What to Expect During Basement Remodel Construction
So, you’re remodeling your basement!
A basement remodel is an exciting time to custom-build an entire level of your home to what you and your family need in the day-to-day. With a design-build like FBC Remodel, you can work with a designer to craft your dream basement and leverage our project management team and proven process for a smooth construction.
Although FBC is the expert in a lower-stress, organized construction process, there will still be noise, mess, and displacement that comes with any remodeling project.
Here’s how our project management team encourages you to prepare for basement remodel construction.
Communication is Key
Open communication between the homeowner and remodel partner is key to a smooth construction. With FBC, your project manager is there for you — to address questions, concerns, or any other discussions you might need to have.
Keeping communication open during construction is a huge priority at FBC. In fact, we set every homeowner up on an app called Buildertrend that gives you every detail of your construction progress. You’re able to use Buildertrend to look at your schedule and know exactly who is coming in and out of your home at any time. Your project manager also frequently visits your home to check in with you and the progress of your project.
Our project managers also recommend bringing up any concerns or issues as soon as possible. When watching your construction progress, it’s easy to put off a difficult conversation or concern. Just remember that your happiness with the project is our first and greatest priority — you won’t hurt our feelings, and we are always open to collaborating on a solution should a concern arise!
Help Your Construction Team Prepare
There are a few quick steps that you can take to help your construction team out prior to your start date. The most important thing is clearing your personal belongings out of your basement. It might sound obvious, but many homeowners often underestimate how much space they need to clear out. Even with your area sectioned off with plastic, there will still be some dust and mess that can occur outside of the immediate construction. Make sure to ask your project manager the exact area that needs to be “move out ready” prior to your start date — this will help your team start your project strong and prevent any delays!
Expect Disruption to Some Degree
Basements are often more convenient to finish or remodel compared to other parts of the home since it’s easy to avoid the area in the day-to-day. Even then, you’ll need to have realistic expectations around the disruptions that will happen in your home during construction. First, we’ll need to place a dumpster on your property to get mess and materials out of the way — especially if there’s a lot of demolition. We will also provide a portapotty for our trade partners and will be placed on your property. We’ll then section off the area being remodeled with plastic to best maintain dust.
With FBC, it’s worth noting that we do our best to minimize the inconveniences of construction. We clean up any mess at the end of every day and do our best to not work far outside of the immediate basement area. We’ll also be forthright about the loudest phases and days of construction so you know what to expect.
Basement Construction Project Flow
Now that you’ve prepped for your basement remodel, let’s review the two major phases of construction:
Note: Not all steps may be required depending on your scope of work. In this case, let’s look at construction steps for a full gut and remodel.
Phase 1
- Demolition
- Framing
- HVAC – Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Insulation
- Rough Inspections
- Mid-Project Survey
Phase 2
- Drywall
- Priming
- Flooring
- Cabinets
- Trim
- Staining/Painting
- Countertops and Tile
- Homeowner-Provided Items (If present)
- Installation of Final Items – Fixtures, Faucets, Appliances
- Carpet and Vinyl
- Closing and Final Inspection
A Proven Basement Remodel Construction Process with FBC
Interested in our basement remodel process? You can learn more about our tried and true process here.
We’d love to be your partner on your dream basement remodel. Through design-build, you’ll have dedicated support every step of the way. FBC Remodel takes the stress out of remodeling by handling every aspect of your project for you. Through collaborative design, guaranteed pricing, and an efficient timeline, remodeling has never been easier.
