Good post by Circa89; I lost track of what I paid to do it myself- and the big thing is it still isn't completely finished.
Make sure you get details about what is being done; especially behind the walls and and places you cannot get to:
- What are they using for subfloor? I used Dri-core and material wise that is $1.75/ foot.
- Have you thought about sound proofing the ceiling? Use Roxul Safe and Sound and you also get a fire break. Especially in the ceiling of the bedroom; you don't think about it normally because the main bedrooms are usually on the top floor of the house.
- Electrical. Have you considered all the places you want a plug instead of their minimum of one every 10 feet? What about other electrical like Cat6, speaker wire, HDMI, etc. Are you considering a ceiling projector at some point? Do you have electrical run there?
- Insulation- minimum code is R8 on the walls; I went R14. Some people even consider spray foam. All of that makes things that much cozier in a basement.
- Heat; what are you doing for heat? Are you adding any extra runs from the furnace, and what is he going to do about air returns? Especially with ceiling forced air heat; you want to make sure something draws heat to the floor. I also supplimented my heat with electric heat in the bedroom. If you are doing tile in the bathroom; look at in floor heating.
- Fixtures and trim. He can put in a bunch of "boob lights" for $10 a piece, and the prices go up from there. Same thing with trim; there is quite a difference between cheap and nicer trim.
Any of those above items are under $1000 each; but they can add up quickly so pick the things you want. Also consider what you want from the space, and what your plans for other parts of your house are. For example I made sure I put a tub in the basement because I think in the next 5-10 years I may convert the main bathroom to have a deluxe shower and I wanted to make sure there is still a tub in the house.
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