Basement Remodeling
Ames, IA
Remodeling a finished basement in Ames brings city rules on egress, wall openings and, for landlords, rental occupancy. The Inspection Division reviews and inspects this work with its own staff. Here is what triggers a permit, what a new bedroom must have, and what the Near Campus rule means for a rental.
- Ames at a glance
Ames housing in numbers
Ames grew from 58,965 residents in 2010 to 66,427 in 2020, and it is home to Iowa State University. The median owner-occupied home is worth $277,400. Data below is from the Census Bureau and the city.
$277,400
Median owner-occupied home value
58,965 to 66,427
Residents, 2010 to 2020
2.14
Persons per household
70%
Plan review, share of permit fee
5.7 sq ft
Egress net clear opening
9 sq ft
Smallest egress window well
32 sq ft
Wall covering removable without permit
Jan. 1, 2018
Near Campus occupancy freeze date
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts (2010 and 2020 Census, ACS 2020 to 2024); Ames egress window handout; Ames Rental Occupancy Standards.
- Permits and rules
Rules Ames applies to a basement remodel
Most basement remodels in Ames need a permit. Moving an opening, adding a bedroom or tearing out more than a small patch of wall all count. Paint and cabinets do not. Six rules decide how the job is drawn, inspected and used.
Repair or remodel?
Ames needs no permit to remove less than 32 square feet of wall covering, or for painting, carpentry and cabinets. Relocating a wall opening, adding a sleeping area or redoing a basement finish does need one. City code makes it a violation to alter or repair a structure without a required permit. Work begun early can draw a penalty equal to the fee.
Adding a bedroom
A new basement bedroom needs an emergency escape window. The city’s egress handout calls for 5.7 square feet of net clear opening, at least 20 inches wide and 24 inches tall. The sill sits no more than 44 inches above the finished floor. The well needs 9 square feet of area, reaching out at least 36 inches, with a ladder if deeper than 44.
The Near Campus rule
In seven Near Campus Neighborhoods, Ames set rental occupancy by the bedroom count on file January 1, 2018. The city says bedrooms can still be added, but the number of adult tenants cannot go up. It also warns that Rental Code bedroom rules differ from the Assessor’s. There, a new basement bedroom adds living space, not another legal tenant.
What we find behind old walls
Once walls come down in older Central Iowa basements, our crew most often finds four problems. They are mold, missing moisture barriers, poor insulation, and old or unsafe wiring. We have also rebuilt basements that other contractors botched. That includes concrete spilled into a sump pit and finished walls that fell because nobody fastened them. We price repair work after we see it.
Trades and fireblocking
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work on our jobs is done by licensed subcontractors we coordinate, each under its own Ames trade permit. Rerouting ducts or wires means new fireblocking where the runs pass ceilings, floors and soffits. The city wants fireblocking at intervals of no more than 10 feet along a wall. It checks that work during the framing inspection.
Plans and inspection timing
The submittal shows each room’s use, the finished ceiling height, stair rise and run, and where the furnace, water heater and panel sit. Ames was averaging about 6 days for residential review. Framing and final inspections need 24 hours notice. The egress window gets a rough-in check when it is set, before inside trim covers it.
- Our process
How Busy Builders builds your Ames basement remodel
Before any demolition, we check whether your home sits in a Near Campus Neighborhood and what bedroom count the city has on file. Next we draw the floor plan Ames asks for, with labeled rooms, ceiling height and egress details. Once the old finish is off, we show you what we found. Any moisture or wiring repair is priced before the walls close. Our licensed subcontractors pull their own trade permits, and we book the rough-in, framing and final inspections.
We complete more than 100 projects a year, most of them additions, full remodels and basement finishes. Several customer reviews mention our communication.
- Near Campus and rental status checked first
- Hidden moisture and wiring priced before walls close
- Egress window set and inspected before trim
Opening walls the right way
- Achievement
Trusted Basement Remodeling Contractors in Ames
Since 2020, Busy Builders has completed 1,285+ projects across Central Iowa. We serve homeowners in Ames and Story County. Every project starts with a written plan and a full moisture and radon assessment, and ends with a walkthrough that confirms every detail is right.
- Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Basement Remodeling in Ames
What does a basement remodel cost in Ames?
We do not post a basement price, because a remodel depends on what is behind the old finish. Mold, missing moisture barriers, wiring and the number of rooms all move the number. We walk the space and give you a written estimate. The city adds its permit fee from a valuation table, plus plan review at 70 percent of that fee.
Can I add a basement bedroom to my Ames rental?
You can add the room. In the seven Near Campus Neighborhoods, though, it will not raise how many adults may live there. Occupancy there was set from bedroom records on January 1, 2018. Elsewhere, Ames caps a rental with one, two or three bedrooms at 3 adults, four bedrooms at 4 and five or more at 5.
Does the egress window need its own inspection in Ames?
Yes. The city’s egress handout calls for a rough-in inspection when the window is set and before the inside is covered. The window needs 5.7 square feet of net clear opening with a sill no higher than 44 inches. A well deeper than 44 inches needs a permanent ladder or steps.
Do I need a permit to replace drywall in an Ames basement?
Not for a small patch. Ames exempts removal of less than 32 square feet of wall covering, along with painting, carpentry and cabinets. Pulling down whole walls, moving a doorway or adding a sleeping area takes a permit. The Inspection Division answers questions at (515) 239-5153.
How long does Ames take to review a basement plan?
The city’s goal is a first review within 21 days of a complete application. Residential permits were averaging about 6 days at the last update. After issue, the permit counts as abandoned if no work happens within 365 days. The job has to finish within 365 days of issuance unless you pay for an extension.
Does Ames require fireblocking in a finished basement?
Yes. The city’s handout requires fireblocking at ceiling and floor levels and every 10 feet along a wall. It also goes at soffits, drop ceilings, and around pipes, ducts and wires. Unfaced fiberglass batts can serve if they fill the full cavity at least 16 inches high. The inspector checks it at the framing inspection.
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