How Much Does It Cost to Finish a Basement Rec Room in Vancouver?

Hi there! I'm Chris, a General Contractor with 25 years of experience in residential renovations.

Looking at the photo you shared, you have a fantastic, clean canvas to work with! Your basement has a great walk-out sliding door on the right, some initial rough framing started around the stairs, concrete foundation walls, and open joists with exposed heating and cooling ducts.

Finishing a basement of this scale is a multi-trade project. To build a comprehensive and reliable estimate, we'll walk through the scope items step-by-step, starting with the biggest and most complex trades first:

1. Framing, Insulation & Drywall (Perimeter walls, partition walls, and ceiling)
2. Electrical & Lighting (Recessed lighting, outlets, switches, and code compliance)
3. Flooring & Baseboards (Slab prep, underlayment, floor covers, and trim)
4. HVAC & Ventilation (Framing bulkheads around ducts, adding heat registers/returns)
5. Doors & Trim (Hanging doors for storage/utility areas)
6. Painting (Walls, ceilings, and trim)
7. Smoke & CO Detectors (Required safety upgrades)
8. Permits & Project Management (Municipal approvals and trade coordination)

To kick off our walk-through and establish our main quantities and design directions, I have a few quick questions for you:

Question: What is your postal code?

Question: What are the approximate dimensions (length and width) or total square footage of the basement area you want to finish?

Question: What style of ceiling would you prefer?

• Drywall with framed bulkheads (classic finished look)
• Drop/ Suspended ceiling (easy access to pipes/wires)
• Exposed painted joists (industrial/loft style)

Question: What type of flooring would you like to install?

• Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) - durable and water-resistant
• Carpet - warm and cozy for a rec room
• Laminate - budget-friendly wood look
• Engineered Hardwood - premium real-wood look

Thank you! That gives us a solid foundation: a 300 sq. ft. recreational room (20ft x 15ft), a clean modern finished drywall ceiling with custom bulkheads framing the ductwork, and durable Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring.

Now, let's look at the existing conditions and key municipal and safety triggers for Vancouver (V5K). In East Vancouver, the age of the structure and the concrete's moisture performance are critical factors that guide our structural, insulation, and moisture-proofing methods.

Please help me with these details so we can dial in the framing, moisture protection, and electrical design:

Question: Approximately what year was the home built?

• 1990 or newer
• 1980 to 1989
• 1979 or older

Question: Is this home a single-family house, a duplex, or a townhouse?

• Single-family detached house
• Duplex
• Townhouse (strata or non-strata)

Question: Has this basement ever had any history of water leaks, moisture, dampness, or floor-slab sweating?

• No, it is completely dry year-round
• Yes, minor dampness or sweating on occasion
• Yes, active/historic leaks or water intrusion

Question: Would you like to close in the area under the stairs to create a storage closet with an interior door, and drywall both sides of the stair wall?

• Yes, drywall both sides and add a storage closet with a door
• Just drywall the stair wall; leave the under-stairs open
• No, leave the stairs area completely open as is

Question: For the new electrical layout, about how many recessed ceiling lights (puck lights) would you like, and do you need a dedicated TV wall outlet setup (conduit, power, cable)?

Your project estimate

Project summary

Complete finish of a 20ft x 15ft unfinished basement in a post-1990 single-family detached home in Vancouver. Includes perimeter wall framing/insulation, drywall ceilings with bulkheads, new electrical branch circuits with 8 LED lights and 8 outlets, under-stairs closet with a hollow-core door, LVP flooring with vapor underlayment, paint, and City of Vancouver permit administration.

Estimate range

$28,900 - $43,500 This is a starting ballpark, not a final price.

Estimated work

Item	Details	Range
Site Protection and Floor Prep	PREP and protect walking paths, sliding glass doors, and adjacent transitions using temporary floor protection and drop sheets.	$100 - $200
Project Management & Trade Coordination	GC coordination, sequencing, schedule management, trade handoffs, and municipal inspection sequencing for a multi-trade basement finish.	$1,900 - $2,900
Wall and Soffit Framing	INSTALL wood-stud perimeter walls, stairway framing, closet partition, and custom drywall bulkheads/soffits around HVAC ductwork.	$3,000 - $4,600
Wall Insulation	INSTALL R20 fiberglass batt insulation in all perimeter stud cavities.	$1,900 - $3,000
Vapor Barrier and Air Sealing	INSTALL continuous 6-mil poly vapor barrier on perimeter walls, fully taped and sealed.	$900 - $1,400
Electrical Rough-in Wiring & Outlets	PREP and rough-in branch wiring, boxes, and circuitry for 8 recessed slim LEDs, closet light, 8 outlets, switches, and 2 smoke alarms.	$1,300 - $2,000
Electrical Rough-in Infrastructure	SUPPLY rough-in materials including branch circuit wiring, junction boxes, and standard breakers.	$300 - $450
HVAC Duct Extension	INSTALL HVAC duct extensions from existing trunk line, roughing in 2 heat supply registers and 1 return air grille.	$850 - $1,350
Building Permit Administration	PREP and file City of Vancouver Building Permit application, coordinate with inspectors, and represent GC at rough-in inspection.	$550 - $900
Electrical Permit Administration	PREP and file Electrical Permit with the city, coordinate inspections, and manage rough-in review.	$500 - $800
Drywall Installation and Level 4 Finishing	INSTALL 1/2 inch drywall on walls and ceiling, 5/8 inch fire-rated drywall under stairs. Tape, mud, and sand to Level 4 finish.	$7,800 - $11,900
Under-Stairs Closet Door	INSTALL 1 prehung hollow-core interior door for the under-stairs storage closet, complete with passage latch set.	$300 - $500
LVP Flooring Installation	INSTALL Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring over the concrete slab.	$3,500 - $5,400
Acoustic Underlayment Supply	SUPPLY premium moisture-mitigating acoustic underlayment.	$175 - $275
MDF Baseboard and Trim Installation	INSTALL MDF baseboards along the room perimeter (70 lft) and mitered casing around the new storage closet door.	$600 - $1,000
Wall Priming and Painting	PREP, prime, and apply two coats of eggshell finish paint to all new drywall partition and perimeter walls (560 sqft).	$1,400 - $2,150
Ceiling Priming and Painting	PREP, prime, and apply two coats of flat ceiling paint to drywalled ceiling and bulkheads (300 sqft).	$700 - $1,100
Baseboard and Closet Door Painting	PREP, prime, and paint MDF baseboards and the closet door with semi-gloss trim paint.	$150 - $250
Electrical Trim and Fixtures	INSTALL 8 recessed slim LED puck lights, switches, outlets, plates, and finish wiring connections at the breaker panel.	$1,400 - $2,150
Closet Light Fixture Supply	SUPPLY 1 basic utility ceiling light fixture for the under-stairs storage closet.	$50 - $80
Interconnected Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms	INSTALL and test two interconnected hardwired smoke/CO combination alarms to comply with local building code.	$325 - $525
Final Permit Closeout and Inspections	PREP, schedule, and attend final building and electrical inspections with City of Vancouver inspectors to close out permits.	$100 - $200
Post-Construction Clean and Waste Disposal	CLEAN complete basement space, including window wipe-down and floor sweeping, and HAUL away debris in a 14-yard bin.	$600 - $950

Cost summary

Category	Range
Materials	$8,100 - $12,300
Labour	$20,700 - $31,200
Total	$28,900 - $43,500

What is included

• Protect walking paths, sliding glass doors, and adjacent main floor transitions with drop sheets and floor protection.
• Erect 2x4 wood-stud perimeter walls spaced slightly off concrete foundation, frame structural stairway walls on both sides, and frame partition walls for the new under-stairs storage closet. Frame custom soffits/bulkheads around all exposed heating and cooling ducts.
• Install R20 fiberglass batt insulation in all perimeter stud cavities, along with 6-mil polyethylene continuous vapor barrier on the warm side of the insulation, taped and sealed to code.
• Rough-in new electrical branch circuits from main panel, including wiring for 8 recessed LED slim puck lights, 1 under-stairs closet light junction box, 8 perimeter wall outlets (spaced to meet Canadian Electrical Code spacing), switches, and 2 interconnected hardwired smoke/CO alarms.
• Extend HVAC ducting from existing trunk line, roughing in 2 heat supply registers and 1 return air grille to ensure proper climate control and ventilation.
• Schedule and pass trade rough-in inspections (building framing, electrical, and mechanical/HVAC) with the City of Vancouver.
• Install 1/2" drywall on walls and ceiling, including 5/8" fire-rated drywall on the underside of stairs if required by code. Apply tape, three coats of joint compound, sand to a Level 4 smooth paint-ready finish.
• Supply and hang 1 prehung 24" or 30" hollow-core interior slab door for the under-stairs closet, with casing and passage latch set.
• Clean concrete floor slab, install premium moisture-mitigating acoustic underlayment, and install Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring throughout the 300 sqft main space.
• Install MDF baseboards around the room perimeter (70 linear feet) and case around the under-stairs door.
• Prime all raw drywall and trim, then apply 2 coats of paint (eggshell on walls, flat on ceiling, semi-gloss on trim and doors).
• Install slim LED puck lights, closet light fixture, receptacle devices, decorative wall switches, decorative faceplates, and complete final wiring connections at the main breaker panel.
• Schedule and pass final building and electrical inspections with the City of Vancouver to close out the permit.
• Conduct complete post-construction cleanup, window wipe-down, floor sweeping, and haul away all construction debris using a 14-yard roll-off bin.

Permits or inspections

Item	Why it may be needed
Building Permit (Basement Finish)	City of Vancouver requires a building permit for creating finished living space, framing, and insulation updates.
Electrical Permit	Required for installing new branch circuits, receptacles, lighting fixtures, and smoke detectors.

Possible add-ons

These items are not included in the estimate range above. They may change after an on-site review.

Item	Trade	Possible range	What would confirm it
Self-leveling subfloor compound application if the concrete slab is found out-of-level.	Flooring Specialist	$350 - $550	On-site floor flatness inspection shows concrete slab variation exceeding 3/16 inch over 10 feet.
Sub-slab topical moisture mitigation system application.	Flooring Specialist	$450 - $750	On-site calcium chloride moisture test indicates vapor emission rate> 3 lbs / 1,000 sqft / 24 hours.
Electrical panel upgrade or subpanel installation to accommodate the new circuits.	Electrician	$950 - $1,450	Physical inspection of the existing breaker panel reveals zero open breaker spaces or insufficient main service capacity to add the new basement circuits.

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