> Departments > Planning & Building Services > Building > Basement

Basement Finish

photo of basement

Permit Requirements

  1. Provide 2 (two) sets of floor plan layouts, with all rooms labeled and applicable dimensions noted. Label rooms that will remain unfinished as well.
  2. Indicate location of egress windows, furnace, water heater and proposed smoke detectors.
  3. Draw floor plans to scale. Preferred scale is 1/4 inch = 1 foot.
  4. Complete the Building Permit Application and bring plans to the Building Department.

Minimum Code Requirements

  1. Electrical outlets required at 12 feet intervals along walls.
  2. A GFI outlet is required in the bathroom and arc-fault protection of bedroom outlets.
  3. Smoke detectors are required in every bedroom, hallway adjacent to bedrooms, and in the main living area. Smoke detectors are required to be hard wired with a battery back up.
  4. Fans vented to the exterior are required in bathrooms unless an openable window is installed.
  5. Dryers are required to be vented to the exterior @ least 3' from all openable windows and doors. **If enclosing an area for the laundry room, make up air is required. Minimum 100 square inches.
  6. Enclosed useable space under the stairs must be protected with 1/2 inch type x gypsum wallboard.
  7. Gas fired appliances can not be installed n or accessed through a bathroom or bedroom.
  8. All gas-fired appliances shall be provided with outside combustion air.
  9. Hot water heater must be able to be removed with the furnace completely intact.
  10. Furnaces are required to have 30 inches of clear space in front of appliance. The manufacture specifications are also required to be present at time of inspection.
  11. Minimum ceiling height to be 7 feet. Clearance under beams and ductwork may be reduced to 6'6".
  12. Floating walls are required per engineered foundation plans.
  13. Bathroom showers are to be minimum 30" x 30" and are required to be finished 70 inches above the shower drain.
  14. Fire blocking is required at 10' intervals along entire length of wall and at concealed spaces at stud walls, soffits, and dropped ceilings.
  15. One egress window is required in the basement. If the basement is a walkout, then the door will act as the egress window.
  16. Every bedroom is required to have an egress window. Escape or rescue windows shall have a minimum net clear openable area of 5.7 square feet. The minimum net clear openable height shall not be less than 24 inches. The minimum net clear openable width shall not be less than 20 inches (20" x 24" does not equal 5.7 square feet). When window are provided for escape or rescue, they shall have a finished sill height of not more than 44 inches above the finished floor. Exception: when window well vertical depth is less than 44" then a net clear opening of 5 square feet is allowed.
  17. If the permit for the house was taken out May 1, 1998 or later, then an approved window well is required when the escape or rescue windows sill is located below the adjacent finished grade. The window well shall have clear horizontal dimensions to allow the window to be fully opened and provide a minimum accessible net clear opening of 9 square feet, with a minimum dimension of 36 inches measured from the exterior of the foundation wall directly out on a horizontal plan. Window wells with a vertical depth of more than 44 inches shall be quipped with an approved permanently affixed ladder or stair assembly that are accessible with the window in the fully opened position. The ladder or stair assembly shall not encroach into the minimum 36" window well dimension more than 6".

Sample diagram of basement plan