How Much Does it Cost to Finish a Basement in GTA?

modern basement organized living space GTA

Many Greater Toronto Area (GTA) homes have a basement, but not all basements are finished. Basements offer an incredible potential to expand your home’s living space. You can build an extra bedroom suite, a home office, playroom, home theater, basement bar, or any number of other designs. But first, you need to finish your basement. You will need to build a moisture barrier, frame the walls, add wiring and plumbing, build fresh drywall with insulation, and install a new floor. And that’s the beginning. The question is: How much does it cost to finish a basement in the Greater TorontoArea? We’d love to help you estimate your basement finishing costs.

  1. The Basics: From Unfinished to Finished

The first stage of finishing your basement is transforming the space from unfinished to finished. This involves moisture sealing, framing, drywall, insulated floors, drop ceilings, fresh paint, and utilities like power, water, and ventilation. Whether you desire one large finished room or a personalized suite of unique spaces, these steps are a must. In the first half of this article, we will dive into the essential costs of finishing your basement. In the second half, we’ll talk about the cost of building specialized rooms and features that are popular in basement finishing and basement renovation projects.

Basement Finishing Price Range

  • Average: $35,000
  • Range: $30,000 – $90,000

The average cost of finishing a basement in GTA is about $35,000, but costs can be as low as $30,000 or as high as $90,000, depending on the size of your basement and the scope of your project. The basement finishing cost per square foot is relatively low if your intention is just to frame and drywall the space, while more elaborate basement renovations cost more due to the added interior walls and built-in features.

The cost per square foot to finish a basement average between $35 and $100 per square foot.  How much does it cost to finish a 1,000 sq ft basement? It could range between $35,500 and $100,000 at the most basic level, while advanced features will naturally boost the price.

Smaller basements and simple finishing projects have a lower overall cost. For a more comprehensive upgrade, you will also need to ask “how much does a basement renovation cost.” and combine the prices of both finishing and building a custom space.

Building Permits

  • $1,000  – $2,500

Finishing a basement requires structural changes, which means getting a building permit. The cost for building permits depends on your province and municipality (city or county) as well as the structures you plan to build. The general price range for building permits when finishing a basement range from around $1,000 to $2,500.

There are a few types of fees related to permitting. The typical Building Permits (City Fee) ranges from $1,000 to $2,500. You may also need an Architectural Fee and a Structural Engineering Fee for certain changes like a separate entrance or increased window size,

Moisture Sealing the Basement

  • $2,000 – $15,000

Basements have a tendency toward dampness. Moisture seeps in through the soil surrounding a basement. Even finished basements can have moisture buildup problems, and the best way to prevent water damage and mold in your finished basement materials is to start with a moisture and vapor barrier. When starting your calculation for a finished basement cost, start with the cost of your moisture barrier.

Moisture sealing your basement can cost between $2,000 and $15,000 depending on your basement size and the materials you choose.

Framing the Basement

  • $3,000 – $7,000
  • $20 – $40 per linear foot

The average cost to frame a basement is about $4,000, with wall framing prices ranging from $20-$40 per linear foot (L/F) but the range can vary between $3,000 for framing just the outer walls of a small basement to over $7,000 for framing a large basement with interior rooms. Framing involves setting up wooden and metal frames that define the walls and provide structure. Framing is an essential early stage on which everything else relies. Framing defines where the utility lines should go and where the drywall will be hung. You can also define other features like doorways, bulkheads, drop or suspended ceilings, and built-in structures.

Running Utilities – Electricity, Plumbing, and HVAC

  • Electrical: $1,500 – $12,000
  • Plumbing: $2,500 – $15,000
  • HVAC: $2,000 – $10,000

Once your framing is in, you can prepare the utility lines to provide light, power outlets, and plumbing features for your basement. On average, electrical work costs about $5,000, with consideration for fixtures that can cost an average of $300 per light fixture and $200 per outlet.

Plumbing costs an average of $45 to $200 an hour, and between $2,500 to $15,000 total to plumb your finished basement. The more plumbed features and rooms you want, naturally, the higher the basement finishing costs.

Don’t forget to add HVAC ducts and vents. This ensures that your basement receives airflow with heating and cooling. The price range to add HVAC also has a wide range, between $2,000 and $10,000, depending on the number of rooms and the size of the space.

Insulation, Drywall, and Ceilings

  • Insulation: $1,500 – $4,000
  • Drywall: $1,000 – $5,000
  • Ceilings: $1,000 – $3,000
  • Painting: $1,200 to $4,500

With your utilities in place, you can finish building the walls by hanging drywall, lining the inside with insulation, and placing your finished ceilings. This makes our basement feel truly finished, like an interior space that has become a comfortable extension of your home. Each stage plays an important role in the cost of finishing the basement in GTA.

Insulating your basement walls will cost between $1,500 and $4,000, depending on the total square feet of wall to insulate and the type of insulation you choose. The cost of drywall installation in Greater Toronto Area ranges between around $1,000 and $5,000. You can also drywall and finish the ceilings for between $1,000 and $3,000 on average.

Lastly, painting your drywall and ceilings will cost somewhere between $1-$6 per square foot of surface, based on your choice of paint and layers.

Installing New Flooring

  • $2,000 – $12,000

The final touch is to install your flooring of choice. With the basement walls finished from the moisture barrier to the drywall, you’re ready to define your space with new tile, or even hardwood boards. Subfloors (Dricore) are also essential for the quality, insulation, and longevity of your floor.

The cost per square foot to finish basement floors depends heavily on your choice of flooring materials. Simple flooring material like laminate is very inexpensive, but you can go all the way up to marble tiles or rare hardwoods if you want to get fancy with your basement design.

  1. Custom Design: Rooms and Features

How much does it cost to finish a basement in GTA and build a customised floorplan with unique features? Many people have a vision of their dream basement and begin a basement finishing renovation with that goal in mind. Perhaps you dream of a beautiful residential suite, a peaceful home office, the perfect laundry room, your own private gourmet kitchen,  or a glamorous entertainment space with a wet bar. Whatever your dream, let’s talk about the cost to finish a basement in GTA with custom rooms and features.

Bathroom Addition

  • $5,000 – $30,000

Most people consider a finished basement incomplete without a bathroom addition. It’s smart home planning to have at least one bathroom on every floor. Adding a basement requires custom plumbing, additional framing, and tiling to your list of things to do and the cost of finishing basement in GTA.

In contrast, you might decide to build your dream luxury bathroom complete with a stone-clad walk in shower, soaker tub, sauna, and other delightful features, which will boost the price. This is why bathroom additions can range anywhere from $5,000 for the powder room to $30,000 and above for more luxurious design.

Kitchen or Wet Bar

  • $4,500 – $75,000

Basements also have a great deal of potential for kitchen additions. You can add a tidy kitchenette snack bar for your cozy family den. If you want a social entertainment space, a polished wood and stone wet bar might be the perfect addition. Or, if your upstairs kitchen is too plain, you can build the gourmet kitchen of your dreams in the basement.

This also represents a wide range in finish basement costs, from closer to $4,500 for a simple kitchenette or wet bar to a higher range near $75,000 for a full gourmet basement kitchen

Laundry and Utility Room

  • $3,500 – $15,000

With the right utility room design, doing laundry in the basement can become easy and fun. Give yourself the gift of a brightly lit room, spacious stone countertops for folding and sorting, and built-in cabinets for storing your spare linens. Include outlets for entertainment like a radio, television, and smart home devices. You can even put the machines on a platform to make them easier to reach.

Families often particularly love adding a laundry chute, which makes dirty laundry delivery fun and easy. Utility rooms range from simple to elegant, with a matching basement finishing cost between $3,500 to $15,000.

Legal Basement Apartment

  • Suite: $35,000 – $200,000

Are you finishing your basement to add a bedroom, suite, or a private apartment? Basements can add one or more bedrooms to your home, enhancing the property value and your ability to grow the family or host guests. basement finish cost of a single bedroom is minimal, but adding a bathroom, sitting room, and possibly a suite kitchen will – of course – add to the cost, along with the lavishness of the suite you want to build.

Bedrooms also have legal requirements, like a window large enough to climb through, which may add to the cost of structural changes.

Be sure to consider the cost to make your basement upgrades fully compliant with building codes and legal requirements. For example, every basement must have at least one egress window suitable for a fire escape, and each bedroom has the same requirement. Your basement must meet structural and electrical safety codes and conform to fire safety standards.

The cost to finish your basement in GTA to legal standards depends on the original design, and you can estimate this cost after an initial consultation with your builders.

Home Office

  • $4,500 – $20,000

The basement is a great place to build a private home office because it is sound isolated from the rest of the house. You can enjoy peace and quiet in your own space, and basement renovation allows you to fully define every feature, from convenient outlets to elegant backdrops on video calls.

Home office design can cost anywhere from $4,500 for a simple, electrically powered space to $20,000 for a more sophisticated design with custom features.

Den or Home Gym

  • $4,500 – $25,000

Whether you want a family den or a home gym, the basement finishing cost is similar. Both types of rooms focus on floor space with a few features along the outer walls. A den requires connections for the entertainment system and can be enhanced by custom lighting. A home gym relies on high-quality (highly durable) floors, good lighting, and a few outlets to power your workout tunes.

Both may benefit from built-in storage for supplies, whether it’s your video collection and toy chests or racks for weights and yoga mats.

Finish Carpentry

  • $4,000 – $15,000

Now, let’s talk about the finer details. Finish carpentry makes any basement feel more complete, elegant, and personalised. Finish carpentry includes doorframes, custom door installations, and trim designs. Trim defines a space with details like crown molding, wainscoting, and custom baseboards. But you can also add detail to your walls with trim like subtle framing, designated spaces for artwork, and details that reflect a certain era of architectural design that you might love.

Finish carpentry costs for basement renovation vary widely depending on the level of detail and quality you desire. A few doorframes and details can add as little as $4,000 to your basement finish costs, while more elegant and elaborate finish carpentry can go much higher.

Staircase Finishing

  • $800 – $19,000

What about your basement staircase? The stairs down to an unfinished basement may not be much to look at. It’s perfectly normal to want to glow up your basement stairs with staircase finishing design or even build a completely new staircase that reflects your personal style.

Because the design choices can vary so greatly, the cost to finish basement stairs can range from a little as $800 for a fresh coat of paint to $19,000 or more for custom stairs.

Accent Walls 

  • $150 – $12,000+

Accent walls bring a splash of personality and unique style to any room. When finishing your basement, you can bring the space to life with the right choice of accent wall. Rich Home Inc. specialises in custom accent walls from beautifully textured designs and entertainment systems to mesmerising electric fireplaces.

Finish Your Basement in Style

If you are ready to expand your home by finishing your basement, Rich Home Inc. is here to bring your vision to reality. We proudly provide expert basement renovation services from design to build completion. Our experts will help you first better understand your costs based on your own unique requests. Contact us to begin planning the finishing of your basement.

Areas We Serve

We are proud to offer our Home Renovation services in the following areas:

  • Niagara Falls
  • St. Catharines
  • Niagara-on-the-Lake
  • Thorold
  • Welland
  • Stoney Creek
  • Dundas
  • Mount Hope
  • Burlington
  • Oakville
  • Pelham
  • Hamilton
  • Ancaster
  • Waterdown
  • Milton
  • Mississauga
  • Etobicoke
  • Toronto

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