Basement bathrooms, wet bars and kitchenettes

With a rough-in

Many newer homes in Oxford County were built with a bathroom rough-in: capped drain pipes coming up through the basement floor. That means the toilet, shower and sink drains are already in place, and the bathroom can be built around them.

Without a rough-in

No rough-in doesn't mean no bathroom. The options are:

• Breaking the floor. The concrete is cut, new drains are run to the main sewer or septic line, and the floor is patched.
• A pump-up system. When the main drain is higher than the basement floor, an ejector or up-flush pump sends waste up to it.

On rural properties with a septic system, common around Norwich, Zorra and South-West Oxford, the system's capacity is part of the plan too.

What goes into a basement bathroom

• A shower (or tub), toilet and vanity, laid out around the drains
• An exhaust fan vented outside. Basements need good ventilation to stay dry.
• Waterproofing behind the shower walls
• Plumbing and building permits, and an ESA permit for the electrical

Wet bars, kitchenettes and laundry

The same plumbing that serves a bathroom can often serve a wet bar or kitchenette nearby. A basement laundry room can also be updated or moved while the space is being finished. If the kitchenette is part of a separate unit, see basement apartments.