An unfinished basement is the least expensive square footage you can add to a house, because the foundation, roof, and utilities are already there. Thousands of Northern Colorado homes, especially newer ones in Loveland, Windsor, Timnath, and Johnstown, were sold with the basement left open.
We finish basements from bare concrete to move-in ready: framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, insulation, drywall, flooring, trim, and paint.
Basement finishing scope
- Framing, insulation, and drywall
- Bedrooms with code-compliant egress
- Bathrooms and plumbing rough-in
- Wet bars and basement kitchens
- Home theaters and media rooms
- Egress window installation and window wells
- HVAC extensions and returns
- Flooring, trim, doors, and paint
Built for Front Range soils
Much of the northern Front Range sits on expansive clay soils, and many basement slabs here are designed to move a little with moisture. Basement walls on those slabs are framed as floating walls, with a gap that lets the slab rise and fall without pushing on the house above. We frame, plumb, and finish to that detail so slab movement does not crack your drywall.
Egress, permits, and radon
A basement bedroom needs an emergency escape and rescue opening, usually an egress window with a properly sized well. Finishing a basement requires a building permit and inspections, which we handle.
Colorado has high radon potential. We recommend testing before the walls go up, because adding or upgrading a mitigation system is far easier in an unfinished basement.
How a project runs
- 01
Walkthrough
We look at the space with you, talk through what you want, and flag anything that affects cost or schedule up front.
- 02
Written scope and price
You get a written scope of work and price before anything starts, so there is no guessing about what is included.
- 03
Build
We handle permits, schedule the trades, protect the rest of your home, and keep you posted as the work moves.
- 04
Final walkthrough
We walk the finished work with you, close out inspections, and take care of the punch list before we call it done.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to finish my basement?
Yes. Finishing a basement adds habitable space, wiring, and usually plumbing, so cities and counties in Northern Colorado require a permit and inspections. We prepare the drawings and the submittal.
Can you add a bedroom if there is no egress window?
Yes. We cut the foundation, install the egress window and well, and handle the drainage and structural details that go with it.
How long does a basement finish take?
It depends on size, whether there is a bathroom or bar, and inspection scheduling. We give you a schedule with the written scope so you know what to expect before we start.
How basement finishing estimates work · Browse local basement finishing pages below.
Where we provide basement finishing
- Basement Finishing in Loveland, CO
- Basement Finishing in Fort Collins, CO
- Basement Finishing in Greeley, CO
- Basement Finishing in Longmont, CO
- Basement Finishing in Windsor, CO
- Basement Finishing in Berthoud, CO
- Basement Finishing in Johnstown, CO
- Basement Finishing in Timnath, CO
- Basement Finishing in Wellington, CO
- Basement Finishing in Estes Park, CO
- Basement Finishing in Vail, CO
- Basement Finishing in Avon, CO
- Basement Finishing in Aspen, CO
- Basement Finishing in Winter Park, CO
- Basement Finishing in Copper Mountain, CO
- Basement Finishing in Steamboat Springs, CO
Standard Building Company is based in Loveland and provides basement finishing across Northern Colorado, including Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Longmont, Windsor, Berthoud, Johnstown, Timnath, Wellington, and Estes Park.
We also take basement finishing projects in the mountain towns of Vail, Avon, Aspen, Winter Park, Copper Mountain, and Steamboat Springs.