If you have an unfinished basement in Edmonton, you’re sitting on 400 to 1,200 square feet of untapped living space. At Art Edge Construction Ltd, we develop basements from bare concrete to fully finished rooms — framing, insulation, drywall, flooring, bathroom rough-ins, and every finish in between. We handle the entire project under one crew, which means no coordinating multiple trades, no gap between what was quoted and what gets built.
We’ve completed over 500 projects across Edmonton. Basements are the single most common call we get, and they’re the project we do best.
One crew handles everything. Framing, drywall, flooring, and bathroom tile all done by the same team. No handoff delays, no finger-pointing between trades when something needs fixing.
We know Edmonton’s building requirements. Edmonton basements need proper egress windows for any bedroom, minimum ceiling heights, vapor barriers meeting Alberta code, and building permits for most finishing work. We’ve built this into our standard process — you don’t need to research it yourself.
Honest pricing, given upfront. Most Edmonton basement contractors won’t quote until they’ve done three site visits. We give you a realistic range within 24 hours of your first call, and our written quote doesn’t change unless you change the scope.
We’ve done it in every neighbourhood in Edmonton. From newer builds in Windermere and Ellerslie where basements are stubbed in and ready to finish, to older infill homes in Glenora and Highlands where we’ve had to work around low ceilings and older framing — we’ve seen it.
Our work shows in the reviews. Yvette, one of our clients, said we’ve done framing, mudding, drywall, insulation, ceiling soundproofing, bathrooms, and floors for her family — and her whole family now calls us for house projects. That’s the kind of result we build toward on every job.
We don’t cut corners on the unsexy stuff. Proper vapor barrier installation, correct insulation R-values for Alberta’s climate, and framing that accounts for mechanical access — these don’t photograph well but they matter 10 years from now.
Step 1: Site Assessment and Scope Call (Day 1–2) We walk your basement, measure the space, identify any structural or mechanical obstacles, and discuss exactly what you want the finished space to look like. We note ceiling height, existing mechanical rough-ins, window sizes, and anything that affects the plan or the permit.
Step 2: Written Quote and Permit Discussion (Day 2–5) You receive an itemized written quote covering every phase of work. If your project requires a City of Edmonton building permit — which most basement finishes do when adding a bedroom, bathroom, or bedroom egress — we walk you through the process and can advise you on what’s needed. Permit costs typically run $150 to $500 depending on scope.
Step 3: Framing and Rough-In (Week 1–2) We frame all partition walls, build any bulkheads required around ductwork, install blocking for future fixtures, and frame the bathroom walls if applicable. Insulation and vapor barrier go in at this stage. This is the phase that sets the geometry of the entire space.
Step 4: Drywall (Week 2–3) Drywall hanging, taping, mudding, and full finish sanding. We don’t move to the next stage until the walls are paint-ready. No shortcuts on the mudding — every seam and screw is feathered and sanded flat.
Step 5: Flooring, Doors, and Trim (Week 3–4) Luxury vinyl plank, engineered hardwood, or tile goes down. Interior doors hang. Baseboards, casings, and trim are installed. Closet shelving gets built if it’s in scope. This is where the basement starts looking like a finished room.
Step 6: Final Inspection and Walkthrough (Week 4–5) We walk the completed space with you before we call the job done. Any touch-ups are handled immediately. We don’t close a project until you’re satisfied.
Most basement development projects in Edmonton range from $25,000 to $75,000 depending on size, layout complexity, and finish level.
Basic development (rec room, no bathroom, standard finishes): $25,000–$38,000 for a typical 700–900 sq ft basement.
Mid-range development (bedroom, full bathroom, better flooring and trim): $38,000–$55,000.
Legal secondary suite (full kitchen, bathroom, separate entry, egress windows, independent mechanical): $60,000–$90,000+. These require a development permit and must meet City of Edmonton secondary suite requirements.
Factors that push costs higher: adding a full bathroom from scratch (plumbing rough-in not present), low ceilings requiring bulkhead work, older homes with non-standard framing dimensions, and premium material selections for flooring or tile.
We give written quotes. The number you see on paper is the number you pay unless you change the scope.
Art Edge Construction develops basements across Edmonton and surrounding communities. We regularly work in southwest Edmonton neighbourhoods including Windermere, Terwillegar, and Summerside, as well as south Edmonton areas like Ellerslie, Heritage Valley, and Rutherford. We serve central and north Edmonton including Glenora, Parkallen, and Castle Downs, and extend to Sherwood Park, St. Albert, and Spruce Grove.
If you’re outside these areas, call us — we work throughout the greater Edmonton region and will confirm availability for your location. See our full range of home renovation services to understand the complete scope of what we handle.
This is the most common question we get, and it’s a fair one. Most basement developments in Edmonton require a building permit when you’re finishing unfinished space, adding a bedroom, adding a bathroom, or creating a secondary suite. The permit process means submitting drawings to the City, waiting for approval (typically 2–6 weeks), and having inspections at key stages.
We build permit timelines into our project schedule. We don’t start framing the week you sign — we plan the start date around realistic permit approval timelines so the job runs straight through once it begins. This is one of the main reasons jobs with other contractors stall halfway: they didn’t account for inspection wait times.
You pull the permit as the homeowner, or we can advise you step by step. We’ve done this process hundreds of times across Edmonton.
Most standard basement finishes — one or two rooms plus a bathroom — run 4 to 6 weeks from start to walkthrough. Larger projects with full suite development can run 8 to 12 weeks. The permit approval period adds 2 to 6 weeks before physical work begins, so factor that into your timeline.
Yes, and materially. A finished basement in Edmonton typically adds $30,000 to $60,000 in appraised value depending on quality and whether a legal suite is included. Industry data suggests homeowners recoup 60–75% of development costs in resale value — and the additional living space drives buyer demand significantly in Edmonton's market.
No. Basement development is almost always done while the home is occupied. Dust and noise are present, particularly during drywall and sanding, but the work stays below grade. Most families adjust their routine for a few weeks with no issue. We keep the work area clean and respect the rest of the home.
Call Art Edge Construction Ltd at 780-907-2949 or email artedgeconstruction@gmail.com to book a free on-site assessment. We’ll walk your basement, discuss exactly what you want, and provide a written quote within 48 hours. Edmonton basements don’t develop themselves — but ours get finished on time, on budget, and to a standard you’d put on your listing if you sold tomorrow.
