Your result
Enter your numbers and press the button.
All states, highest labor cost first
Each factor keeps 60% of the national cost and scales the 40% labor share by the state's average trade-wage ratio.
| State | Trade-wage index | Factor | 1,000 sq ft mid-range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 132% | 1.130 | $45,185–$84,721 |
| Oregon | 126% | 1.103 | $44,123–$82,732 |
| Washington | 126% | 1.102 | $44,092–$82,672 |
| Illinois | 124% | 1.095 | $43,805–$82,135 |
| New Jersey | 122% | 1.087 | $43,481–$81,528 |
| Alaska | 120% | 1.081 | $43,239–$81,073 |
| California | 118% | 1.072 | $42,868–$80,377 |
| District of Columbia | 117% | 1.068 | $42,732–$80,123 |
| Massachusetts | 117% | 1.068 | $42,721–$80,101 |
| New York | 115% | 1.059 | $42,358–$79,421 |
| Minnesota | 111% | 1.043 | $41,739–$78,261 |
| Wisconsin | 104% | 1.015 | $40,580–$76,088 |
| Connecticut | 103% | 1.013 | $40,532–$75,998 |
| Missouri | 102% | 1.010 | $40,392–$75,734 |
| Pennsylvania | 102% | 1.007 | $40,262–$75,490 |
| Rhode Island | 101% | 1.005 | $40,199–$75,373 |
| Nevada | 101% | 1.004 | $40,158–$75,297 |
| Maryland | 100% | 0.999 | $39,970–$74,944 |
| Michigan | 99% | 0.997 | $39,882–$74,779 |
| Montana | 99% | 0.994 | $39,762–$74,554 |
| Maine | 97% | 0.990 | $39,592–$74,235 |
| Indiana | 97% | 0.988 | $39,534–$74,126 |
| New Hampshire | 97% | 0.987 | $39,485–$74,035 |
| Colorado | 97% | 0.987 | $39,469–$74,005 |
| Ohio | 96% | 0.984 | $39,369–$73,817 |
| Vermont | 96% | 0.982 | $39,296–$73,680 |
| Delaware | 92% | 0.969 | $38,754–$72,664 |
| Kansas | 89% | 0.958 | $38,317–$71,845 |
| Iowa | 89% | 0.957 | $38,277–$71,770 |
| Arizona | 89% | 0.956 | $38,260–$71,737 |
| Wyoming | 89% | 0.955 | $38,181–$71,589 |
| North Dakota | 88% | 0.952 | $38,090–$71,419 |
| Virginia | 88% | 0.950 | $38,012–$71,273 |
| Utah | 87% | 0.948 | $37,903–$71,067 |
| New Mexico | 87% | 0.946 | $37,854–$70,976 |
| Nebraska | 86% | 0.945 | $37,794–$70,864 |
| Kentucky | 85% | 0.940 | $37,620–$70,537 |
| West Virginia | 84% | 0.938 | $37,512–$70,334 |
| Idaho | 84% | 0.935 | $37,417–$70,157 |
| Tennessee | 83% | 0.933 | $37,326–$69,987 |
| Georgia | 83% | 0.933 | $37,311–$69,959 |
| Louisiana | 82% | 0.929 | $37,145–$69,648 |
| Texas | 80% | 0.922 | $36,877–$69,144 |
| South Dakota | 80% | 0.922 | $36,867–$69,125 |
| South Carolina | 80% | 0.920 | $36,819–$69,036 |
| Oklahoma | 80% | 0.919 | $36,741–$68,890 |
| Florida | 79% | 0.915 | $36,611–$68,645 |
| Alabama | 78% | 0.911 | $36,448–$68,339 |
| North Carolina | 76% | 0.906 | $36,236–$67,942 |
| Mississippi | 74% | 0.896 | $35,856–$67,231 |
| Arkansas | 73% | 0.891 | $35,659–$66,861 |
How this estimate is built
The base number is area times a published cost per square foot. Block Renovation, a remodeling contractor, puts contractor-led basement finishes at $25–$40 per square foot for a basic finish, $40–$75 for mid-range and $75–$100 or more for high-end work in 2026. HomeAdvisor's national figure is lower, $7–$23 per square foot, because it also counts partly finished spaces and owner-managed projects. Use the HomeAdvisor range if you will act as your own general contractor or only need flooring, paint and lighting in an already dry, framed room.
Add-ons are priced separately because they do not scale with area. A bathroom costs about the same whether it sits in a 600 or a 1,600 square foot basement. Fixr lists half baths at $5,000–$15,000, three-quarter baths at $10,000–$22,000 and full baths at $15,000–$35,000. HomeGuide puts a cut-in egress window at $4,000–$12,000, most often $6,000–$8,000. HomeAdvisor lists permits at $1,200–$2,000.
When you pick a state, the calculator keeps 60% of the cost as is and scales the other 40% by local wages. This Old House notes that labor is usually about 40% of a basement finishing budget, and the wage index comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 mean hourly wages for carpenters, electricians, plumbers and drywall installers.
State pages
U
Sources
- https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v1/timeseries/data/ (OEWS series OEUS…472031, 472111, 472152, 472081, May 2025)
- https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- https://www.blockrenovation.com/guides/basement-remodel-cost-per-square-foot-2026
- https://www.thisoldhouse.com/foundations/reviews/cost-to-finish-basement