Basement Finishing in Cottonwood Heights

Cottonwood Heights homeowners with a basement to finish can call on Millcreek Basement Finishing for an apartment, an egress window, a bathroom, a kitchen or wet bar, or a home theater. The drive from Millcreek is about 7 miles.

Cottonwood Heights is a city of about 33,000 people whose homes are newer than Holladay’s: about 57 percent were built before 1980, the median home dates from 1978, and only about 1 percent predate 1950. Roughly 69 percent were built from 1950 through 1989, and the median value is $694,100.

Request a free quote

Basement ceiling with drywall hung and taped, recessed light cans cut in, a soffit around a duct and a partly finished primer coat

Example project

Opening cut in a foundation wall below red brick, lined in concrete with a steel lintel above it and no window yet, with dug-out earth, a boulder and a metal sheet beside it

Egress opening cut through a thick foundation wall

Example project

Home: 1970s brick house in Cottonwood Heights
Original request: An escape window for a new bedroom, in a wall that is hard to cut
Wall: Thick wall below the brick, with a steel lintel above the new opening
Excavation: A pit dug beside the wall, with a boulder in the way
Window: Set after the opening is formed and lined
Cost: $9,500

In this example, the owners of a 1970s brick house in Cottonwood Heights want a bedroom in the lower level. The wall is thick, and a boulder sits where the well must go, so the cut costs more than a plain one.

See the full example and more projects

Basement finishing services in Cottonwood Heights

Basement apartment

A basement apartment here is planned around the city’s ADU rules, which the city sets. The basement apartment page covers what the state code requires of the unit.

Egress window installation

A new bedroom or unit needs an escape opening of the size the code sets, set out under egress window installation. A house from the 1970s or 1980s has its own window sizes, which we measure on site.

Basement bathroom

A basement bathroom depends on the ceiling height and where the drains and the water heater sit.

Basement kitchen and wet bar

A basement kitchen and wet bar can serve the household, and a kitchen for a tenant belongs to the apartment route.

Basement home theater

A basement home theater is laid out against the heights of ducts and beams.

Homes and basements here

In Cottonwood Heights about 77 percent of homes are one-unit buildings and about 71 percent are detached houses. Nearly one in five housing units sits in a building of five or more units, and about 72 percent are owner-occupied. The median is a 1978 build.

A house’s age does not tell you whether it has a basement, and none of the sources behind this page gives a share of Cottonwood Heights homes that do. Where one exists, a build from the 1970s or 1980s gets measured for headroom, windows and the furnace corner before drawings begin.

Permits and rules to check in Cottonwood Heights

This page does not state the building or ADU rules of Cottonwood Heights, which the city sets and can change. The statewide code applies: Utah’s residential code with its amendments, including the escape opening for a new bedroom or unit, alarms and insulation. Confirm permit steps with the city.

Before you plan an apartment, ask the city how its accessory dwelling unit rules read now.

Utah Residential Code 2021, Chapter 3 (UpCodes viewer)Utah Code 15A-3-202, amendments to IRC Chapters 1 through 5 Utah Code 10-21-303, internal accessory dwelling units

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to finish a basement in Cottonwood Heights?

Check with the city. The statewide residential code applies, so confirm the permit rule with the city’s building office.

Does my 1970s house need a new egress window for a bedroom?

A new bedroom in an existing basement must get an escape and rescue opening, so a 1970s window gets measured against the size figures before anyone decides whether it can stay.

For a house closer to Millcreek, see basement finishing in Holladay.

Request a free basement finishing quote

Send the Cottonwood Heights address and the rooms you want, such as an apartment, a bathroom, a bar or kitchen, a theater or a bedroom with an egress window. Describe the basement as it is now. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.

Call (385) 417-4099