Overview Many Bountiful homes were built decades ago, and a basement in one of them can hold old ceiling texture, vinyl floor tile, painted trim, original wiring, and low ducts that no new build has to deal with. This guide covers what to test, who handles each hazard, and what to settle before framing starts.…
Overview Homeowners in Highland, Alpine, and Herriman sit on sloped lots that create a genuine opportunity most Wasatch Front homeowners do not have: adding a walkout basement entrance to a space that already has partial above-grade wall exposure. The project is not cheap. Excavation near foundations in Utah clay and rock soil requires care, structural…
Overview There is a significant gap between a finished basement and a legal Internal Accessory Dwelling Unit (IADU) in Utah. A finished basement can have a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchenette and still not qualify as a legal rental unit. The gap is filled by a specific set of compliance requirements: a 1-hour…
Overview Utah adopted the 2021 International Residential Code in July 2023. HB 65 updates took effect July 1, 2026, tightening energy envelope standards statewide. For a homeowner in Lehi or Draper planning a basement finish in 2026, that means inspectors in both cities are now enforcing a more demanding standard than projects permitted before…
Overview Finishing a basement in Traverse Mountain or on Lehi’s East Bench is a different project from finishing a basement on the valley floor. The bench sits on a mix of hard rock outcroppings and expansive clay soils that require specific slab prep, floating wall framing, and subfloor systems before any finish work begins. Newer…