Basement Finishing in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is the heart of the Wasatch Front — a city of 200,000+ residents with neighborhoods as diverse as the people who live in them. The Avenues has its century-old Victorian homes. Sugar House is packed with 1940s-60s ramblers. Liberty Park and 9th & 9th blend historic charm with modern living. The west side — Rose Park, Glendale, Poplar Grove — offers some of the most affordable homes in the city, many with full unfinished basements.

At Utah Basement Finishing, we’re based right here in Salt Lake City at 369 East 900 South. This is our home turf. We’ve finished basements in nearly every SLC neighborhood over the past 20+ years.

Why SLC Homeowners Finish Their Basements

Salt Lake City’s housing market is tight and expensive. The median home price is north of $500K, and desirable neighborhoods like Sugar House, the Avenues, and East Bench are significantly higher. Moving up costs a fortune. Finishing your basement is the smartest way to add space without adding a mortgage payment.

What SLC homeowners are building:

• Extra bedrooms in older homes that may only have 2-3 on the main floor
• Legal basement apartments — SLC has been progressive with ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) ordinances, and a basement apartment can generate $1,000-$1,500/month in rent
• Home offices — SLC’s growing tech and professional workforce needs dedicated workspace
• Entertainment spaces — Media rooms, wet bars, and game rooms for hosting
• In-law suites — Multi-generational living is increasingly common

The SLC Basement Challenge: Older Homes

Most basements in Salt Lake City proper were built before 1980. That creates specific challenges we’ve learned to handle expertly:

Low ceilings. Many older SLC basements have 7-foot (or lower) ceilings. We use flush-mount LED lighting, careful ductwork routing, and ceiling design strategies that maximize every inch of headroom. We’ve made 6’10” basements feel comfortable.

Stone and block foundations. Homes built before the 1960s often have poured stone or cinder block foundations. These require specific waterproofing approaches before framing goes up. We’ve dealt with everything from damp block walls to active seepage — and we fix it before we build on top of it.

Outdated electrical. Older SLC homes may still have 100-amp (or even 60-amp) panels. A finished basement often needs a panel upgrade to handle the additional circuits. We coordinate this as part of the project.

Original plumbing. Cast iron drain lines from the 1950s-60s are common. If they’re corroded or partially blocked, we replace them — better to discover it during construction than after the drywall is up.

Our Services

• Design & Space Planning — Maximizing difficult floor plans in older homes
• Framing & Insulation — Rigid foam against foundation walls + batt insulation for Utah winters
• Electrical & Plumbing — Upgrades included when needed
• Drywall & Finishing — Smooth finishes matched to your home’s character
• Flooring — Moisture-resistant LVP recommended for older basements, plus tile and carpet options
• Bathrooms — New bathrooms including rough-in work
• Kitchens & Wet Bars — Apartment conversions and entertaining spaces
• Home Theaters — From basic media rooms to full theater builds
• Egress Windows — Essential for bedrooms and transformative for natural light

SLC Permits and ADUs

Salt Lake City’s building department (Community & Neighborhoods Division) handles permits for basement finishing. SLC has been a leader in ADU-friendly policy, making it one of the best cities in Utah for basement apartment conversions.

For standard basement finishes: Permit, plan review, inspections at each phase. For ADU/apartment conversions: Additional requirements including separate entrance, kitchen facilities, parking, and fire separation. We know the ADU code inside and out and design compliant apartments from day one.

We handle the entire permit process — plans, submission, inspection scheduling.

Nearby Cities We Serve

Beyond Salt Lake City, we work throughout the valley: Murray, Midvale, Millcreek, Holladay, Cottonwood Heights, South Salt Lake, and all of Salt Lake County.

Get Your Free Estimate

We’re literally down the street. Call 801-515-3473 or request your free estimate — we can usually walk your basement within a few days.

369 East 900 South #235, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. Monday – Saturday, 8am – 6pm.