There are times that the solution for an undersized house is just underneath you. if you are lucky enough to have a basement, transforming underutilized space into a home theater, playroom, office, in-law apartment, gym or a combination of these would cost about thousands of dollars. Below are the other things you have to know if you are consider basement refinishing project:

Skipping the Permit Can Be Expensive

Basement refinishing is one of the jobs that people do often without the building permit. Since work is not visible from the street, why not save the cost and time of the process of permitting as well as the tax increase that comes with the officially expanded living room? It’s a mistake. Once you get caught, the building department could force you to tear apart your project and rebuild this. Even though you don’t, once you go selling your house, buyers might balk and penalize you on the price because you do not have occupancy certificate for projects. In addition to that, you miss out the opportunity to have a professional with your interests in mind, check the work of the contractor, which provides you with a technical oversight you will not otherwise get. The paperwork for permit costs only a hundred dollars.

Budget for Headroom

Typically, the building codes need around 7 feet of ceiling space. This could mean relocating ducts or pipes higher up to the ceiling or away from the room’s center that might cost anywhere from $500-$2000 depending on what you are moving. In several cases, you may get an exception on something that could be cost prohibitive to move like a beam.

It Is Smart to Invest in the Noise Control

A good thing about putting a recreation room or playroom in the basement is that this cuts down on the foot traffic noise in the primary living space. However, you may still hear some rowdy voices and loud movies and music. Therefore, plan ahead through insulating your ceiling above your basement with the use of stone wool or fiberglass insulation without the moisture barrier that could cost $500-$1000. There are also other drop ceilings that offer noise control. If you are using drywall, consider the sound deadening attachment clips that contain the neoprene rubber gaskets, which help in preventing sound from carrying through your ceiling and add only some dollars to the basement finishing contractor dc project’s cost.