Basement Remodeling in Highland Park

What’s included in a Knutson basement remodel

Moisture and envelope — a full diagnostic of exterior grading, sump performance, perimeter drain tile condition, and hydrostatic pressure, which matters more in Highland Park given the neighborhood’s proximity to the river bluff than it does in most other Twin Cities locations.

Framing and insulation — code-compliant framing and insulation, planned around the seven-foot ceilings common in 1920s colonial construction.

Code-compliant egress — cutting a new opening into the block foundation for a legal bedroom, with a properly sized window well.

Electrical and HVAC — new circuits and duct runs rerouted around original cast iron drain lines that typically run low across the ceiling in this housing stock.

Plumbing — bath rough-in and wet-bar plumbing, evaluated against original drain slope and layout.

Custom built-ins — media walls, bar cabinetry, and millwork built in our own shop, detailed to complement colonial-era trim upstairs.

Drywall, flooring, trim, paint, and lighting — finish work carried to the same standard as the rest of the house.

Why Highland Park homeowners choose Knutson

Finishing over an active moisture problem is the single most common way a Highland Park basement fails, and it’s a mistake that doesn’t show up until the space starts smelling musty the following spring. Because Highland Park sits close enough to the river bluff for groundwater to behave differently than it does further inland, we treat the moisture diagnosis as its own phase of the project, not a box to check before getting to the fun part.

The second reason is the finish level. A colonial in Highland Park usually has real trim and detail throughout the main floor, and our cabinet shop builds basement millwork to match that language rather than defaulting to a generic rec-room look that reads as disconnected from the rest of the house.