If you're a homeowner in Northern Colorado, you've probably thought about finishing your basement—especially if your family needs more space or you’re looking to increase your home’s value. One of the first questions we hear at Choice City Home Services is: “How much does it cost to finish a basement?”
The short answer? It depends on a few key factors. The good news is that basement finishes typically offer excellent return on investment—especially in a growing region like Northern Colorado.
In this post, we’ll break down the typical price range for a finished basement, explain what factors influence cost, and help you understand how to plan your budget wisely.
In Northern Colorado, the average cost to finish a basement ranges from $80 to $100 per square foot. For a standard 1,000 sq. ft. basement, you can expect to spend between $80,000 and $100,000, depending on the level of customization and the features included.
At Choice City Home Services, our basement projects typically fall right in this range—and we’re upfront about what’s included, how we estimate, and where you can save or splurge depending on your needs.
There’s no one-size-fits-all price tag, because every home—and every homeowner’s goals—are different. Here are the main factors that influence the cost of finishing your basement:
Larger basements naturally cost more to finish, but the cost per square foot often decreases slightly as the space increases, thanks to economies of scale.
Adding a bathroom is one of the most common upgrades—and it adds roughly $4,500 to $8,000 depending on layout, plumbing access, and finishes.
If your basement requires new plumbing lines, drain installation, or moving existing fixtures, your costs will increase.
Adding recessed lighting, new outlets, or upgraded electrical panels will affect your final cost. If your home’s panel is at capacity, we may recommend a panel upgrade or subpanel, which typically adds $2,000–$4,000.
Depending on your existing heating and cooling setup, we may need to extend ductwork, add mini splits, or reconfigure zones to ensure proper climate control. HVAC adjustments generally add $2,500–$5,000, depending on the scope.
These “core” construction tasks typically make up the bulk of a basement finish. Open layouts are less expensive to frame, while basements with multiple rooms (bedrooms, bathrooms, storage) require more labor and materials.
The type of flooring (LVP, carpet, tile), wall textures, ceiling finishes, and custom features (like a wet bar, built-ins, or accent walls) all affect cost. High-end selections increase the budget, while simpler finishes help keep costs down.
If you’re adding bedrooms, you’ll need at least one egress window—required by code and essential for safety. Installing or enlarging an egress window typically adds $4,000–$6,500 to your budget.
Most of our basement projects in Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud, Windsor, and nearby areas include:
We also offer optional upgrades like:
When you start collecting quotes for your basement project, you might see a wide range of prices. Here’s why:
At Choice City Home Services, we’re fully licensed in general contracting, HVAC, and electrical—we handle everything we can with our in-house team. That means better communication, fewer delays, and fewer surprise costs.
We also use Buildertrend, a customer portal that lets you view your project schedule, budget, selections, and daily updates in real time. No guesswork—just a well-run project.
At Choice City Home Services, we’ve finished basements across Northern Colorado—including Fort Collins, Berthoud, Loveland, Windsor, Greeley, and beyond.
Our ideal project is a simple, clean, code-compliant basement finish with a total budget around $100,000—and we’re known for doing those right.
📞 Call us at 970-308-3638 or visit choicecityhs.com to schedule a free consultation.
Let’s turn your basement into the most useful—and beautiful—part of your home.
