Basement Renovations in Kitchener, Waterloo & Cambridge

Basic finish (framing, insulation, drywall, LVP flooring, pot lights, trim — no bathroom): $35K–$55K. Full finish with a 3-piece bathroom and one bedroom: $55K–$80K. Legal secondary suite with kitchen, private entrance, and full permits: $80K–$130K. Per square foot, that works out to $45–$85 in the current Kitchener-Waterloo market.

Framing every wall, insulation (batt or rigid foam), drywall hung and finished to Level 4, LVP or tile flooring, pot lights with a licensed electrician handling the wiring, drop or drywall ceiling, doors, trim, baseboards, and paint-ready walls. Raw concrete goes in, a finished room comes out. Bathrooms and kitchens are add-ons priced separately.

Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) — moisture-resistant, warm underfoot, quiet, and priced $2.50–$5/sq ft installed. Porcelain tile for bathrooms and utility zones. Carpet is fine over a proper subfloor for a bedroom, but skip it near mechanical rooms. Hardwood in a basement is a bad idea and we'll tell you why on-site.

First site visit: we run moisture readings on the concrete slab and inspect the perimeter for staining, efflorescence, and cracks. If the basement is actively leaking, we don't frame — we tell you to fix the water first, and we recommend a waterproofing contractor. If it's dry, we build with rigid foam against the concrete + a poly vapour barrier, so any future condensation drains away from the framing.

Yes — partial finishes are common. Rec room + bathroom, leave mechanical and storage unfinished. Or bedroom + closet only. We plan the layout so you can add on later without ripping anything out — pre-wiring for future pot lights, framing that anticipates a future wall.

No. Basement renos happen entirely below the main floor. We seal the stairwell with zip-wall plastic and tape, run HEPA filters, and clean up every day. The noisiest phase is demo (2–3 days). Everything after that is quiet enough that people work from home during the build. The only exception is a walk-out entrance cut, which brings dust upstairs for one day.