Bedroom Conversion

Turn wasted square footage into a bedroom that counts

A formal dining room nobody eats in, an oversized living room, a den, a walk-out basement rec room — in most Twin Cities houses there is at least one space that would be worth far more as a bedroom. We do the whole conversion: framing the new wall, hanging and finishing drywall, hanging the door, building the closet, running the electrical, adding a heat register or return, and cutting in an egress window when the space needs one.

What makes a room a legal bedroom in Minnesota

Minnesota follows the IRC, so a sleeping room generally needs all of the following. Your city's inspector has the final word — we pull the permit and confirm before we frame anything.

Requirement	Rule of thumb
Emergency escape opening	A window or door directly to the outside — typically 5.7 sq ft net clear (5.0 sq ft at grade level), 24" min height, 20" min width, sill no higher than 44" off the floor
Ceiling height	7 feet over the required floor area
Floor area	At least 70 sq ft, with no dimension under 7 feet
Heat	A permanent heat source able to hold 68°F
Smoke + CO alarms	Interconnected smoke alarm inside the room, CO alarm within 10 feet
Closet	Not required by code in Minnesota — but appraisers, MLS listings, and renters expect one

What the work usually involves

• Framing a 2x4 partition wall, header, and door opening
• Drywall, tape, texture, and paint to match the rest of the house
• Door and trim, plus a closet (reach-in or wardrobe) so it shows as a bedroom
• Electrical: a switched light, code-count outlets, smoke and CO alarms
• HVAC: adding or relocating a supply register and a return
• Egress window where the space has none — the big-ticket item in basements
• Flooring to finish, plus permit and inspection

Rough Twin Cities cost

These are planning estimates for typical jobs, not quotes. We give you a written number after we see the space.

Conversion	Typical range
Dining room or den, egress already there	$3,500 – $9,000
Splitting one large room into two	$6,000 – $14,000
Basement bedroom, egress window needed	$12,000 – $28,000
Garage conversion	$20,000 – $50,000+

Why owners do it

An extra legal bedroom is one of the few remodels that changes both what the house rents for and what it appraises at. A 3-bed that becomes a 4-bed lists in a different bracket, and a rented spare bedroom in the metro commonly brings several hundred dollars a month. Divide your job cost by the added monthly rent and you have your payback window — for a straightforward main-floor conversion it is often measured in a couple of years, not decades.