Calculating The Total Finish Basement Cost, Drywall Included
The number 1 concern for homeowners before undergoing a project of this scope should be determining the total basement cost. Drywall is one major factor in this, as is of course your flooring, ceilings, general labor, electrical and plumbing work, licenses, plans and on down the line. While prices will always be variable, you can set a strong, solid budget based upon finish basement cost drywall evaluations that will help give you an idea of what to expect.
So how much does drywall cost per square foot? The problem here is that everywhere you go you are going to find different prices and price estimates. If you estimate one dollar as the cost per square foot for drywall, then you will have a pretty safe estimate of what to expect. Of course that could go down to $.70 per square foot, or up to $1.20 or more. But the $1 estimate will give you a pretty good sense of how much you'll need to pay for the drywall itself.
However, as already mentioned that's only one small piece to the overall puzzle and there are many other costs that you'll be dealing with. When you factor in flooring, ceilings and all of the other labor and components the cost will of course start to get much more significant, as well as more variable. Is there a way to estimate how much you'll be spending for the entire project?
If you take a look at the total square feet for the project, you can estimate that your basement renovations will cost between $15 and $30 per square foot. It's only a baseline estimate, and there is a ton of wiggle room in there depending on where you live, what you hire out for, what kinds of materials you use and more.
Additionally, you may find that how much you spend varies greatly based upon some local regulations. Inspections, licenses and permits will vary from town to town and across different regions, but be prepared to have out to shell out some cash here besides the basic cost of the project itself. Of course, if you need officially drawn plans or want someone to design your project, that will end up costing more money as well.
Don't forget to think about your post-completion costs when you are undergoing basement renovations. If you are setting up a home gym, you'll also need to buy the machines and equipment. If you are putting together a rec room, you'll need couches, a home entertainment system and on down the line. While it's not truly a part of the project cost, it is a major portion of the overall money you'll be spending, so you need to plan appropriately.
Hopefully this will all help you to calculate the overall finish basement cost. Drywall is just a small piece of the puzzle when compared to everything else, and price will always be variable depending on where you live and what your project is going to be like. The biggest savings you can experience is by undertaking the project on your own, but that's certainly not for everybody so think about how much you can spend versus what you'd like to get from the project.
