Adding a Private Basement Entrance

[Mike Cincotta]

Has anyone had experience in adding a private entrance to an existing, below ground basement?  I'd like to convert the basement to an apartment for my aging father but concerned about the costs.  I am not finding much information online for this in Minnesota.  

I've made inquiries with the city building permit department about the requirements and restrictions, e-mailed several egress window companies as a start but don't know where else to look.  

Any recommendations?  Has anyone done this to their own home or rental?  What kind of trouble am I potentially getting myself into?

Thanks,

Mike

[James Hamling]

@Mike Cincotta yeah i can help you with this, although we may need to connect directly as there is a lot of small details to the whole thing to get it right. For all I will try to cover all the important parts, and no $30k is beyond ridiculous, so is $15k, $5k is more reasonable but even then a bit high possibly. 

A first important part is knowing your type of foundation, and what if any reinforcing will need to be done for the area that will be exposed from the stairs running along it. For a modern block foundation, it won't be much of any issue but you do want to have the area sealed from the elements. 

Drainage is the major item to keep in mind, so the area of excavation will need to be where you want the stairs, the new retaining wall, plus 2'. As you excavate you may need a temporary retaining skirt, so the soil dosn't collapse in during excavation, or you may need to go out doing it in tiers. This is simple but hard labor work, or someone with an excavating machine who knows how to run it, DONT just go rent one thinking you will figure it out because one wrong twitch on the control and you WILL ram that bucket through your foundation. 

At the bottom area of steps you will need to add some kind of floor drain, so the excavation will end up much lower that finished grade, and soil build up will have to be matching to what material you are putting back down. I suggest poured cement on cinder block form. 

For retaining wall standard stacked retaining block rated for the correct height will do, USE GEO-GRID, google it, it's simple but important. 

When it comes to cutting the door in, DONT do it, hire that to someone who knows what they are doing, all the nasty grunt work done it will be a lot cheaper than you'd imagine when compared with the cost of an egress install usually. 

All in all it's a lot of hard, sweaty, blister building work but not complicated actually, so if your willing to put in the work it can be done rather cheaply. I'd say a budget of $2,500 should get you there, again if your taking care of the nasty grunt work of it. 

Drainage is key, using a proper retaining wall method NOT skipping anything (youtube has volumes of videos on this as does the manufacturers), a good quality exterior door. 

That's it, Bob's your uncle.