Can a cellar under an old Magna house become a finished basement?

Sometimes, depending on ceiling height, foundation condition and moisture. A low cellar may be best as clean storage or mechanical space, while a taller one can become a family room or office. Deepening a cellar requires structural engineering, which we coordinate in-house. We’ll tell you plainly which route makes sense after seeing it.

My new Magna home came with plumbing stubbed in the basement. Does that save money?

Yes, it usually does. Builder rough-ins let us place a bathroom or wet bar without breaking up the slab for new drain lines, which is one of the costlier steps in a basement bathroom. We still verify the rough-in locations match the layout you want before finalizing your bathroom design.

Does wind and dust off the Great Salt Lake affect basement window wells?

It can. Magna’s north and west exposure means wells can collect blown debris, which clogs drains and holds moisture against the window. We recommend clear well covers rated for egress and gravel bases tied to drainage. Keeping wells clean is one of the simplest ways to protect a finished basement here.

Will remodeling an older home near Main Street mean updating the wiring?

Very likely, at least in the areas we’re working on. Older Magna homes often have a mix of wiring from different decades, and new basement circuits must meet current code and pass inspection. We identify this during the consultation so electrical updates show up in your itemized estimate instead of as a surprise mid-project.

Can I add a bedroom in a newer foothill basement in Magna?

Usually, and often easily, because many newer homes already have an egress window installed. Code requires at least 5.7 sq ft of net clear opening, 24 inches clear height, 20 inches clear width and a sill no higher than 44 inches. If your existing window meets that, the bedroom can be framed around it.

What does DreamBuilt do after my Magna basement is finished?

We walk the space with you and complete a punch list, and the final 50% payment is due only after you approve it. The work carries a one-year workmanship warranty, and we check in at 30, 90 and 365 days. See the full sequence on our process page.

Do you test for radon on Magna basement projects?

We recommend every homeowner test before finishing. Utah DEQ urges radon testing statewide, and the EPA action level is 4 pCi/L. Whether your home is a century old or brand new, roughing in mitigation before walls close up is far easier than retrofitting later, and some newer homes already have a passive pipe in place.

Basement Remodeling in Magna, Utah

From Mining-Era Cellars to Brand-New Foothill Basements

DreamBuilt Renovations finishes and remodels basements in Magna, a metro township in Salt Lake County, Utah, working on everything from cellars under early-1900s homes near historic Main Street to unfinished basements in newer subdivisions along the Oquirrh foothills. We build bedrooms, bathrooms, family rooms and suites, and take on whole-home remodels. Family-run since 2018, we handle permits through the Greater Salt Lake MSD and reply to inquiries within one business day.

First-time finishing in newer homes: Many homes in Magna’s newer neighborhoods came with a framed-out, unfinished basement and stubbed plumbing. Our basement finishing service turns that shell into living space.

Older-home basement updates: Under the houses near Main Street, the lower level may be a partial cellar with low ceilings and an aging foundation. We evaluate what’s realistic before recommending a basement remodel.

Whole-home renovations: Older Magna homes frequently need more than a basement. Our whole-home remodels coordinate structure, systems and finishes under one lead.

Basement bathrooms: Use the rough-in a builder left behind, or plan a new drain layout in an older home. See basement bathrooms.

Bedrooms and guest suites: Code-compliant egress windows make extra bedrooms legal for growing families or visiting relatives. We cut new openings in older foundations or confirm existing windows in newer homes meet code.

Basement apartments: An internal ADU can give a parent or adult child independence without leaving the property.

Offices and storage: Commuting east on SR-201 every day makes a home office appealing. We also build shelved storage rooms and mudroom-style gear areas for camping, hunting and Oquirrh trail equipment.

Rec rooms, theaters and wet bars: A media room with sound isolation, or a wet bar or kitchenette for hosting, makes good use of the large footprints in newer Magna houses.

Two Kinds of Magna Homes, Two Kinds of Basements

Why does a Magna basement project depend so much on the age of the house?

Magna has two very different housing stocks, and the right plan for one would be wrong for the other.

The historic core. Around Main Street and the original Pleasant Green settlement, many houses date to the era when the copper mills and smelter at the north end of the Oquirrh Mountains employed much of the town. Below these homes you’ll often find:

Partial cellars instead of full basements
Ceiling heights well under modern standards
Older stone, brick or early concrete foundations
Plumbing, wiring and ductwork added piece by piece over the decades

Finishing these spaces starts with an honest assessment. Sometimes a clean, dry storage or utility room is the right answer and the money is better spent upstairs. When a client wants to deepen or expand a cellar, that’s a structural question, and we coordinate engineering in-house before quoting it.

The newer subdivisions. South and west of the old town, newer neighborhoods climb toward the Oquirrh foothills. These homes typically have full-height, unfinished basements, egress windows already in place and plumbing rough-ins waiting. They’re often the fastest and most predictable projects we take on.

Where in Magna do you work?

Historic Main Street and the surrounding older blocks
The Pleasant Green area
Neighborhoods around Cyprus High School
Newer subdivisions along the Oquirrh foothills on the south and west side
Homes with quick access to SR-201 and I-80 on the north end

Who permits basement work in Magna?

Magna is a metro township, so building permits and inspections run through the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District (MSD), not a city building department. DreamBuilt prepares the plans, applies for the permit and schedules inspections. If you’re considering a basement apartment, Utah’s HB 82 (2021) requires most jurisdictions to allow internal ADUs, with possible owner-occupancy or parking conditions; we confirm what applies to your lot.

How much should I budget to finish a basement in Magna?

Typical 2026 Utah projects run about $40–$100+ per square foot, which puts a 1,000 sq ft basement around $45,000–$85,000. A firm number comes only from our itemized estimate.

Basic finish: roughly $45–$65 per sq ft
Upgraded finishes: roughly $60–$85 per sq ft
Kitchens, bathrooms and higher-end finishes: roughly $75–$110+ per sq ft

A newer foothill home with existing egress and rough-ins tends toward the lower end of its tier. An older home near Main Street may carry added structural, electrical or plumbing work. We spell all of it out up front, and what we quote is what you get.

How long does a Magna basement take to finish?

A straightforward finish in a newer foothill home generally takes about 8–12 weeks of construction once the permit is issued. Older homes, and any project with a kitchen, bathroom or structural work, usually take longer. We give you a schedule at approval, track progress in daily logs and meet on site each Friday so there are no mystery weeks.

One more local factor: homes on the north and west edges of Magna take the brunt of wind coming off the Great Salt Lake. We pay attention to window well covers, exterior drainage and sealing around new egress openings so the finished space stays comfortable and dry through the windy months.

Should I renovate my older Magna home all at once?

For many historic-core houses, yes. Combining the kitchen, bathrooms and basement into one whole-home remodel lets us update wiring and plumbing throughout instead of patching one floor at a time. One project lead stays with you from demolition to final walkthrough, with daily logs and a Friday on-site review every week, and we work to keep the home’s original character where it matters to you.

Nearby, we serve Kearns, West Valley City and Herriman, and the full list lives on our Salt Lake County basement remodeling hub. Start your Magna project here; one of the owners will follow up personally.

Reviews

Words From our clients.

We had a big remodel done, but our previous contractor left us hanging. DreamBuilt came in, finished everything, and the work was excellent. They've since built us a garage extension too.

John P.

Sandy, UT · Garage Addition

Quick to respond, honest about the process, transparent about changes. We'll keep hiring them. Highly recommend for any basement or bathroom you've been dreaming about.

Jaden M.

Layton, UT · Basement & Bath

What sold us was the timeline — they said twelve weeks and they meant twelve weeks. Our kitchen was done on the exact day they promised at the very first meeting.

The Reyes Family

Holladay, UT · Kitchen

FAQ

Magna Basement Remodeling FAQs

Can a cellar under an old Magna house become a finished basement?
Sometimes, depending on ceiling height, foundation condition and moisture. A low cellar may be best as clean storage or mechanical space, while a taller one can become a family room or office. Deepening a cellar requires structural engineering, which we coordinate in-house. We’ll tell you plainly which route makes sense after seeing it.
My new Magna home came with plumbing stubbed in the basement. Does that save money?
Yes, it usually does. Builder rough-ins let us place a bathroom or wet bar without breaking up the slab for new drain lines, which is one of the costlier steps in a basement bathroom. We still verify the rough-in locations match the layout you want before finalizing your bathroom design.
Does wind and dust off the Great Salt Lake affect basement window wells?
It can. Magna’s north and west exposure means wells can collect blown debris, which clogs drains and holds moisture against the window. We recommend clear well covers rated for egress and gravel bases tied to drainage. Keeping wells clean is one of the simplest ways to protect a finished basement here.
Will remodeling an older home near Main Street mean updating the wiring?
Very likely, at least in the areas we’re working on. Older Magna homes often have a mix of wiring from different decades, and new basement circuits must meet current code and pass inspection. We identify this during the consultation so electrical updates show up in your itemized estimate instead of as a surprise mid-project.
Can I add a bedroom in a newer foothill basement in Magna?
Usually, and often easily, because many newer homes already have an egress window installed. Code requires at least 5.7 sq ft of net clear opening, 24 inches clear height, 20 inches clear width and a sill no higher than 44 inches. If your existing window meets that, the bedroom can be framed around it.
What does DreamBuilt do after my Magna basement is finished?
We walk the space with you and complete a punch list, and the final 50% payment is due only after you approve it. The work carries a one-year workmanship warranty, and we check in at 30, 90 and 365 days. See the full sequence on our process page.
Do you test for radon on Magna basement projects?
We recommend every homeowner test before finishing. Utah DEQ urges radon testing statewide, and the EPA action level is 4 pCi/L. Whether your home is a century old or brand new, roughing in mitigation before walls close up is far easier than retrofitting later, and some newer homes already have a passive pipe in place.