Open finish, no bath
$45,000 – $70,000
Roughly 800–1,200 square feet framed, insulated, drywalled, and finished as a rec room with lighting, flooring, and a closed-off mechanical area.
← Everything we build
Basement finishing in Crystal Lake, IL.
You already pay taxes on that square footage. A basement is the cheapest space you will ever add to a house and the easiest to get wrong: water, egress, ceiling height, and where the mechanicals sit decide what the room can be — so we settle all four before we draw a single wall, and we don't frame over a moisture problem and hope.
- Typical range
- $45,000 – $175,000+
- On site
- 8–14 weeks
- Booking out
- 4–8 weeks
What's included
What your basement project includes.
- Framing, insulation, drywall, and finished ceilings
- Full basement bathrooms, including below-grade drainage and ejector pumps
- Wet bars, kitchenettes, and in-law suites
- Egress windows and window wells cut into the foundation
- Luxury vinyl plank, carpet, and tile over a proper subfloor system
- Recessed lighting, dedicated circuits, and relocating mechanical runs
- Built-ins, media walls, gyms, offices, and theater rooms
Before you commit
What to plan for before you start.
- Whether the basement has ever taken water, and why
- Finished ceiling height once ductwork and soffits are accounted for
- Whether a bedroom is planned — if so, egress is not optional
- Where the furnace, water heater, and panel sit, and what has to move
- Whether the floor needs a dimpled membrane or an insulated subfloor
What it costs
Basement pricing, in the open.
Full finish with bathroom
$70,000 – $110,000
The same build-out plus a full bath with below-grade drainage, and usually a bedroom or office with proper egress.
Full finish with bar and suite
$110,000 – $175,000+
Bath, wet bar or kitchenette, bedroom with egress window, built-ins, and a theater, gym, or in-law suite laid out as its own living space.
What moves the number
- Whether a bathroom is in scope — below-grade plumbing means breaking the slab and often an ejector pit
- Egress windows, which mean cutting the foundation, excavating, and setting a well
- Ceiling height and how much ductwork has to be rerouted to keep it
- Any water management needed first — drain tile, a sump, or exterior grading
- Bar and built-in millwork, which is cabinetry pricing, not framing pricing
These are what basement projects like these run around Crystal Lake and the surrounding northwest suburbs — from the remodels Tim has paid for himself and what the crews we hire quote today.They are not a quote. Yours depends on the house, the layout, and what you pick. You'll get a fixed-scope written proposal after the consultation, at no charge and with no obligation.
Timeline
How long your basement project takes.
Build time on site
8–14 weeks
From signed proposal to start
4–8 weeks
Basements involve the most inspections of any interior project — framing, rough electrical, rough plumbing, insulation, and final. The inspector's calendar is part of the schedule.
How it works
From first call to final walkthrough.
- 0115 minutes
Tell us about the project
A phone call or a form. Fifteen minutes.
- 0260–90 minutes
In-home consultation
Tim walks the space with you. No charge, no pitch.
- 032–6 weeks
Design and selections
Layouts, materials, and allowances settled on paper.
- 04About a week
Written proposal
Fixed scope, line-item price, payment schedule, start date.
- 05Varies by project
Build
Dust walls up, floors covered, one person accountable.
- 061–2 weeks
Walkthrough
Punch list, final walk, and the paperwork on everything installed.
Basement Finishing questions, answered.
My basement has taken water before. Can it still be finished?
Usually, but not until the water is solved. At the consultation we look for the source — grading, downspouts, a failed sump, or a crack — and the proposal fixes that first, as its own line. Framing over a wet wall is how a $70,000 basement becomes a $70,000 mold remediation.
Do I need an egress window?
If any part of the finished basement is a bedroom, yes, and it's code, not an upgrade. If it's a rec room, office, or gym, usually not. We'll tell you which one your plan is, and so will the inspector.
What does finishing a basement cost?
Forty-five to seventy thousand for an open finish without a bathroom. Seventy to a hundred and ten with a full bath. A bar, a bedroom with egress, and built-ins move it higher.
How low will the ceiling end up?
We measure the joists, the ductwork, and the beam at the consultation and tell you the real finished height before you commit. Where it's tight, we reroute duct runs or build soffits only where they're unavoidable — and we show you on the plan where those will be.
Can you add a bathroom down there?
Yes. If the existing drain line sits above the slab elevation, it needs an ejector pit and pump, which we price up front rather than discovering mid-build.
Work like this
Basement projects we’ve finished.
Basement Finishing across McHenry County and nearby.
Projects worth combining into one contract.
Combining projects into one contract saves a second mobilization and a second round of dust. If something else is on the list, say so at the consultation.
Kitchen Remodeling
Full gut kitchens, layout changes, cabinetry, stone, and the structural work behind an open floor plan.
Projects from$45,000Details
Bathroom Remodeling
Gut bathroom remodels, curbless and tiled showers, primary suites, and the waterproofing nobody else shows you.
Projects from$22,000Details
Home Additions
Bump-outs, family rooms, primary suites, and second stories — foundation to roofline, matched to the house you have.
Projects from$70,000Details
Free consultation
Get a free basement consultation.
Tell us what you want to change and roughly what you're hoping to spend. Tim will call you back, and if it's a fit he'll come see the space at no charge.