Basement development project in Calgary by Urban Square Developments

Calgary Basement Development

Trusted Basement Development Company In Calgary, Airdrie, Okotoks.

Calgary Basement Development

Basement Development β€” also called basement finishing or basement renovation β€” is the process of converting an unfinished concrete basement into fully functional, code-compliant living space. In Calgary, a properly developed basement typically adds 700–1,200 sq ft of usable area to your home and can increase resale value by 5-15%. Basement Development is often overlooked as valuable living space. Some homes are undeveloped by the original builder with further construction in mind & some need updating from the builder if the space is outdated. The size of an average basement is generally about one-third of the entire home, which means that developing an unfinished basement in Calgary will increase a home's living space by approximately 30%. If you live in a bungalow, the living space can even be doubled. Building a basement is one of the most frequent projects undertaken by today's homeowners & the reason is simple. Unused or unfinished basements are wasted space with overlooked potential. More modern than rec rooms of the past, today's basement renovations are being transformed into every imaginable option. Simple family rooms to watch T.V, Open spaces for gym equipment, Bedrooms, Laundry room, Spaces for entertaining β€” the options & possibilities are endless. While every basement project is unique in terms of final finishings, the main construction components of most Basement Development or Secondary Suite projects are the same. As a knowledgeable Basement Company, we understand that each project has different requirements & we work with homeowners to help build what they have in mind for their space.

Basements Built For Warmth & Comfort

When considering any basement renovation or basement development in Calgary, many homeowners don't give a lot of thought to making sure the basement is insulated properly & warm in the winter months. Our Canadian winters will always be cold. Properly insulated walls & installing a Dri Core subfloor are items we recommend on every basement development & secondary suite project we work on. Basements should be sealed, insulated and ventilated just like any other space. It will significantly reduce the cost of heating+cooling & it will balance the heating+cooling cycles. The way we look at warm & comfortable is: why build a great space, if you still need a blanket on the sofa in the winter months? Our advice is to always consider the important aspects of properly warming a basement if any great amount of time will be spent there.

Finished basement living roomBasement home theatreRenovated basement kitchenFinished basement bedroom

What Does An Average Basement Development Cost in Calgary?

The average basement development in Calgary costs $30,000 – $60,000 for spaces approx. 650 sq/f. And the more common choice we see is a 1 bed, 1 bath, living room & mechanical room. Our most often asked question is naturally.. How much does it cost to develop a basement in Calgary? After many years of projects, the easiest way to explain it would be… It's really up to what each homeowner would like for their space. Yes, it's that simple. You have to compare Apples to Apples no matter which company you request a quote from. There are so many variables & material preferences that a one size fits all approach is never accurate or realistic. One homeowner may want a simple 1 bed & 1 bath for the kids or teenagers, while the next may wish for a 1 bed, 1 bath with laundry or wet bar for entertaining. The long answer is that, there are so many variables and finishing choices that can factor into any total basement development budget. We prefer to stay away from sales pitches of Bronze-Gold or Platinum type of basement packages. They are never accurate & more often than not cost more than the project should be. We prefer to build ideally what each homeowner would like for their space. Each basement development in Calgary we work on is viewed as a basic standard basement development and we start the process from there as each homeowner has different preferences & options they are considering. A simple standard basement is ideal for homeowners who have a simple space & would just like to have another TV room or common area. They don't wish to have any bedrooms or basement bathroom installed & would just like some more finished space. A standard open space basement without bedrooms or bathroom generally costs 25k-30k depending on a few factors such as total s/f of the space, stairwell finishing, lighting choices & flooring choices etc. Including a bathroom to a standard basement usually adds between $5000-$8000 & beyond depending on personal preferences. One contributing factor in this price range is whether or not the plumbing rough-ins are in place. Having to add the rough-ins & drainage can easily run $1000-$3000 to break the concrete floor, have the plumbing installed, inspected by the city, and cement over again. Keep in mind that HVAC exhaust for bathfan, heat-run & electric components are also required for including a bathroom. As far as basement development ideas go most homeowners in our experience choose a 1 Bed+1 bath, living room & mechanical room. The reason we see this more often than not is, in most cases it just makes sense. The extra bedroom & bathroom usually makes sense for resale value, while excluding a second bedroom usually helps keep the budget in line.

Unfinished Basement Development VS. Basement Remodel Of Outdated Space

Renovating an outdated or already finished basement is a bit more labour intensive than an undeveloped basement as it requires an entire phase of demolition before construction and sometimes even design can begin. An already finished basement requires a few days of demo labour to tear down drywall, old framing, flooring, tile, ceilings, doors & remove outdated fixtures. These type of projects consist of vast amounts of debris which need to be hauled upstairs through tight stairways and sometimes through open basement windows to be placed into the waste dumpsters. Basement remodels also introduce careful labour considerations. We must navigate around existing Electrical, HVAC & Plumbing lines without causing damage to those areas and components. It requires a slower methodical approach & these additional labour factors simply do not exist when starting from a blank slate or unfinished basement. An already finished or outdated basement becomes especially tricky when building a Secondary Legal Suite & presents its own challenges when planning for this type of project. When we meet with homeowners to discuss & view their space and they have plans to build a Secondary Legal Suite with a pre existing finished basement(or outdated), our advice 8 out of 10 times is to demo the existing outdated basement and start from scratch. The complexities of running the required mechanicals for Secondary Suites ie. Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical is usually past the point of trying to salvage an outdated space.

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