Wet bar
A wet bar is a sink with a drain, base and upper cabinets, a counter and, if you like, a small refrigerator. It needs water, a drain and a circuit, and it is the smallest of the three.
Basement Kitchen and Wet Bar in West Valley City
Typical cost in West Valley City
- Wet bar, sink and cabinets$4,000 – $12,000+
- Kitchenette with a range, full-size fridge space and a vent$15,000 – $30,000+
Wet bars, kitchenettes and full kitchens are all things West Valley City Basement Finishing puts into West Valley City basements, but they need different plumbing and power, so this page begins by separating them. Turning a basement into a separate home is a different subject and is not covered here.
We work in West Valley City, Magna and Kearns. About 74 percent of West Valley City homes are single-family and about 66 percent are detached, and a wet bar in the family room is a smaller project than a full kitchen. The written estimate is free.
Wet bar, kitchenette or full kitchen
Kitchenette
Add a cooking appliance, say a compact range or a cooktop, to a sink and refrigerator, and the job becomes a kitchenette. Cooking calls for a dedicated circuit and some answer on ventilation, both of which the plan must show.
Full kitchen
A full kitchen has full-size appliances and counters on more than one side. It has the most circuits and the most plumbing, and it changes what the room is used for, so it is planned before the other rooms.
Permit items in a basement kitchen
West Valley City’s list of work that needs a permit names several items that a wet bar or kitchen touches: adding or altering electrical circuits, adding, deleting or altering plumbing fixtures, installing a fixed electrical appliance that does not replace a similar one, adding or deleting sections of natural gas line, and changing or lowering kitchen cabinets and countertops, which the city says creates plumbing and electrical concerns.
A city may attach extra paperwork where a kitchen is added. Murray’s checklist, for example, asks for a Second Kitchen Covenant. We have not confirmed what West Valley City asks, so tell the Building Inspection Division whether the plan shows a wet bar or a kitchen.
Plumbing, drains and counters
The sink drain is part of the plumbing that is permitted and inspected. How it reaches the sewer from the lower level is worked out at the house, so this page does not describe methods.
Counter height, cabinet depth and the layout of the bar are ordinary decisions that the room settles, and we draw them on the plan with the circuits.
Wet bars for family rooms
A wet bar is the budget-minded choice when the goal is a family room with a place for drinks and snacks, and a kitchenette sits between it and a full kitchen. Which one fits depends on how the room will be used and which appliances it needs.
In West Valley City, about 72 percent of homes are owner-occupied, so the planning starts from how the household wants to use the room.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a wet bar and a kitchenette?
A wet bar has a sink and cabinets, and a kitchenette adds a cooking appliance. We use the words this way so that the estimate says which one you are getting.
Can I add a kitchen to my basement?
The city’s permit list covers the circuits, plumbing fixtures and gas work that a kitchen involves. A kitchen that makes the basement a separate home raises other questions that are not covered on this site; ask Planning and Zoning at 801-963-3312.
How much does a basement wet bar or kitchen cost?
The range on this page is an estimate. The size of the bar or kitchen, the appliances, the cabinets and counters, the drain and the circuits all change the price. We quote after seeing the basement.
A bar fits into a bigger plan: the room around it is under basement home theater, and the other plumbing under basement bathroom. The full list is on the West Valley City Basement Finishing home page.
Request a free basement finishing quote
Tell us where the bar or kitchen would go, which appliances you want and whether there is water and a drain nearby. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
Call (385) 481-7973