What we handle on a basement finish
Basement finishes are deceptively trade-dense. A "simple" rec-room finish touches framing, insulation, drywall, electrical, low-voltage, lighting, HVAC modifications, flooring, paint, and trim. Add an egress bedroom or a full bathroom and you add structural masonry work, plumbing, ventilation, and inspection sequencing. The difference between a basement that holds up over decades and one that cracks, mildews, or fails inspection at sale is whether the moisture, ceiling-height, and egress fundamentals were handled correctly first — before any drywall went up.
Our scope on a typical basement project includes:
- Moisture assessment — slab and wall inspection, sump-pump test, exterior grading and downspout review. If we find an active moisture problem, we scope remediation as a precursor phase — finishing over moisture is a guaranteed failure.
- Egress windows — cut, install, and waterproofing for any room that will be used or marketed as a bedroom. Code-compliant well, drainage, and cover. Structural engineering and permit when the cut is in a load-bearing wall.
- Framing — full perimeter and partition framing, with vapor barrier and rigid foam against masonry walls per IRC requirements for KC's climate zone. Sound-attenuation insulation in walls between bedrooms and shared spaces.
- Plumbing — rough-in for new bathrooms, wet bars, or kitchenettes. Tying into existing rough-in stubouts where they exist; cutting and patching the slab where they don't. Licensed plumbers only. Sewer-ejector pumps if the new fixture is below the existing sewer line.
- Electrical — circuit additions, panel upgrades when needed, code-compliant AFCI/GFCI placement, recessed lighting layout, low-voltage for AV and networking, smart-home integration where requested. Licensed electricians only.
- HVAC modifications — supply-and-return additions to new rooms, dedicated returns where required, sealing and insulating exposed trunk lines that are now in finished space.
- Insulation — proper cavity fills in framed walls, sound batting between rooms, foam-board against masonry per code (R-value targets per KC's IECC zone).
- Drywall — hang, tape, mud, sand, prime, and paint-ready. Moisture-resistant board in any wet areas. Smooth finish or matched texture per your existing house.
- Bathroom build (optional) — full waterproofing membrane in showers, tile or solid-surface shower walls, vanity and toilet install, exhaust fan ducted to exterior. We do not vent bathroom fans into the rim joist.
- Flooring — LVP, carpet, tile, or engineered hardwood. Subfloor systems (DRIcore or similar) where moisture isolation matters. Transitions to existing levels handled correctly.
- Trim & doors — base, casing, doors matched to the rest of the house style. Built-ins, wet bars, and entertainment-center millwork as needed.
- Permits & inspections — pulled where required by your municipality, inspections scheduled in correct sequence (rough-in before drywall, then final).
What to expect — timeline and draws
Most KC basement finishes run 6 to 14 weeks. The wide range reflects scope: a 700-800 sq ft open rec-room with no bath wraps in 6 to 8 weeks. A 1,200 sq ft layout with an egress bedroom, a full bathroom, and a wet bar runs 10 to 14 weeks. Permit timing varies by municipality — some KC-metro cities issue same-week, some take 2-3 weeks for the framing permit.
Before any framing happens, you receive a written week-by-week plan with the major milestones. Draws against the contract are tied to those milestones rather than the calendar. A standard structure looks like:
- 30% at signing — secures the schedule slot, orders any long-lead items (egress window units, custom millwork).
- 30% at framing-and-rough-in milestone — framing complete, electrical / plumbing / HVAC rough inspected, insulation in.
- 30% at substantial completion — drywall, paint, flooring, trim, fixtures, lighting all done.
- 10% retained until the punch list is fully signed off and the city final inspection has passed.
Pricing factors
Kansas City basement finishes generally fall into these bands:
- Bare finish — open rec-room, no bath, no bedroom, LVP flooring, recessed lighting, single-color paint. Roughly $35 to $55 per finished sq ft, or $25,000 to $40,000 on a 700–800 sq ft layout.
- Mid-range with bath / bedroom — bare finish plus an egress bedroom and a 3/4 bath. Roughly $45 to $70 per sq ft, or $50,000 to $80,000 on a 1,000–1,200 sq ft layout.
- High-end full secondary suite — finish plus a primary-style bedroom with walk-in closet, a full bath with custom tile, a wet bar or full kitchenette, custom built-ins, theater wiring, premium flooring. $80,000 to $150,000+.
Where your project lands inside those bands depends on:
- Egress install — one egress window: $4,500 to $8,000 depending on wall type and well depth.
- Bathroom plumbing — if rough-in stubs already exist: $12,000 to $18,000 for a finished bath. If we're cutting the slab: add $3,000 to $7,000.
- Ceiling-height constraints — older homes with 7\' or under finished height may need creative HVAC routing or are not finishing candidates at all. We tell you up front.
- Moisture remediation (if needed) — interior drainage system: $5,000 to $15,000. Exterior waterproofing: $8,000 to $25,000+. Always priced as a precursor phase before finish work.
- Custom millwork — built-ins, wet bars, entertainment walls add $3,000 to $25,000+ depending on scope.
Why customers pick Tessera for basements
- You hear back fast. Quote within 24 hours, not three weeks.
- Moisture is checked first. We will not finish over an active problem.
- Egress is non-negotiable on bedrooms. Code is the floor, not the ceiling.
- The trades are coordinated. Plumbing and electrical rough are inspected before drywall — same-day on inspection schedule, not next-week.
- The schedule is written down. If we slip, you hear about it the same day.
- You retain 10% until the punch list and final inspection close out.