This is the cheapest square footage you can add — if it is finished legally. We are a licensed contractor in Maryland (MHIC #111971) — we pull the permits through the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services, coordinate the licensed trades, and hand you a written line-item scope before demolition starts.
A finished basement needs a building permit and, in almost every case, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits alongside it. Two code requirements decide whether the space is legal: any room used for sleeping needs proper emergency egress, and habitable space needs a minimum finished ceiling height. The framing and rough-in inspection has to pass before insulation and drywall — get that wrong and the drywall comes back off.
Your Kensington permit goes through the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services. We pull it under our license and we hold the inspection schedule — you do not chase inspectors and you do not sign the application.
The Town of Kensington issues its own permits for properties inside town limits, separate from Montgomery County. Kensington also has a historic district, and exterior changes there carry a design review on top of the building permit.
Kensington's core is small early-20th-century housing — bungalows and Victorians on tight lots. Kitchens and baths in these homes are usually the original footprint, which is why most projects here become layout changes rather than swaps, and why the permit set is larger than homeowners expect.
What's includedA planning range, not a quote. Your written line-item price comes after a free on-site walkthrough. HVAC, electrical and plumbing are performed by licensed trade partners.
A written, line-item scope for your basement finishing project. No design fee, no obligation.
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Our Kensington crews cover Wheaton, Chevy Chase, Garrett Park, Rockville and every ZIP in the area — 20895.
Yes. United Developers is a licensed contractor in Maryland (MHIC #111971) and works throughout Kensington and Montgomery County, including 20895 and nearby Wheaton, Chevy Chase, Garrett Park.
We do, under our license, through the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services. A finished basement needs a building permit and, in almost every case, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits alongside it. Two code requirements decide whether the space is legal: any room used for sleeping needs proper emergency egress, and habitable space needs a minimum finished ceiling height. The framing and rough-in inspection has to pass before insulation and drywall — get that wrong and the drywall comes back off.
The Town of Kensington issues its own permits for properties inside town limits, separate from Montgomery County. Kensington also has a historic district, and exterior changes there carry a design review on top of the building permit.
Most Kensington projects land in the $32k – $100k range. That is a planning range for Montgomery County, not a quote — your written price comes after a free on-site walkthrough.
Yes. The walkthrough and the written scope are free and yours to keep whether or not you hire us. There is no design fee and no consultation invoice.
Only with proper emergency egress — that means a code-compliant egress window and window well, or a walkout. It is the single most common reason a basement bedroom fails inspection or gets flagged at resale. We settle it during design, before framing, because retrofitting egress into finished walls is expensive.