Howdy friends. Caleb here. Keith, our GC, and the owner of Cook of Cook Construction & Renovation sits down with us to walk through a finished basement he built for a family's kids, guests, and in-laws. He covers what the project looked like on day one, the decisions that shaped it, and what finishing a basement costs in North Denver. This particular project took place off of the Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster, but it is pretty representative of basement-finishing throughout the metro Denver area.
Keith is a GC with a number of basements, whole-home remodels, and interior re-design projects under his belt. He’s a certified general contractor with dozens of thrilled customers and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. But, in our eyes, his most important “certification” is that he’s a loving dad of three kiddos, a family man, and a beloved member of his community . It gives him a grounded perspective of home renovation that, our clients say, helps them feel understood. Check out his perspective on bringing in-laws in for the holiday season:
Part 1: The Story
Caleb: Keith, who is the suite for? What made this family decide to build it?
Keith: This was a client I'd worked with before. They called me back when they were ready to finish their basement. They had a two-story home on the golf course in Westminster. Beautiful home.
When they first contacted me, they had a lot of ideas. They'd lived in the house for at least five years, and they'd spent a couple of years thinking through what they wanted in the basement. It took one meeting, maybe two, to get exactly what they wanted.
Their main goal was an extra space to spread the family out. Their kids were moving from adolescence into the teen years. They needed room to sprawl and do their own thing without being on top of each other.
One spouse's parents live overseas. Occasionally they come and stay a month, maybe two. The family wanted a space for them that felt like a real place to stay, not a temporary one. So the basement had to do several jobs. It was an entertainment spot and a sprawl-out spot for the kids. It also had to work for in-laws, which meant its own bathroom and a full-size bedroom with a good closet. The son is learning music, so there's an open area for his guitar and drums, with carpet so they can spread out. They also asked for a wet bar in the corner, because they like to host friends and family for sporting events.
Over the years they realized the space would never be a one-purpose room. It had to be a bedroom and bathroom for visiting parents, a wet bar next to the entertainment area, and a big open space for the kids to grow into their hobbies.
Caleb: What did the basement look like the first day you walked in?
Keith: A typical unfinished basement. There were plumbing stubs sticking up here and there. People think those will come in handy. They almost never do. They're usually not even close to code. The plumbers throw them in and say, "Close enough." Nobody worries about it, because if the bathroom never gets finished, it doesn't matter.
The ceiling was open. There was no drywall up top, so we had to soften it all in and bring everything in. There was a radon system and a sump pump in the corner, already hardwired and running. There was no mechanical room. The appliances sat tucked behind the stairs.
Caleb: So it went from studs and concrete to a fully finished space?
Keith: Yes. You could live down there on a cot, but you'd be sleeping on concrete with concrete walls. Nothing was finished or ready to use. The lights were rough-in electrical boxes with a screw-in bulb, just to have something on. We brought in insulation for the walls before we put in the lumber. It's everything you picture when someone says "unfinished basement."
Caleb: It's dark down there. They had us repaint the egress windows because they were rusting. And we brought carpet up the stairs, if I remember right.
Keith: I always count the stairs as part of the basement. Once you open that door, that's where the project starts. It was darker and closed off. The egress windows were big enough, and they were already up to code, which doesn't happen often. We spruced up two of the window wells and replaced one. We wanted more light, because white reflects better, and it didn't look so dingy anymore. The carpet went throughout except the bathroom and the wet bar. The wet bar got tile.
Caleb: The bathroom is tiled, with a pocket door into the bedroom. What was the design process for making it comfortable for someone coming off a long overseas flight, dealing with exhaustion and loud grandkids? I also remember you added extra insulation for noise.
Keith: The stairs came down in the center of the basement and faced east. That side became the big open entertainment area. You could put in a pool table or a foosball table. Northwest of that is where the queen bed for the in-laws went, which is the spot farthest from the entertainment.
They didn't like that the bedroom backed up to the mechanical room. So I asked, "What if we insulate this wall?" Interior walls usually don't get insulated, but I said it would hold back some noise. They were lukewarm on it. So I added a second layer of drywall on the mechanical room side, for a full inch of drywall, plus R-19 insulation. They were pleased with it, and it's worked out well for them.
Caleb: What did you figure out on this project that the homeowner hadn't thought of?
Keith: Access. Rooms need hallways, and sometimes a hallway makes other areas feel goofy. They first pictured a walkway through the mechanical room. In their head it seemed fine. Once I laid out the walls and showed them how it would feel, with that closed-in, cramped feeling, they said, "We don't want that."
People say "this will be a good idea" and never picture the full space needed to make something feel comfortable. I'll put chalk down on the floor and say, "This is your wall, and the rest of it is about five and a half inches that way."
The shower niche is a good example. People ask, "Can I get a shower niche?" I say, "Let's open the drywall and see what's back there before we promise anything." You never know until it's out.
Caleb: Storage was one of the biggest perks. There was the mechanical room, a space under the stairs with a curtain, a hallway closet, and a closet in the bedroom.
Keith: They wanted full resale value. They'd already done several projects with us, and they wanted this counted as a full bedroom, which meant a closet and a window. Storage was a big part of it. The extra closet at the end of the hall was one of the projects that came together late. We weren't sure how to handle that wall, and we landed on storage, because by the end of most projects, people realize they don't have enough. Adding a closet to a space that was otherwise dead was a win for everyone.
Caleb: The wet bar turned out gorgeous. What custom pieces did you and the team put into that area?
Keith: It was a great project. They didn't want to serve from it. They said, "The entertainment is the shakes at night, and we don't want to run cups upstairs." They put in a small dishwasher to rinse things out. The husband might be a craft drinker, so we kept it simple: a nice sink base with a dishwasher opening and a refrigerator opening on each side. The client picked out a countertop remnant, which we cut to fit a fifteen-inch sink bar. It's enough to rinse, not wash full plates. Two shelves, and a full tile backsplash in a green that tied the whole room together.
Caleb: It's a space built for hosting. They haven't mounted a TV on that wall yet, but you can picture sofas and a game-day crowd. What advice would you give someone who's thinking about finishing a basement for in-laws or regular guests?
Part 2: Technical Advice
Keith: Start with one question: is this your forever home, or will you be gone in a couple of years? That tells me how to think about long-term decisions. These clients planned to stay. So we put high-end cabinets in the wet bar. It took forever to get them, and it was a pain point, but they look gorgeous and I wouldn't change them. If they'd planned to sell in three to five years, I'd have chosen differently.
After that, ask about the everyday goal, with no compromises. Some people say, "I need a craft area that's easy to wipe down, and an office for my husband so he can be home more." Those are the mandatories. Then you build from there. "It would be nice to have this." "If I had unlimited money, I'd want this." Then you work back from budget to figure out what you can do.
As an action item, make a list of everything you want out of the basement. Then number it and sort it into three groups: must-haves, won't-bend, and not sure. Flooring is a common "not sure." Carpet, LVP, or tile can be decided later.
Caleb: I remember the lighting. There were so many can lights that it was lit up like Christmas, and it looked amazing.
Keith: We put those lights on two separate switches, so they didn't have to run full blast all the time. One spouse wants full lighting, and the other says, "I don't know if I like that all the time." So you find a compromise. A lot of basement finishing comes down to that. Unless you design the basement from the start, you work within what you have. Most people don't have unlimited money to move every appliance and trade line in the basement. That can cost thirty or forty thousand dollars. You can often make other things work.
The best thing a client can do is bring the non-negotiables and the negotiables, and say, "We don't know. You guide us."
Caleb: We didn't actually cut into the slab there.
Keith: A little bit. The plumbing meant cutting into the slab.
Part 3: Cost and ROI
Caleb: What's a reasonable range in North Denver at the end of 2026? You can get bottom of the barrel or high-end. What are people looking at to finish a basement?
Keith: There's no maximum price per square foot. For a completely bare basement, with everything exposed, your best bet is a square-footage price. A contractor who gives an all-in square-foot price is usually good at what they do. A detailed line-item estimate is better still. Those are your high-end contractors, and they account for everything. The reliable middle is the square-footage price. Then there's the partial line item with a partial square-footage price. Know which one you're getting.
For an investor, a good basement remodel is about seventy-five dollars a square foot right now. If you're a client getting a square-footage price from a design-build shop, expect about ninety-five to a hundred and twenty-five dollars a square foot to finish a basement.
Caleb: Prices are only going up. Any final advice for young homeowners who want to finish a basement and make the home their own?
Keith: Double-check who you hire. Call their references. Don't treat it like a new phone. A basement is a lot of work. Make sure the person you hire understands that. They won't get it done in an afternoon. It takes time and a relationship.
Caleb: They'll be in your home for a while. You'll see them a lot.
Keith: Usually not fast.
Caleb: Thank you, Keith.
Key Takeaways for Homeowners
Plan the space around how the family will use it. Ask whether this is a long-term home, then list the must-haves, the won't-bend items, and the open questions.
Lay out the walls before you commit. Chalk on the floor shows how much room a wall, hallway, or closet really takes.
Compromise on the things people disagree about, like lighting. Separate switches let one room serve both preferences.
Ask about the square-footage price and what it covers. A detailed line-item estimate is the most complete. A bare square-footage price needs questions.
Check references before you hire. A basement takes time and a relationship, not an afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I finish my basement for a long-term home or to sell?
It depends on your plans. If you plan to stay, high-end finishes make sense. If you plan to sell in three to five years, you might choose different cabinets and fixtures.
How do I plan a basement that fits my family?
Start with the question, "Is this your forever home?" Then list your everyday goals and must-haves, and build the other items around them. Budget comes last, after you know what you need.
How much does it cost to finish a basement in North Denver?
Keith puts an investor-grade remodel at about $75 per square foot right now. A design-build shop quoting a square-footage price is usually between $95 and $125 per square foot. Those are his 2026 estimates.
Do I need to move plumbing or appliances to finish a basement?
Not always. Moving trade lines and appliances can cost thirty to forty thousand dollars. Many layouts can work around the existing plumbing and appliances.
Is a bedroom in a basement counted for resale?
It can be, if it has a closet and a window. Keith's clients added a closet and kept the window so the space could count as a full bedroom.
What should I look for when hiring a basement contractor?
Call their references, and ask for a square-footage price or, better, a detailed line-item estimate. Make sure they understand the scope of work before they start.
