If you are not taking on this project by yourself, you will likely need to hire a contractor. The first place to start is asking family and friends if they or anyone they know have had experiences with any local contractors. A personal recommendation or horror story from them can be extremely helpful. Other places you can turn to for help include the National Association of the Remodeling Industry for a list of local members or asking a building inspector.

Once you have a list of contractors narrowed down, you should call them or meet them in person to ask them the questions that most concern you. You can ask them to provide a list of previous clients. It is perfectly fine to then call any of these clients to hear about their experiences with the contractor. Other ways to learn more about them include visiting the Better Business Bureau online to see if they have a history of client disputes or to actually go to any of their current work sites to see if the environment seems safe and controlled.

Getting an estimate from them is a key step in the process, but do not just jump at the lowest bid. Prices that are too low could be a sign of shady work processes. They should be able to provide a breakdown of the bid and how they came to that price. Finding a contractor that you are comfortable with and who communicates well with you is the most important factor when making your final decision. Once you make your choice, sign a contract that you both agree on and get started.

Water in the basement can become a very problematic and costly issue. You definitely need to take all the preventative measures that you can before finishing your basement to save you money and suffering later.

The first step in this process is to walk around your basement to inspect the problem areas. If you notice cracks in foundation walls or floor, you or someone you hire will need to fill the cracks with polyurethane foam. If you notice areas where pools of water form after rain or remain constantly damp, here are some of your options: installing gutter downspout extenders to reroute water flow, altering the grade of your lawn so water flows away from your home, installing better drainage in your yard, or installing sump pump. Consult your contractor on what is the best fit for your situation.

If you skip looking into these measures altogether, you may end up damaging your brand new basement materials soon after they are installed. Not only will there be costly damage, but with moisture problems comes mold growth. This can cause further damage to materials and even health hazards to those living in your home.

When you are finishing or remodeling your basement, you have a great opportunity to take preventative steps for keeping moisture out by waterproofing your basement when you have an almost blank canvas. It is much easier and less expensive to install effective waterproofing measures before all of the drywall, framing, insulation, etc. are put in. Read more about general waterproofing tips on our basement waterproofing page.

After framing and insulation are installed and all the electrical work is inspected and approved, it is time to put in drywall and a ceiling. In another effort to avoid water damage, leave some space between the floor and the beginning of the drywall. If there is ever any water or flooding in your basement, this helps reduce the chances of water crawling up your drywall, which sometimes requires replacement. You can cover up this space later with baseboards.

Once the drywall is complete, the painting process can begin. You can wait until the end to paint, but getting some painting completed before the flooring is installed reduces the risk of errors and spills affecting the new flooring or carpet.