I have contemplated over the last few years of finishing the basement myself. Where I live, very few permits are required. I have built barns and lean-tos. I have done most of the electrical work in the garage and barn. One thing I have learned is… there is more to learn. I should not have had to learn this, but do not touch the backplane of a 200-amp panel. It doesn’t “hurt” per say, but it will hose you up for a while. With that being said, we have hired a contractor to do the bathroom and rough framing downstairs, and watching him work is like watching a master artist paint an incredible scene. I have learned so much in the past few weeks, it is unbelievable. I also learned that if I would have finished the basement myself, it would have been complete shit.