The short answer
Most people spend $15,000 to $75,000 to finish a basement, according to Angi. HomeGuide puts it at $30 to $50 a square foot, or $60,000 to $100,000 for 2,000 square feet. Remodeling magazine's 2025 report put the average basement remodel in Salt Lake City at $51,252.
The numbers from the big guides
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Angi (2026) | $32,000 on average across the U.S. Most people spend $15,000 to $75,000. |
| HomeGuide (2026) | $30 to $50 per square foot across the U.S. |
| Remodeling Cost vs. Value (2025) | $51,252 for an average basement remodel in Salt Lake City. |
One warning. Some guides also print $7 to $23 a square foot. That does not even match their own totals, so do not build your budget on it.
Cost by size
Size matters, and so does the number of rooms. Walls, doors and outlets cost more than open space. HomeGuide's numbers:
| Basement size | One open room | Three rooms |
|---|---|---|
| 500 sq ft | $15,000 to $20,000 | $20,000 to $25,000 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $30,000 to $40,000 | $40,000 to $50,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $45,000 to $60,000 | $60,000 to $75,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $60,000 to $80,000 | $80,000 to $100,000 |
What adds to the price
| Add-on | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Basement bathroom | $10,000 to $25,000 | HomeGuide |
| Egress window for a bedroom | $2,000 to $5,300 | HomeGuide, This Old House, Fixr |
| Wet bar | $2,000 to $30,000 | HomeGuide |
| Kitchenette | $5,000 to $20,000 | HomeGuide |
| Heating ducts for the basement | $1,800 to $3,100 | HomeGuide |
| Waterproofing | About $4,400 on average | Angi |
Low ceilings are the big one. HomeGuide says a finished basement needs at least 7 feet of height, and Fixr puts lowering a basement floor at $31,500 to $63,000. Measure before you dream.
Utah costs to plan for
- Radon. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality says about 1 in 3 Utah homes has high radon, and a fix costs around $2,000. Test before the walls go up. The pipe is much easier to run in an open basement.
- The permit. In Sandy, a basement finish permit is $387 for most jobs (any job valued at $20,000 to $500,000). The city adds a plan review fee of 65% of the permit fee and a 1% state fee. Other cities charge their own rates.
- A cushion. Angi and This Old House both say to set aside 10% to 20% for surprises like water or foundation problems.
Is it worth it?
In Salt Lake City, the 2025 Cost vs. Value report says a basement remodel gets back about 75.8% of its cost when you sell. The rest comes back as space you use every day: a bedroom for a teenager, a theater, or a place for grandparents to stay.
How Alpha Homes prices a basement
Tanner walks the basement with you, talks through what you want, and puts one clear price in writing. A faster build also means fewer weeks with a crew in your house. A bare 2,000 square foot basement usually takes Alpha Homes about 3 weeks.
Pricing a basement on the east bench?
See what goes into an Alpha Homes basement finish, from egress windows to bathrooms and bars.
See basement finishingKeep reading
- How long does it take to finish a basement?
- Do you need a permit to finish a basement in Sandy, Utah?
- Egress windows for basement bedrooms in Utah
Sources
- Angi, How Much Does It Cost to Finish a Basement? (updated October 2026)
- HomeGuide, Cost to Finish a Basement (February 2026)
- Remodeling Cost vs. Value 2025, Salt Lake City (via Journal of Light Construction)
- This Old House, Cost to Finish a Basement (April 2026)
- Fixr, Basement Remodeling Cost (January 2025)
- Utah Department of Environmental Quality, High Levels of Radon
- Sandy City, Fee Schedule (FY2027)
