Basement Finishing in St. George & Southern Utah

The Cheapest Square Footage You'll Ever Add

A finished basement is often the cheapest square footage you'll ever add to your home, because the foundation, walls, and roof are already there. The trick is finishing it in a way that actually meets code, drains properly, and doesn't grow mold in a year.

We handle the full basement finish: framing, electrical and plumbing coordination, egress windows, insulation, drywall, flooring, and finish work.

Pricing

A basic basement finish in Southern Utah runs approximately $125 per square foot. That's for finished living space without significant plumbing additions.

Basements that include bathrooms or kitchenettes can run higher per square foot, sometimes $350 to $400 per square foot in the high-spec sections (the bath or kitchen area), depending on fixtures and finishes. When we blend that into the whole-basement number, the per-square-foot price comes up accordingly.

Timeline

Basement finishes typically take four to twelve weeks, depending on size, layout complexity, and how many wet spaces are included.

What People Actually Build Down There

The most common rooms we build in finished basements are:

• Bedrooms (with code-compliant egress windows and closets)
• Family rooms and second living spaces
• Home offices
• Guest suites

In higher-end homes we more often build:

• Home theaters
• Home gyms
• Wine rooms and bars

And increasingly common across the price range:

• Basement kitchenettes built for Airbnb, short-term rental, or long-term rental income

Basement Kitchenettes for Rental Income

We're seeing more homeowners finish their basements specifically to rent them out. A small kitchen, separate exterior entry, a private bath, and a sleeping area can turn an unused basement into meaningful monthly income.

We'll help you think through:

• Whether your local zoning allows it
• What separate utilities or metering might require
• How to lay out the entry and parking so guests don't disrupt your household

Egress and Code

Any room that's going to be used as a bedroom needs a code-compliant egress window. In older Southern Utah homes, that often means cutting out the foundation and installing a larger window well, which adds cost. We handle the concrete cutting and wall installation as part of the finish.

A bedroom also needs a closet to legally count as a bedroom. The closet doesn't need a door, but it needs a hanging system.

Below-Grade Plumbing

If your basement bathroom or kitchenette sits below the main sewer line, you'll need a sump pump or sewage ejector pump (sometimes called a grinder pump). The pump holds wastewater until it reaches a set level, then pushes it up to the main drain line above grade. We size and install these as part of the build.

Moisture and Waterproofing

Even in Southern Utah's dry climate, we waterproof every basement finish. The exterior of the foundation gets sealed, interior surfaces near showers get appropriate moisture-resistant boards (Denshield for shower walls, green board for moisture-prone non-shower areas), and we manage drainage at the foundation level.

Ceiling Height

If your basement ceiling is on the lower side, we can work with what's there. Minimum heights vary by code and use, but most basements have enough height for comfortable finishing.