Common Mistakes Homeowners Make When Finishing a Basement

Finishing a basement can be an exciting project, but there are some things to keep in mind when going through the process. It can be easy to skip steps or make minor mistakes in the busyness of remodeling. House of Three is here with some tips to help you make sure that you are not making any costly mistakes while finishing your basement.

Building Permits

The first mistake that can be made when planning to finish your basement is not getting a building permit. It is essential that you reach out to your local municipality and get permits to renovate your home. This is to ensure that your home meets all compliance requirements, achieves safety codes, and ensures structural needs are met. In the City of Kingston, you can apply online through DASH, which is the city’s development and service hub. Most municipalities will provide information on how to apply through their websites. If you are curious to read the Kingston bylaws yourself, you can access these documents online through the City of Kingston website.

What happens if you do not apply or a building permit is not issued, but choose to build anyway? By law, under the Ontario Building Code, the municipality has recourse through fines, issuing orders both from the fire department and building department, and court summons if you fail to comply with failing to receive  a building permit; therefore, this can be the most costly mistake made when attempting to finish your home’s basement. Charges can be so high to the point of reaching half a million dollars depending on the severity of the situation. This is not a mistake you wish to make when building within your home.

What to do After You Receive a Building Permit

Once you receive your building permit, you can start with demolition to remove any elements that are not staying. One key thing to keep in mind is to be sure to follow the plans! This is because there are often structural items like posts, beams, and loadbearing walls that are staying where they are. You want to make sure that none of them are accidentally removed.

Since basements are located below or partially below ground, there’s a chance that you can run into leaks. This is a problem you will want to address quickly! This can be done by making sure that the walls are waterproofed or that any necessary plumbing repairs are made! These changes will need to be inspected by the municipality prior to being covered, and depending on the issue, possibly before being repaired. Any known leak issues should also be noted on the architectural drawings prior to the permit issuance.

Once these are complete, you can start the rough-in process! Depending on the extent of the reno, you may want to rough-in plumbing, framing, new windows and doors, electrical and heat. There are some municipalities that will want to inspect each part individually, and there are others that are happy to group these inspections together. This is something that you can check with your municipal building department for confirmation.

After inspections are completed, insulation can be installed and protected with vapour barrier on exterior walls. This is also the time where you can install any new exterior windows and doors. If the plumbing rough-in has passed inspection, it can also be covered. Additionally, if you are looking to install sound insulation, this is a good time to do it before the drywall inspection!

Then, once drywall inspection is passed, the ceiling and walls can be drywalled. Here plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems can be completed as well as any other finishing touches you want to add! After this, there will be an occupancy inspection.

If at any point you fail an inspection and continue, or if you don't call for an inspection prior to covering, you can be ordered to uncover your drywall, repair any deficiencies, and then replace all the finishes at your expense. This would essentially be paying for construction and demolition twice!

Not Getting a Design or Not Following a Design

The next mistake that we will discuss is not getting a design for your new basement or not following a design for your new basement.

Not getting a design for your basement will cause issues through the entirety of your renovation. Plans are required for permit applications. Your municipality needs to know what exists, what is changing and what will be new. This is to ensure that it is compliant with the building code. Your contractor will need a plan to quote you on the work that is being done. Other than legal requirements, getting a design is beneficial in the planning and building stages. Designs will help you plan and discover how much and what kind of materials you will need. If you do not have a design made, you can easily overspend on products. Additionally, other problems may show up, such as realizing something you envisioned does not actually work well with your space. This will lead to high costs in both time and money when replanning your space.

If you choose not to follow an already made design plan, some of the same issues may pop up. You would have to redo some of the work that was already completed because it did not properly work with your space or meet code. Following a plan ensures that there will be success in your basement's redevelopment. Not following a plan can also cause issues with approvals from your municipality later on. You will have to resubmit your documentation to prove that you have completed renovations that meet all building requirements. This may also lead to the chance where you can get a call asking for your work to be uncovered and inspected. Finally, something that often happens is as people see things coming together, they, their friends, or their family may come up with new ideas. Not following a design can result in a new design being required and work being stopped as a result. You will end up paying for new drawings, you may need to undo work if it can't be made code compliant. It can get costly fast!

There are many critical mistakes that can be caught early if you take the correct steps in ensuring that your renovation is meeting all requirements developed by your city. Completing renovations can be stressful and costly, by catching and preventing any issues before they come up will greatly relieve and stop stress or unseen costs. Need expert guidance? Contact House of Three today!