Should you finish the basement, move, or do it yourself?
Finishing a 1,200 square foot basement with Roots Finished Basements costs $48,000 to $66,000 at $40 to $55 per square foot. Moving to a house with 1,200 more finished square feet in south Utah County means a higher purchase price, closing costs and commissions on the sale of the current home, a new mortgage rate and a move. For most families the basement wins on cost; the question is whether it wins on space.
This page compares three choices honestly: finish the basement, move, or do it yourself. It also covers when a basement finishing company is the wrong hire and a general contractor or a handyman is the right one.
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Noah and crew are great to work with. They are building something great at Roots! From quality work to great design ideas, they can do it all. I would definitely trust them with something as important as home renovation!
KILLER TEAM!!! CLEAR AND CONCISE COMMUNICATION! I loved chatting with Noah, Smart guy and we got along very well! Can’t wait to work with them on my Next Project! I will Definitely be using them for sure! GO SEE NOAH!
(Translated by Google) 100% recommended. Excellent service, very attentive, and responds quickly to any questions. I wholeheartedly recommend them. (Original) 100% recomendable excelente atención y muy atento y responde rápido cualquiera duda ciegamente lo recomiendo totalmente
Finish the basement or move?
| Finish the basement | Move to a bigger house | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash cost | $48,000 to $66,000 with Roots. $66,000 to $90,000 at the typical Utah rate. | Commission on the current home plus closing costs on both sides, before the price difference between the two houses. |
| Time | 7 to 8 weeks after permit, living at home throughout. | Months of listing, showing, buying and moving. |
| Mortgage | Unchanged. Many owners pay cash or use a HELOC. | A new loan at today's rate, which for most buyers in 2026 is higher than the one they have. |
| What you get | Bedrooms, a bathroom, a family room, maybe a kitchenette, in the house and neighborhood you already chose. | A different house, possibly a different school and commute. |
| Resale | A permitted finish with legal bedrooms counts in an appraisal. | Full value of the larger home, less the costs of getting into it. |
The basement is the cheaper path in almost every case where the current house and location are right and the shortfall is rooms. Moving wins when the problem is the lot, the layout upstairs, the school or the commute, none of which a basement fixes.
Hire a contractor or do it yourself?
A homeowner can legally finish their own basement in Utah under an owner builder permit. Whether they should depends on time, skill and risk tolerance.
| Roots Finished Basements | Do it yourself | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $48,000 to $66,000, fixed once signed. | Materials are a fraction of that. Labor is weekends and evenings for months. Licensed plumbing, electrical and HVAC are usually hired out anyway. |
| Time | 7 to 8 weeks. | Six months to two years is common. Unfinished basements that stall are a familiar Utah County story. |
| Permit and inspections | Pulled and scheduled by the contractor. | Pulled by the homeowner as owner builder, who then carries liability for the work and the inspections. |
| Paperwork | A signed agreement, a permit, a fixed price and written change orders. | None. |
| Resale | Permitted, inspected, documented. | Permitted if the owner followed through. Buyers and appraisers ask. |
DIY makes sense for a handy owner with time, a simple layout and no bathroom, who is willing to hire the licensed trades and manage the inspections. It makes less sense the moment a kitchenette, a second bathroom or a tight deadline enters the picture. A middle path exists: have the contractor do framing, rough ins and drywall through inspection and finish paint and trim yourself. Roots will price that if asked.
Basement finishing company, general contractor or handyman?
A general contractor can finish a basement and often does it well, usually at the market rate of $55 to $75 per square foot because the basement is one job type among many. A handyman can hang drywall and paint but cannot legally do the plumbing, electrical or HVAC that a basement needs, and most will not pull the permit. A basement specialist finishes the same kind of space over and over with the same subcontractors, which is how Roots holds $40 to $55. The honest caveat: Roots is the wrong choice for a water damaged basement, an older finished basement that needs remodeling, or anything outside new construction. Those need a remodeler or a restoration company.
Partial finish versus full finish
Finishing the family room and one bedroom now and leaving the rest for later is cheaper up front and costs more in total, since the crew mobilizes twice and the second phase works around finished space. Framing and rough ins for the whole basement with finishes in two phases is the compromise that works best.
Does a finished basement pay for itself?
In resale terms, usually not dollar for dollar, in Utah County or anywhere. In cost per square foot of living space it is the cheapest room a homeowner can add, and a legal bedroom and bathroom change how the home appraises and who it appeals to. Families who were going to move for space and finish the basement instead keep their rate, their neighborhood and their commute, which is the return most of them are actually after.
Questions people ask
Is it worth finishing my basement?
If the house and location are right and the shortfall is rooms, finishing a basement at $40 to $55 per square foot is far cheaper than moving and keeps the current mortgage. If the problem is the lot, the upstairs layout or the commute, a basement does not fix it.
Can I finish my own basement in Utah?
Yes, under an owner builder permit. The homeowner then carries the permit, the inspections and the liability, and must hire licensed trades for plumbing, electrical and HVAC. It suits a handy owner with time and a simple layout.
Should I finish the basement before selling?
A permitted finish with legal bedrooms helps a sale and an appraisal, but rarely returns every dollar. Owners who plan to stay a few years get the use of the space on top of the resale effect, which is the better case.
Call 435.677.6050 to ask for a square foot estimate on your basement. The number comes in writing before anything starts.
Call 435.677.6050