A free walkout assessment ends with a written, fixed-price proposal, and the price depends on three things: the grade, the excavation depth, and the size of the new structural opening. This page explains what the visit covers, what moves the number, what the fixed price includes, how long a project takes once approved, and why a site visit gives a better answer than a phone quote. When you are ready to book, our walkout basement page is the place to start.
This is the booking page for the decision, not the explainer. If you are still working out whether a walkout suits your home, start with our walkout qualification guide, and for a look at how a conversion runs from start to finish, see our walkout case study.
What's Assessed During a Free Walkout Feasibility Visit
A member of our team visits your home, looks at the grade, the foundation wall, and the interior layout behind it, and confirms whether your lot and foundation can support a walkout before anything is priced. The visit is free, and there is no obligation to proceed afterwards.
Each of those checks feeds the proposal. The grade tells us how much excavation the new entry needs. The foundation wall decides where an opening can go and what has to be engineered around it. The interior layout shows what sits behind the wall, such as plumbing, electrical, and ductwork, which affects where the door can land without expensive relocation. Together they turn a general idea into a specific scope that can be priced exactly.
The assessment gives you a written fixed price, not a generic estimate. It is based on what our team sees on your property, so the number you receive is the number that covers the work.
Price Drivers: Grade, Excavation Depth, Structural Opening Size
Three factors set the price of a walkout conversion, and each is confirmed on site rather than assumed. The main drivers are excavation depth, the size of the new structural opening, and whatever drainage and grading work the new entry requires.
| Price Driver | What It Changes | How It Is Settled |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | How much soil has to be moved to reach the new entry | Measured on site against the basement floor level |
| Excavation depth | Volume of excavation, stairwell and retaining wall scope | Set by the grade and the entry design |
| Structural opening size | Header or lintel, reinforcement, and the door or glazing used | Specified by the engineer for your wall |
| Drainage and grading | The drain at the new entry and the finished slope away from the house | Detailed with the engineering drawings |
| Pairing with other work | Overlap with basement lowering or finishing | Quoted together when done as one project |
A walkout conversion involves exterior excavation and door framing on top of standard basement work, which adds cost but also adds livable space and natural light that a standard basement cannot match. Pairing the walkout with other basement work in one project often saves on labour and permit overlap, so mention any other plans at the assessment.
Engineering and Permits Included in the Fixed Price
The fixed-price proposal includes engineering review and City of Hamilton permits, with no separate line items added later. A walkout opening changes the structure of the foundation wall and creates a new exterior entrance, so both are required, and both are built into the number you are given.
The engineering covers the opening and the new stairwell, and the permit application goes in with stamped drawings. Work is planned against Ontario Building Code requirements and City of Hamilton permit requirements from the start, so nothing is left to be discovered halfway through the project. BaseWorks coordinates both, so you deal with one contractor rather than managing an engineer, a permit, and a crew separately.
Typical Project Timeline Once Approved
Scheduling depends on permit turnaround, but most approved walkout projects start within 2 to 4 weeks. The engineering and permit stage comes first, then excavation, the structural opening, drainage, and grading, with inspections along the way.
The on-site work typically runs 3 to 6 weeks depending on excavation depth and whether structural work to the foundation wall is required. The work is inspected at stages rather than once at the end, so problems are caught while they are still visible. If your timing matters, such as wanting the entry ready before a particular season, say so at the assessment so the schedule can be planned around it.
Why a Site Assessment Beats a Phone Quote for Walkouts
A walkout is more dependent on the specific property than almost any other basement project. The grade, the wall, the interior layout, and the drainage all change the scope, and none of them can be read from an address or a floor plan. A price given over the phone is a guess about a house the person has not seen, and it is either padded to cover the unknowns or low enough to grow once work begins.
A site visit closes that gap. It is the reason the proposal can be a fixed price rather than a range, and it is why the free assessment comes first. You see the person who will be responsible for the work, they see the property, and the number that results reflects both.
What the Written Proposal Covers
The proposal sets out the whole scope in one number: the excavation, the structural opening and its engineering, the new stairwell and drainage, the grading, the permit, and the inspections. It is written down before work begins, so there is nothing to interpret afterwards and no items added once the ground is open.
It also states what the proposal does not cover, so there are no assumptions on either side. If you later want to add finishing, a secondary suite, or other basement work, that is quoted as its own scope rather than quietly folded into the first number. Keeping the two separate is what makes a fixed price meaningful, because the figure you approved is the figure you pay for the work you approved.
Pairing a Walkout With Other Basement Work
Many homeowners combine a walkout with other work, most often a basement lowering for added ceiling height or finishing once the structure is complete. Doing them as one project usually costs less than treating each as a separate job, because the foundation is already opened up for inspection and the permit and engineering overlap.
The assessment is the right moment to raise it. Knowing the full plan lets the proposal be built around the whole project, with the entrance, the floor level, and the finishing planned together instead of retrofitted around each other later.
What to Have Ready for the Assessment
A few details make the visit faster and the proposal more precise. Knowing which exterior wall you have in mind, whether you plan a legal secondary suite, and whether any other basement work is on your list gives us a head start. None of it needs to be perfect, since confirming it is what the visit is for, but it shortens the conversation.
It also helps to note anything outside that could affect access, such as a deck, mature trees, a narrow side yard, or a neighbouring property line close to the foundation. These details change how the excavation is staged, and raising them early keeps surprises out of the proposal.
Quick Checklist Before You Book
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A free site assessment is the fastest way to confirm whether your lot's grade and foundation can support a walkout before you commit to pricing.
The main drivers are excavation depth, the size of the new structural opening, and whatever drainage and grading work the new entry requires.
Yes. The fixed-price proposal includes engineering review and City of Hamilton permits, with no separate line items added later.
Scheduling depends on permit turnaround, but most approved walkout projects start within 2 to 4 weeks.
Yes, with no obligation to proceed. You get a written fixed-price proposal based on what our team sees on site, not a generic estimate.