Full Basement Finishing
Bare concrete walls to finished rooms, from framing through flooring.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you want to do with your basement and which town you're in. We'll call to set up a free on-site quote.
Finishing a basement turns bare concrete walls and an open ceiling into rooms you'll use. Most new houses in this region are built with a basement, so the space is often already there. What makes a finish last happens before the drywall. That means a dry basement, a radon test, insulated walls, and wiring and plumbing that pass the rough-in inspection. We plan the layout with you, pull the permit, and build in stages.
What's included
- On-site look and a written quote with a room-by-room layout
- Water check: walls, floor, sump pit, and where the sump pump drains
- A radon question before framing, with room left for a mitigation pipe if you need one
- Framing, insulation, and electrical rough-in
- Drywall, ceiling, doors, trim, paint, and flooring
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms where code calls for them
- Building permit and inspections
The process
- Look and quote. We walk the basement, measure, check for water, and note the ceiling height, ducts, and beams. You get a written quote with the layout.
- Permit. We draw the plan and apply for the permit with your city.
- Frame and rough in. Walls, insulation, wiring, and any plumbing or ductwork go in. The inspector checks it before drywall.
- Close up. Drywall, ceiling, paint, doors, and trim.
- Finish and final. Flooring, fixtures, alarms, and cleanup, then the final inspection.
What affects the price
- Size. The square footage you finish sets most of the price.
- Bathroom. A bathroom adds drain work in the slab, and sometimes a pump.
- Bedrooms. Each new basement bedroom needs an egress window.
- Water and radon. A new sump pump, drainage work, or a radon system comes before framing.
- Finishes. Flooring, ceiling type, trim, and lighting move the price both ways.
Questions homeowners ask
- Do I need a permit to finish my basement?
- Yes. Sioux Falls, Tea, and Harrisburg all list basement finishing as work that needs a building permit, and Brandon requires permits for remodeling. Plumbing and electrical work have their own permit rules, which differ by town. The permit is part of our quote.
- My basement gets damp sometimes. Can I still finish it?
- Often, yes, but fix the water first. The City of Sioux Falls notes that heavy rain can raise groundwater enough to keep a sump pump running almost nonstop. Drywall and carpet over a moisture problem trap it in the walls. We look at the walls, floor, sump pit, and drainage at the quote, and any waterproofing comes before framing.
- Should I test for radon before finishing?
- We recommend it. The state's Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources places eastern South Dakota, Sioux Falls included, in EPA Radon Zone 1. That's the zone where average indoor levels are predicted to run above the EPA's action level of 4 pCi/L. The state says to test in the lowest livable level of the house. If the result is high, a mitigation system is easier to route before the walls go up.
- My basement ceiling is low. Can it still be finished?
- Usually. Under the code Sioux Falls adopted in 2026, new living space in an existing basement needs a ceiling of at least 6 feet. Beams, ducts, and pipes can bring parts of a room lower, and other towns may have different rules. We measure the whole space and confirm the local rule before we plan the rooms.
Ready to finish your basement? Call (605) 250-3470 or send the form for a free quote.