If you're thinking about finishing your basement anywhere in the Denver metro, the permit question usually comes up early. Do you need one? Who files it? Do you have to deal with the city yourself? Here's how it works when you hire Saw Dog Construction, whether you're in Denver, Arvada, Thornton, Broomfield, Lakewood or Aurora.
Short answer: yes, and we handle it
Every Saw Dog basement is permitted and inspected with your city. We file the permit, manage it, and schedule the inspections. You shouldn't have to learn a city permit portal just to get a rec room and a guest bedroom.
That isn't us being fussy. A permitted, inspected basement protects your home's value, your insurance coverage, and your resale. When you sell someday, finished square footage with a permit trail behind it is a lot easier to explain than a basement somebody's uncle finished on weekends.
Every city runs its own permits
The Denver metro is a patchwork of cities, and each one handles its own building permits. Some lines are confusing. Westminster, for example, straddles the Adams and Jefferson county line, but permits for homes inside the city run through the City of Westminster either way. Plenty of homeowners assume the county matters more than it does.
You don't need to sort that out. Whether you're in Denver, Arvada, Thornton, Northglenn, Lakewood or Aurora, we file and manage that paperwork with your city on every permitted project.
What the permit actually covers
A full basement finish touches a lot of trades. Our base scope runs from design and permits through framing, insulation, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, drywall, paint, trim and flooring, and it ends with the city inspection and a final walkthrough. Since electrical, plumbing and mechanical work are all part of it, inspections along the way make sure the stuff behind the drywall is done right before it gets covered up.
If one of the new rooms is a bedroom, there's one more piece. Building codes generally require a basement sleeping room to have an emergency escape and rescue opening, and an egress window with a well outside is the most common way to provide it. The exact requirements depend on your city and the code edition it enforces, so we confirm what applies to your home before any concrete gets cut. The most practical time to add one is during the finish, and we plan the bedroom and the window as one permitted project. That keeps the inspection simple and the schedule tight.
How the process goes, step by step
- Free estimate. We walk the space, talk through what you want, and give you a written, itemized estimate. No commitment.
- Design and permits. We finalize the layout and finishes, then file and manage the permit with your city.
- The build. A typical full finish runs 6 to 10 weeks from permit approval. You get a schedule up front and updates at every phase.
- Inspection and walkthrough. The city inspects the work, we walk the finished space with you, and the job is covered by our 2-year workmanship warranty.
One thing to plan for: how long the city takes to review the plans is separate from the construction schedule. The build clock starts once the permit is approved.
Don't take our word for it
Here's something most contractors won't tell you: you can check. Our permit history is public record. We've got city-permitted basement finishes and remodels across Frederick, Longmont, Commerce City, Lakewood, Erie and more. We'd rather you verify us than just trust us. We also carry $1M in liability insurance and hold an A+ rating with the BBB.
What about the cost?
Since people always ask: the permit is part of the job, not a separate headache you deal with on your own. For the full breakdown of what a basement finish runs, including bathrooms and egress windows, see the basement finishing cost page on SawDog.net. The short version is that it's planning numbers until you get your free written estimate, which sets the actual scope and price.
Ready to talk about your basement?
Saw Dog Construction is based in Westminster, CO, and works across the Denver metro, from Broomfield and Thornton down to Lakewood, Denver and Aurora. Call or text (720) 290-4077, or send the form on SawDog.net with your square footage, whether you want a bathroom, and whether a bedroom needs an egress window. We'll walk it and write it up.
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