Finish your basement in Appleton

Three steps

1. You reach out

   Call or use the form. Tell us your community and what you want the basement to be.

2. We make the connection

   We hand your request to one independent basement contractor who serves your part of the Fox Cities.

3. The contractor follows up

   They come out, measure, talk through the permit and give you their own price.

What is basement finishing?

Basement finishing turns an unfinished lower level into living space: framed and insulated walls, electrical and lighting, heat, drywall, a finished ceiling, flooring and trim. In an Appleton-area home it usually also means planning around the furnace, water heater and water softener, deciding whether to add a bathroom or bar, and, if anyone will sleep down there, adding a code-compliant way out. The work is permitted and inspected under Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code.

Why it makes sense in the Fox Cities

Appleton averages close to 50 inches of snow a year, with January lows that average around 10 degrees. That's a lot of indoor months, and an unfinished basement is the most affordable square footage most houses have. Finishing it adds a place for kids to play, a guest room for holidays, a home office away from the kitchen, or a spot to watch the Packers that isn't the living room. Because the work is indoors, much of it can happen through the winter.

Wisconsin writes its own basement rules

Unlike Minnesota, Pennsylvania and most other states, Wisconsin doesn't use the International Residential Code for houses. It uses its own Uniform Dwelling Code, chapters SPS 320 to 325 of the state administrative code. A few of the rules that matter most in a basement:

• Exits: every basement needs one exit, and a basement used for sleeping needs two, placed as far apart as practical (SPS 321.03(5))
• Egress windows: when a window serves as the second exit, each bedroom needs one with a net clear opening of at least 20 by 24 inches and a sill no more than 60 inches above the floor, with a platform required if it's above 46 inches (SPS 321.03(6))
• Areaways: a below-grade egress window needs a well at least 36 inches out from the wall, with a ladder if it's more than 46 inches deep
• Fire blocking: required at ceiling and floor levels in concealed wall spaces and around pipes, ducts and vents (SPS 321.085)
• Alarms: smoke alarms in each sleeping room and outside sleeping areas, and carbon monoxide alarms in homes with fuel-burning appliances (SPS 321.09 and 321.097)

Who issues the permit?

Each Fox Cities community issues its own. In the City of Appleton, the Building Inspections division takes a Residential Interior Remodel permit application online, with separate trade permits for plumbing, HVAC and electrical. The city notes that some neighboring towns use an Appleton mailing address, so check whether you're actually inside city limits. Grand Chute, Little Chute, Kimberly and Kaukauna each handle their own permits. Little Chute, for instance, spells out that basement alterations, new circuits, extra plumbing fixtures and moved walls all need a permit.

Contractor credentials in Wisconsin

Wisconsin requires two state credentials from the Department of Safety and Professional Services for anyone other than an owner-occupant to obtain a building permit on a one- or two-family home: a Dwelling Contractor credential held by the company and a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier credential held by a person in the company. Appleton's own permit page tells homeowners to ask contractors for their state registration number. Plumbing has its own credentialing, and most basement contractors use a plumbing subcontractor for bathrooms and bars.

Test for radon before you finish

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says about 1 in 10 homes in the state has high radon levels and recommends testing every home. Radon enters through the foundation, so the basement is where it matters most. If a test comes back above 4 pCi/L, a mitigation system is easier to install before walls and ceilings go in. DHS lists regional radon information centers and a statewide line, 1-888-LOW-RADON.

Dry first, then finish

Spring melt is the real test for a Fox Cities basement. Before framing, look for damp spots, efflorescence or stains on the walls, check that the sump pump works and discharges away from the house, and make sure downspouts and grading move water away from the foundation. Finishing over a water problem only hides it.

Is this a contractor?

No. Appleton Basement Finishing is a referral service. We connect you with an independent basement finishing contractor that serves your community, and that company handles the quote, permit, work and warranty. See how it works, and read the Appleton basement finishing guide for the code details.

Communities we cover

• Appleton
• Grand Chute
• Little Chute
• Kaukauna
• Kimberly