205 N Michigan Ave, Suite 810A, Chicago, IL
escalaremodelingllc@gmail.com (773) 241-4811
Escala Remodeling
(773) 241-4811 Request an Estimate
Interactive walkthrough

Watch a basement come together

Scroll, and an empty concrete basement gets framed, wired, drywalled, floored and furnished in front of you, with one of our carpenters on site along the way. This is the order we build in, and roughly how long each stage takes.

Scroll to start building

Finished. Now picture yours.

Six stages, about six weeks after the permit, one team the whole way.

Request a Basement Estimate About our basement work
Stage by stage

The same basement, six times

Tap any stage to see it full size. Every basement is different, but the order is always this.

  1. A carpenter carrying 2x4 lumber into an empty unfinished Chicago basement with bare concrete, block walls and exposed joists
    01Day 0

    Materials come in

    Bare concrete, block walls, exposed joists, a post in the middle and one small window. The first thing down the stairs is the lumber. Before anything is cut we check for moisture and measure ceiling height, because those two things decide what the room can become.

  2. A carpenter nailing a stud on the new framed walls of the basement
    02Week 1

    Framing

    Walls go up a few inches off the block, a soffit hides the duct trunk, the post gets boxed in and the window opening is framed for egress. This is the week the layout stops being a drawing.

  3. A carpenter pressing insulation into the stud bays with electrical boxes and wiring in place
    03Week 2

    Insulation and wiring

    Insulation pressed into every exterior bay, electrical boxes and wiring to code, recessed-light housings between the joists and any plumbing rough-in. Then the rough inspection.

  4. The basement drywalled, primed and lit by new recessed lights, floor still bare concrete
    04Weeks 3 to 4

    Drywall and finish

    Sheets go up on the walls and the ceiling and get screwed off, then three coats of mud, sanding and primer. Recessed light trims go in. The room suddenly has walls you want to touch.

  5. A carpenter sweeping the new vinyl plank floor in the freshly painted basement
    05Week 5

    Paint, floors and trim

    Walls painted, ceiling white, waterproof vinyl plank clicked together over underlayment, baseboard, doors and casing installed, lights and outlets live, then a final sweep before the furniture arrives.

  6. The finished basement family room with built-in cabinets, a sectional sofa, a rug and warm recessed lighting
    06Week 6

    Finished and furnished

    Built-ins, furniture and a rug, and the lower level is part of the house. Final walkthrough together, then the last payment.

Basement projects

Two build-outs like this one

New basement bedroom build-out with an egress window, LVP floor and recessed lightsBasements
Portage Park · 5 weeks after permit

Basement bedroom and home office build-out

An unfinished bungalow basement turned into a legal guest bedroom with an egress window and a home office, with the rest of the basement left open for laundry and storage.

See the project
Finished basement with wood-look flooring, a staircase with glass railing and a built-in deskBasements
Jefferson Park · 7 weeks after permit

Full basement family room with wet bar

The whole lower level finished as one open family room with a wet bar, a storage and mechanical room behind a door, and a new staircase railing to open up the entry.

See the project

Ready to see what your basement could be?

Send a couple of photos and the ceiling height if you know it. We will come measure and give you a written estimate.

Request an Estimate (773) 241-4811
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