- 16493 Bodman Rd Mt. Orab, OH 45154
- info@empirehome.solutions
- Deck Division: 513-513-DECK(3325)
- Office: (513) 773-1567
Basement Remodeling in Cincinnati, Ohio
Empire Home Solutions turns unfinished and outdated basements across Greater Cincinnati into living space that stays dry, legal, and comfortable — full basement remodeling, finishing, renovation, design, and the waterproofing that has to come first. It’s the highest-return square footage most homes have, and the most unforgiving space to build wrong. Family-owned since 2009, A+ BBB rated, lifetime craftsmanship warranty.
By Chris Kestel, Founder & Owner · Last Updated July 2026
Rated 4.9 Stars · A+ BBB Accredited · Dry-First Building Standard
Is Your Basement Ready to Finish? Here's How We Check.
The worst basement remodel is the one built over a problem. Before we frame a single wall, we look for:
- Efflorescence — the white, chalky bloom on block walls. It’s mineral residue left behind by water migrating through the foundation. Painting over it hides the message, not the moisture.
- A sump pump with a history. If yours runs hard every spring, the remodel plan needs to account for it — battery backup, discharge routing, and access panels — before drywall makes it unreachable.
- Crack triage. Hairline shrinkage cracks in poured walls are cosmetic. Horizontal cracks or stair-stepping in block are structural conversations that come before design conversations.
- A radon number. Southwest Ohio sits in a high-radon zone, and finishing a basement means people breathing that air for hours at a time. A test costs little; we build mitigation into the plan when the number calls for it.
- Musty smell with no visible water. That’s humidity condensing inside cool walls — solved with insulation strategy and dehumidification designed in, not an air freshener.
Pass the checks and we build. Fail one, and we fix the cause first — which is why our basements are still dry when other people’s are getting demoed for mold.
How a Basement Project Runs
1. Assessment & Design
We run the readiness checks above, measure everything including ceiling heights under ducts and beams, and design the layout around what’s fixed — stairs, mechanicals, support posts — so the plan survives contact with reality.
2. Rough-In & Inspections
Framing, electrical, and any plumbing go in and get inspected before insulation hides them. Egress, smoke and CO detection, and stair requirements are built to code from the drawings, not corrected after a failed inspection.
3. Finish & Walkthrough
Drywall, flooring, doors, trim, and paint — then a walkthrough where you test every switch and outlet with us before we call it complete.
Basement Renovation
Reworking basements finished decades ago — dated paneling, dropped ceilings, and layouts that never quite worked — into space that matches the rest of your home.
Basement Design
Layout, lighting, and mechanical planning before construction: where the soffits have to run, where they don’t, and how to keep ceiling height where it matters most.
Basement Waterproofing
Interior drainage, sump systems, and wall treatments — the foundation of every project above, done first or the rest is temporary.
Basement Finishing
Taking bare concrete and studs to finished living space — framing, electrical, insulation, drywall, flooring, and trim under one contract.
What Sets Your Basement Remodel Cost
Basement remodel price ranges are wide for a reason — the same square footage can vary by $30,000 depending on what’s in it.
The big levers: adding a bathroom (plumbing under slab is the priciest single decision), egress window installation where a bedroom is planned, moisture and drainage work discovered in assessment, ceiling treatment (drywall versus drop, and how many soffits the ductwork forces), and finish tier.
A realistic basement remodel cost conversation happens at your house with a tape measure, not in a comment section — and ours ends with a written line-item number.
Brands We Build With
Quality Materials
We use proven materials selected for Ohio’s changing seasons, heavy rain, humidity, and freeze-thaw conditions. We focus on lasting performance rather than the cheapest available option.
Lifetime Warranty
Every project is backed by our lifetime craftsmanship warranty. If our workmanship fails, we return and make it right.
Best Overall Value
We may not always be the lowest-priced contractor, but we provide strong value through proper installation, durable materials, clear pricing, and long-term warranty protection.
Fully Insured and Bonded
Empire Home Solutions is fully insured and bonded, helping protect your home, your investment, and the work completed on your property.
Local Experience
We have served homeowners across Greater Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio, and Northern Kentucky since 2009. Our team understands local homes, weather conditions, soil, building codes, and permit requirements.
Clear Communication
You receive straightforward recommendations, detailed pricing, and regular project updates. We explain what we find, what we recommend, and what your project will cost before work begins.
Basement Remodeling Across Greater Cincinnati
We remodel basements in every housing era this region built: mid-century block foundations in Norwood and Cincinnati proper, 1980s–90s poured walls in Mason, West Chester, and Loveland subdivisions, and newer builds in Batavia, Milford, Amelia, and Mt. Orab where the basement shipped as a blank slate.
Each era has its own quirks — block walls want different insulation than poured, and older homes hide their mechanicals in less convenient places.
Coverage runs through Hamilton, Clermont, Brown, Butler, and Warren counties plus Northern Kentucky; the full list lives on our Ohio service area page.
Looking for a basement remodeling contractor Cincinnati OH homeowners have trusted below grade since 2009? You found the page.
Basement Remodeling FAQs
Do I need an egress window for a basement bedroom in Ohio?
Yes. Under Ohio residential code, any basement sleeping room needs an emergency escape and rescue opening — in practice, an egress window with a minimum clear opening, a maximum sill height, and a window well with a ladder if it’s deep. It’s a real excavation project, but it’s also what makes the bedroom legal, insurable, and honestly livable, since it brings in more natural light than the rest of the basement combined.
Do I need a permit to remodel my basement?
Yes — basement finishes involve framing, electrical, and often plumbing, all of which require permits and inspections in every county we serve. Unpermitted basement work surfaces at the worst possible time: when you sell, when you file an insurance claim, or when an inspector finds it during an unrelated project. We pull the permits and schedule the inspections as part of the job.
How long does a basement remodel take?
Most full finishes run 6–10 weeks from first wall to final walkthrough, with rough-in inspections as the main scheduling checkpoints. Renovations of previously finished basements can run shorter; projects adding bathrooms or egress windows run longer. You’ll get a written schedule before work starts and updates when Ohio weather or inspection queues move it.
What about radon — should I test before finishing?
Absolutely, and we’d rather you test before we quote. Southwest Ohio has some of the higher radon potential in the country, and mitigation is far cheaper to install before finishing than to retrofit after. If your number comes back elevated, a mitigation system gets designed into the project — it’s a modest line item that protects the people who’ll spend the most hours in the new space.
What adds the most resale value in a basement?
A finished basement with a bathroom and conforming egress consistently returns the most in this market — appraisers can count a legal bedroom, and buyers count the bathroom. Highly personalized builds (theaters, themed bars) are wonderful to live with but return less; we’ll tell you which side of that line your plan sits on so you’re choosing with open eyes.
My ceiling is low — can it still be finished?
Usually. Code minimums leave room for more basements than homeowners expect, and design does the rest: routing soffits over closets and hallways instead of the main room, drywalling flat ceilings tight to the joists, and using recessed lighting to keep every inch. This is exactly the problem our basement design service exists to solve before framing makes it permanent.
Ready to Transform Your Basement?
Turn an unfinished or outdated basement into comfortable, usable living space. Empire Home Solutions provides basement finishing and remodeling with moisture control, thoughtful layouts, code-compliant construction, and workmanship backed by a lifetime craftsmanship warranty.
Save 10%—up to $1,000—when you sign on your first visit.
Call (513) 773-1567 or schedule your free on-site basement consultation today.