Basement Remodeling in Utah

Yes. A new basement bedroom needs an emergency escape and rescue opening under the residential code, unless the home has a Section P2904 sprinkler system and the basement has two means of egress, or one means of egress and one escape opening, under the exception in Section R310.1. Where no existing window qualifies, we cut and install the egress window and well as part of the project.

Yes. The old finishes and fixtures are removed to the framing. The bathroom is then rebuilt with an exhaust fan ducted outdoors, a waterproof shower membrane, tile, a vanity, and new fixtures.

Yes, when the house is a detached single-family home that is your primary residence and the unit meets the conditions your city, town, or county sets. Utah law makes an internal ADU in such a home a permitted use in areas zoned primarily for residential use, in cities and towns as well as in unincorporated county areas, as our ADU page explains.

Tell us at the consultation. We account for it in the new permit application. Any work that does not meet code is corrected during the remodel.

Yes. A permit is required to build new walls in a basement or to install, alter, or replace its plumbing, gas, mechanical, or electrical systems. We secure the permit through the office that issues permits for work at your address and close it at the final inspection.

No. The work being done meets the current code. Utah's amendments state that building components not being altered do not have to change. Smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms where they apply, are updated when the remodel needs a permit.

Not because of a remodel alone. Under Utah's version of Section R310.7, a remodel of an existing basement requires an emergency escape and rescue opening only for a new bedroom or accessory dwelling unit. Under the exception in Section R310.1, a new bedroom needs no opening of its own when the home has a Section P2904 sprinkler system and the basement has two means of egress, or one means of egress and one escape opening. An existing operable window with a net clear opening of at least 4 square feet, 22 inches high, and 20 inches wide can serve that new bedroom. Utah's Section R102.7.2 also lets an existing bedroom keep a window that met the code when the room was finished, where enlarging it would compromise the structure. The same applies where enlarging it could not be done in keeping with the code's other applicable requirements, its setback and window well rules among them.

Yes, unless an exception applies. Section R310.4.3 requires each window well to connect to the home's foundation drainage system and waives the drain where the foundation sits on well-drained sand or gravel soils. Under Utah's version of Section R405.1, the foundation drainage system is also not required where a geotechnical report for the property does not call for one. We confirm how each well drains during preconstruction.

Habitable space and hallways need at least 7 feet; beams and ducts can come down to 6 feet 4 inches; and bathrooms, toilet rooms, and laundry rooms need at least 6 feet 8 inches.

Yes, when a tank water heater is installed or replaced where a leak would damage the finished space. The pan is at least 1 1/2 inches deep and drains through a pipe of at least 3/4 inch. A replacement heater needs no pan drain where none was installed before. Under a gas-fired heater, a plastic pan needs a flame spread index of 25 or less and a smoke-developed index of 450 or less.

Yes. Supply and return ducts are rerouted to serve the new rooms; return air is kept out of bathrooms, closets, and the mechanical room; and soffits are framed around the ducts that stay.

Yes, when the basement remodel needs a permit and covers more than exterior, plumbing, or mechanical work. The home then gets smoke alarms in every location a new home requires. The added alarms may be battery powered, provided every alarm in the home sounds when one does.

The schedule depends on how much comes out, what demolition uncovers, and the inspections the permit requires. It is set before work begins and managed through closeout under our Schedule Certainty guarantee.