SHORT ANSWER
One local builder puts a typical full basement finish in metro Denver at $30,000 to $90,000. Bathrooms, egress windows and radon mitigation add to that. Permits run through Denver CPD, your city or your county.
TYPICAL FULL FINISH, METRO DENVER
$30K to $90K
Source: one local builder's 2026 cost guide, checked September 2026.
Get your exact priceFree on-site estimate. Written quote.
Price ranges
| Project | Typical range | What is included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic finish | $30,000 to $50,000 | Insulated walls, drywall, LVP or carpet, recessed lights and basic electrical | Playroom, gym or storage |
| Mid-range finish | $50,000 to $70,000 | Basic finish plus a full bath, a bedroom with egress and upgraded finishes | Guest suite or rental potential |
| High-end finish | $70,000 to $90,000+ | Theater, wet bar, second kitchen and premium materials | Entertaining and long stays |
| In-law suite | Priced at your estimate | Bedroom with egress, bath and kitchenette | Parents, guests or rental |
Full-finish range from one local builder's 2026 cost guide, checked September 2026. Your written quote is the only exact price.
Extra costs
TIP
Ask for every one of these as its own line on the written quote. It makes quotes easy to compare.
Permits
QUICK ANSWER
Yes. Finishing a basement needs a building permit, plus electrical and plumbing permits for that work. Who issues it depends on where the house is.
| Where the house is | Who issues the permit |
|---|---|
| City and County of Denver | Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD) |
| Aurora, Lakewood, Arvada and other cities | That city's building division |
| Highlands Ranch and unincorporated Douglas County | Douglas County Building Division |
| Unincorporated Jefferson, Arapahoe or Adams County | That county's building department |
Timeline
Measure up, test for moisture and radon, and agree the layout.
Sign the written quote. The contractor files the plans for review.
Floating walls, wiring, plumbing and ducts, then the rough inspections.
Insulation, drywall, floors, doors, trim and paint.
The building department signs off the finished space.
Cost guide
One Denver builder puts a complete finish at about $45 to $100 per square foot in 2026.
One Colorado basement company quotes $65 to $105 per square foot statewide for 2026. Its bands include a bathroom, which lifts the per-foot figure. The Denver builder's basic tier has no bathroom.
Use both to test a quote. A price far below the low end usually leaves something out.
A basic finish on 1,000 square feet runs $65,000 to $75,000, according to the Colorado company's 2026 table. Mid-range runs $80,000 to $95,000 and high-end $100,000 to $120,000 or more.
Its basic prices for other sizes follow. Each includes labor, materials, insulation, electrical, drywall, flooring and a bathroom.
Roughly $97,500 to $157,500, if you apply the Colorado company's $65 to $105 rate. Its table stops at 1,200 square feet, where a high-end finish reaches $120,000 to $144,000.
Big basements often land lower per foot. The bathroom and other fixed costs spread across more space.
One Denver builder prices each room as part of a full finish. The last two items come from the Colorado company's 2026 guide.
A basic three-quarter bath costs $8,000 to $12,000 when rough-in plumbing is already in the slab, according to one Denver builder. Adding plumbing from scratch means breaking concrete for drain lines, and the builder puts that at $15,000 to $20,000 or more.
The Colorado company prices a full bathroom installation at $15,000 to $25,000.
One Colorado basement company prices a standalone egress window at $2,500 to $5,000 and a bedroom with its egress window at $6,000 to $10,000. The cost covers cutting the foundation, digging the well and fitting the window.
Budget one for every bedroom you plan. A room without one cannot be sold as a bedroom.
Fixed costs make per-foot numbers swing. The Colorado company notes that a bathroom, fireplace or wet bar costs the same in a 500-square-foot basement as in a 2,500-square-foot one.
Put those items in a small basement and the per-foot price climbs, even though the work is the same. The company treats a per-foot price given before anyone walks your basement as a ballpark only.
Older basements often need work before the finish starts. One Denver builder says much of the city's older housing has basement ceilings of 7 feet or lower.
Lowering the floor to gain height adds $15,000 to $40,000 by the same builder's figures. An old electrical panel may need an upgrade to carry new circuits. Ask for each as its own line.
Give every contractor the same written scope first. List the rooms you want, whether a plumbing rough-in exists and how many egress windows you need.
Then check what each price leaves out. One Denver builder says a bid that looks $8,000 cheaper may just hide more surprises. Confirm whether permits, inspections, dumpster fees and cleanup are in the price.
Ask whether the price is fixed. The Colorado company warns that an estimate that can move gives you no firm budget.
One Denver builder cites real estate professionals who say a finished basement returns 60 to 75 percent of its cost at resale.
Appraisals record below-grade space apart from above-grade square footage, the Colorado company notes. A room counts as a bedroom only with a compliant egress window, so that window protects resale value.
Save on finishes and keep the safety items. The Colorado company says dropping the egress window saves nothing, because you lose the bedroom.
Sources: One Denver builder's 2026 basement finishing cost guide (September 2026) · One Colorado basement company's 2026 cost guide (September 2026) · Denver Community Planning and Development, residential interior remodel permits (September 2026)
Get your exact Denver price
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Guides
Questions
Straight answers. Ask your contractor anything else at the free estimate.
One Colorado basement company says most full finishes take six to eight weeks of building. Permit review comes first, and custom work adds time.
Yes. In Denver the permit comes from Community Planning and Development. Suburbs and counties issue their own, and your contractor files it.
Usually the bathroom. One Denver builder calls it the largest single cost, at $8,000 to $20,000 depending on existing plumbing.
At one Denver builder's $45 to $100 per square foot, 2,000 square feet comes to about $90,000 to $200,000. Large basements often come in lower per foot.
Yes. The on-site visit and the written quote cost nothing, and you are under no obligation to go ahead.
Most contractors take a deposit when you sign, then payments at set stages. Your written quote spells out the schedule before you commit.
Get a free on-site estimate from one vetted local basement contractor.