behind the walls?
- If the home was built before 1978 and I rent the space, are you lead-safe certified?
- Will you use subcontractors for plumbing or electrical work?
- How long will the job take, and what warranty do you offer?
Sources
- HomeGuide, How Much Does a Basement Remodel Cost?, February 6, 2026.
- Angi, How Much Does a Basement Remodel Cost?, updated July 20, 2026 (archived copy of August 12, 2026).
- Fixr, Cost to Remodel a Basement, updated January 30, 2025.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lead-Safe Renovations for DIYers.
