How does Home Depot's price compare to private contractors for finishing a basement?

Answer 1

high, HIGH, HIGH...
You need to get a do it yourself book and sub contract that out yourself. If the home depot does it, they have to build it to code. That is ridiculous for a basement!
You need to really think about what you want to do there. You probably don't need electrical outlets every 8 feet, the toilet to be at least 1 foot from walls etc. But if you are going to have a kitchen, be sure to get dedicated circuits for your appliances.
And, a sprinkler system overhead, (it saves on insurance)

Answer 2

First off, make sure the basement has been professionally waterproofed. Any money that you spend on improvements in your basement will not be covered by your insurance in case of water damage. Don't go over board in costs improving your basement because it doesn't tremendously increasing the value of your home. If you ask around at your local builders associations, etc. you'll find out what local contractors are actually working for Home Depot as subs. You can hire them directly and cut out the middle man.

Answer 3

Home Depot subcontracts the installations out to private contractors also. The only problem with going through a Major company like Home is they sometimes want extra for themselves.

Answer 4

HD is very high.

Look for a private sub contractor. Try to find one that a friend used and liked. I did try sub contractors that HD also uses, but they wanted the normal HD price still! I went with a non-HD subcontractor and saved about 60% on a kitchen remodel.