Average Cost to Build a Basement in an Apartment

Structural Engineering

• Regardless of how large of a structure you are building, it has to be inspected by a structural engineer to ensure that the building is being built according to local codes, which vary by city, county and state. A basic inspection will cost around $500 at the time of publication, but if you are looking to work with an engineer from the very beginning steps along with your architect, you could be looking at spending anywhere between $60 and $100 an hour, on average. You cannot built an apartment or a basement without the approval of your city’s local structural engineers.

Excavation

• Moving the dirt out of the way to build a basement for an apartment is a large-scale task. Heavy equipment is needed to safely and efficiently remove the dirt, so you'll need to work with a qualified professional. Excavating companies charge between $60 and $80 per hour on average at the time of publication, although your local cost of living can influence this number one way or the other. This also translates to $3 to $5 per square foot of excavation, applied to the amount you need to remove.

Rough-in Plumbing

• Before the concrete for the footer, slab and the foundation can be poured, the rough-in plumbing has to be done to ensure that the pipes for the water, drain, gas, heating and cooling units are in place and sticking up through the concrete for attachment later on. The rates for plumbers vary by cost of living, but as a general rule you can expect to pay between $40 and $60 per hour for a qualified professional. It depends on the speed of the worker, but rates for rough-in plumbing ranges from $3 to $5 per linear foot.

Concrete

• Concrete is the base level for the entire apartment building and not only forms the foundation walls for the apartment building but also for the basement. The slab itself serves as a platform for the building, with the footers running around the perimeter spreading out the load on top of the gravel and packed dirt that was completed during excavation. The average cost for concrete work ranges between $60 and $80 per hour on average, or around $60 to $80 per cubic yard. Reinforcement and other variables, such as cost of living and location, will change this number.