Serving Vancouver & the Lower Mainland
Rec rooms, guest spaces and rentable secondary suites, built dry, built to code and permitted with the City of Vancouver from the start.
Free on-site assessment · no deposit to get a price · reply within one business hour
Tell us the size of the basement and whether you want a suite.
Pricing · 2026
What finishing or converting a Vancouver basement costs this year. Ceiling height and moisture decide more of the budget than the finishes do.
| Basement project | Typical cost | Time on site |
|---|---|---|
| Basic finish: open rec room, no bathroom | $35,000 – $60,000 | 5 – 7 weeks |
| Full finish with a bathroom (about 1,000 sq ft) | $60,000 – $95,000 | 6 – 10 weeks |
| Legal secondary suite, existing height works | $95,000 – $165,000 | 12 – 18 weeks |
| Premium custom basement: media room, bar, gym | $120,000 – $200,000+ | 12 – 20 weeks |
| Interior drainage and sump system | $8,000 – $25,000 | 1 – 2 weeks |
| Adding a bathroom to an existing basement | $18,000 – $35,000 | 3 – 4 weeks |
| Lowering the floor or underpinning | priced after engineering | adds 4 – 10 weeks |
Rough rule: a mid-range basement finish runs about $55 to $95 per sq ft. Homes built before 1990 need a hazardous-materials survey before walls come down, see our asbestos testing guide for what it costs.
Your basement
Most basements in the city fit one of these. Knowing which one you have tells you what is realistic before you spend on design.
Built 1965 – 1985 with a full-height lower level at grade. Often the easiest suite conversion in the city, height and daylight are already there.
Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Grandview. Low ceilings, rubble or thin concrete walls and old drainage. Height is usually the first question.
Dunbar, Kerrisdale, Sunset, Killarney. Good height and drainage, rough-ins sometimes already in place, the fastest route to a finished basement.
Recent work
Interior finishing from recent Lower Mainland projects, the same framing, drywall and flooring crews build our basements and suites. Ask us for suite references in your neighbourhood.
Client feedback
Basements are where workmanship hides behind drywall. Here is what clients wrote on Google, word for word.
Every review is on our Google Business Profile. Ask us and we will put you in touch with a past client near you.
Saj and his team exceeded my expectations. I was not sure what to expect when we started the project. Everything was completed within budget and even early!
The floor installation by Reimaging Construction was swift and flawless, leaving my space transformed with impeccable craftsmanship.
Recently had laminate flooring installed by Reimagine Construction & Renovation, I couldn’t be happier with the results. From start to finish, the process was seamless.
Scope
Everything from the concrete up, in one fixed price, including the steps that stop a finished basement smelling damp in its second winter.
Slab and wall moisture readings, a look at the drain tile and sump, and ceiling height measured under beams and ducts.
Cracks sealed, interior drainage or sump where needed, insulated walls with a proper vapour control layer.
Framing, ducts boxed tight to preserve height, fire-rated assemblies where a suite requires separation.
Bathroom and kitchen rough-ins, new circuits or a sub-panel, heating and ventilation for the new space.
Mould-resistant board, basement-rated flooring, doors, trim, paint and lighting.
All City inspections booked and passed, final clean, walkthrough and warranty.
Timeline
How long it takes to finish a basement depends mostly on permits. A typical finish is six to ten weeks on site; a legal suite is closer to three to four months.
Moisture readings, ceiling height, drainage, electrical capacity and suite potential.
Floor plan, suite layout if applicable, and an itemised price.
Building, plumbing and electrical applications to the City of Vancouver.
Moisture work first, then framing, services and inspections.
Insulation inspection, drywall, flooring, kitchen and bathroom.
Final City inspections, deficiencies, clean and walkthrough.
Vancouver gets well over a metre of rain a year, and most basement problems are water problems. Before any wall is framed we seal cracks, check that the perimeter drain and sump are working, and build walls that let the concrete dry instead of trapping moisture behind plastic. For the outside of the wall, our basement waterproofing guide explains the options.
Permits
A finished basement and a legal suite are two different permit applications. Knowing which one you are building shapes the whole design.
Framing, insulation and new electrical or plumbing in a basement generally need a building permit plus trade permits. No separate dwelling is created.
Requires its own entrance, kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area, fire and sound separation from the main home, interconnected smoke alarms and code-compliant ceiling height and egress windows.
Ceiling height under beams and ducts, window sizes for bedroom egress and what your lot allows are confirmed at the assessment, before any drawings are paid for.
Questions
Where we work
Suite rules differ by city. We work with the City of Vancouver, Burnaby, and the City and District of North Vancouver.
Dry first, then finish
Read these before choosing finishes. Moisture and structure decide what lasts.
What actually keeps foundation walls dry, and what traps water.
Read the guide →GuideFloors that tolerate concrete moisture and occasional water.
Read the guide →GuideWhich foundation and wall cracks are cosmetic and which need an engineer.
Read the guide →Next step
Book a free on-site assessment. We measure the height, test for moisture and tell you what is realistic, a rec room, a bathroom or a legal suite, with a fixed price.
No obligation · reply within one business hour · we never share your details
About 60 minutes, including a moisture check.
Visit or call
Our office is downtown at 1021 West Hastings Street. Basement assessments happen at your home anywhere in Vancouver.
