Better Built Basements LLC

It was decent. The guy came in, did the measurements and gave us the plots pretty quickly. It was $20,000 or something for the basement. Overall, it was pretty pricey. So we didn't continue with the service. The guy was professional and came in on time. They tried to follow up as well and asked me if I had any questions. I did send an e-mail asking if they could break down the estimate as to what is the labor and what is the material. They didn't come back on that one. We purchased 2D design plots and that's what they gave us. It seems fine. It's not something spectacular.

They were extremely professional from the beginning to the end. All contractors that worked at our house were very courteous and experienced. The whole project took 4-5 weeks from framing to completion. The owner got right back to us or answered the phone on the spot when my wife and I had questions during the process. I highly recommend this company to finish your basement. I wouldn't bother going anywhere else to get an estimate.

They were great from start to finish. They were the first people I contacted for a quote. It was quick and easy with them coming when I scheduled, and they provided a detail quote the next day. Also gave great advice. I wanted to get a few other quotes, which took months of trying to get ahold of people, getting them to come to my house, and then getting back to me with a quote. I had assumed since they were a full company they would be more expensive than the individual contractors. I was wrong- they were actually had the lowest price. After deciding to go with them, I emailed the person I had been in contact with. Not 10 minutes later he called to confirm a couple things. Due to my complicated schedule and needing to travel for work, they came the very next day for some final assessments and to sign a contract. They started work soon after. They had a very aggressive timeline to get things done, and I was shocked that they hit it. It was a very large project, and they finished start to finish no more than 4-5 weeks. The quality of the work was outstanding. Additionally they were great at giving advice as we went- always providing options for me to have final say on, but giving great recommendations on things I might not have previously considered. Overall they were great to work with. They had a great calendar online that they updated frequently so I always knew what they were doing and when (for example, it was very helpful to plan around the day they needed to do some jack hammering). They were also incredibly great to contact responding to emails and texts instantly as certain aspects got planned out. Couldn't have gone better, really glad i chose to go with them. Coincidentally, my sister was also finishing her basement up in NH. She was using an individual contractor. Very minor work she was getting done, nothing fancy and a much smaller space. She started a month earlier than I did. My basement was finished a month ago, and hers is still not done yet. Better Built Basements is professional, does great quality work, punctual, and even ended up being the most cost effective option. Can't go wrong with them!

I can not begin to express how happy we are with the decision to use BBB. Work began as stated and progressed smoothly, completion of one job flowing into the next. There wasn't any waiting for a contractor while they did some work on a different job. They even worked around our vacation and still made the work seamless and constant. It was all highly coordinated which made the process so much easier. After we agreed on the initial design, naturally we thought of "oh wait what about this....". BBB was more than willing to work with us to provide advice and help us to accomplish our vision for our new space. One in particular was adding a coat closet that we hadn't thought of before. It required modifying some framing and moving some things but BBB worked with us to make the process painless. Its important to note that this in and of itself isn't extraordinary, except that work had begun. There was no huffing, no eye rolling, or anything to suggest annoyance that this wasn't thought of in the design phase. They just adapted and continued business as usual. Another example is that we wanted a closet under the stairs for toys and there was a support column that was too far away to be hidden but too close to be finished on its own. The project manager and framing team worked with us mocking up some different solutions. Sometimes you just have to see it, versus look at paper. I appreciate that flexibility. I remember talking to the project manager and saying that the inspections may be....trying. He assured me that he's seen it all and would handle any issues. Well the first two inspections went off without a hitch, and I was happy as can be. On the final inspection, our inspector decided that the height from the stair landing to the ceiling wasn't high enough and the landing step to the basement floor needed a half step(not sure how to describe a 4 inch step). Our project manager informed my inspector politely that he was mistaken about the code. Our inspector developed a bit of a "don't tell me my job" attitude. Our project manager, calmly offered to provide the inspector the code, which he did. Our inspector clearly did not know the code, and our project manager handled the situation in the most professional way possible. I would not have been so kind. That solved the problem of the landing to ceiling height issue. However we did need a "half step" installed from the landing to the floor. This should have been noted very early on in the inspection process but it wasn't. I don't know if our inspector completely missed it the first two times he looked at it, didn't care, or just needed to find something but bottom line is this was the final day, while BBB has the carpet installers there waiting for his final go ahead. If he gave his approval, carpet installed, sign off and enjoy the new space. Our inspector wants a half step. So our project manager sends the carpet crew on, the step is built and the job finished a few days later. I cant thank BBB enough for handling our inspector in a professional manor while not receiving the same treatment. Regarding follow up. A few months later I went to shut the water off to the outside for winter and found that the valve would interfere with the ceiling tile. A quick email and the issue was resolved. No fuss, no issues, just a "well take care of it" response. Regarding professionalism and cleanliness. Each job was done by a different crew and each was professional, courteous and above all clean. At the end of each day, my house was just as clean as it was at the beginning. Thanks to the fine team at BBB.

Expected something with a bit more detail... location of lighting, outlets, plumbing, etc...

This company seems to be spread too thin. Separate crews for each phase of work made quick progress, but mistakes by the previous crew were compounded by the next crew continuing to build on the last phase. With so many independent crew members involved, no one appeared to take final responsibility for the quality of Better Built Basement's (BBB) work. The project became a process of identifying flaws in quality, telling BBB about the issue, and getting it corrected (see issues below). This left us with the feeling that the renovation was a repair job before it was even completed. In fairness, BBB did show concern that all of the issues we identified were corrected, as best possible. Issues to consider: We were required to use BBB's cabinet/countertop contractor. Immediately after the cabinet crew (BBB's, not the contractor's) was done installing them, I pointed out a warped cabinet face. BBB said it would be corrected by the contractor. The cabinet contractor did not address the issue until after the job was complete. At that point, the only fix was replacing the cabinet. The contractor said it would not be worth the risk to dismantle the finished kitchen to fix it. We agreed. We found a cracked kitchen floor tile. It was the opinion of BBB and their floor installer that replacing it was risky. Although we used BBB's recommended flooring supplier who recommended stainless epoxy grout, BBB's installer had never used it before and "would never work with it again". We were told the crack was "only the glazing". We elected not to risk the tile replacement given the circumstances. I have no idea why installing our standard size dishwasher required sawing off the ends of the washer's side flanges, leaving uneven gaps between the washer and the cabinetry. I also was surprised that our 30(?) year old toilet shutoff valve was only replaced the day of the "final inspection" because I had discovered it leaking on the new floor. There were issues we did not see until well after the job was completed. When the main bathroom's subfloor and tub/shower was installed, I pointed out to BBB that the tub was sitting unevenly on the subfloor. I was told that this would be handled by the flooring installer. We have discovered that there is a 3/16 gap between the tub and floor at one end of the tub. The subfloor is visible through the gap and open to water exposure. That this was left as-is by crews working on the bathroom speaks volumes about the quality control. If it was somehow not seen by any of the numerous subsequent crew members, then that is another major quality issue. Similarly, the granite kitchen back splash has a large chip that is filled with silicone sealer, indicating it was there during installation. Why was this work paid for? Warning: read the contract. The kitchen contract contains five milestones requiring percentage payments. The fourth milestone was payment totaling 90% of the job cost at completion of the "cabinet installation". At that point we had cabinet shells; no countertops, electrical, plumbing or flooring. When we told BBB that we were not ready to pay for 90% of the work at that time their response was: "Your contract states that the next payment is due when the cabinets are installed. It has nothing to do with the electrical, Plumbing, flooring or countertops....I will not proceed with any work until the next payment is paid." We needed the job finished and a usable kitchen. We were left with the impression that the job was a race to each milestone to collect the next payment. Finally, in fairness to Better Built Basements, the work was completed very quickly and in general looks presentable. BBB was very accommodating of our requests for specifics that were not made clear by, or slightly beyond the documented job specifications. All of the crew members were friendly, professional and respectful. The work was done cleanly. However in fairness to Angie's List members, the issues above were and are of concern to us and had to be noted in this review. Response to Providers Comments: I will not get in a battle on whose story is correct. However, if we were not required to use BBB's cabinet contractor, the in-home estimator who told us multiple times that we did needs to be better informed. It should be no surprise that the newly remodeled rooms look better than the rest. If our home did not need updating, we would not need to have remodeling done. We were not aware that the quality of BBB's work was linked to their opinion of the rest of our home. And yes, my wife could not understand why I was so upset with the quality of the contractor's (her former co-worker) work.

BBB came to my house to provide an estimate on tearing out my 100 year old basement paneling and replacing some plumbing. I sent an email Sunday night, and got a call Monday morning, and someone came to my house that evening. They came on time, and on looking at the paneling told me I would need someone certified in lead paint demolition, and they had someone they worked with, but it would be cheaper for me to contract with them directly. They also gave me advice on how to deal with my floor, which has tiles probably fixed with asbestos mastic. I very much appreciated that unlike Connecticut Basement Systems, which tried to sell me a 20,000 basement system even after I told them I wasn't interested in finishing the basement, they did not try to sell me something I didn't need--I told them what I wanted, and they told me the best way to get it. If I ever finish my basement I will go with them.

This project was as smooth as could be. We had a wonderful assessment by Jeremy Mintner, who got our vision, did a great job of diagramming a very difficult space, and giving good advice. We were concerned because the estimate Jeremy gave us was approximately 10K lower than the other two estimates we received. We were very wary of going with what seemed like a "lowball estimate." However, we contacted several references, and all were very enthusiastic, so we moved forward. Jeremy and his boss Randy came over to review the project and finalize plans. From then on in it could not have been smoother. The permits were pulled expeditiously. The company was awesome about updating the calendar on an online tool they use. THe workman were professional, nice, and efficient. When it became clear that some things might be cheaper if we outsourced them (such as the HVAC), Randy advised us to do so. Similarly, we preferred a particular cork floor that their supplier could not easily access, so there was no problem getting a credit to the contract and ordering by ourselves. The project came in on time, is absolutely beautiful. There were a few details that we did not anticipate that I wish we had thought of- for example, matching the basement banisters to the rest of the house. The banisters supplied are lovely- no complaint- but it's a small design feature that might have been suggested. That said, the space is beautiful, the price was right, and we will definitely get them to bid next year when we redo our kitchen and master bath.

We called Better Built Basements for a quote and they came out to look at our project a couple days later, emailed the quote a few days after that, then as soon as we accepted their proposal, they promised us a definite start date within a few weeks. We've dealt with other contractors who said they'd call us "when they were ready to start" and we'd end up waiting months, so being promised a specific start date was awesome! But then because our project was on the smaller size, they ended up being able to squeeze us in even earlier than their promised date - that was fantastic! They completed the job in less than a week and the resulting drywall job is absolutely beautiful. We couldn't be happier. We were also amazed at how well they cleaned up after themselves. We expected to have sheetrock dust throughout our entire house, but there was nothing. Apparently they use a vacuum attachment when they do the sanding, so there is almost no dust. We would definitely hire Better Built Basements again.

Synopsis: DId not once give promised call backs Attempted to increase the price by $3,000 after providing a quote Wasted over a week on a time sensitive project. More details: It started out promising. They were professional on the phone and were able to send someone out to inspect for a quote the next day. This was great as it was a time sensitive project. After the inspection I was promised a quote within 24 hours and that they could come out in a week or two to do the job (unless permitting was required) I received a quote by email a few days later (after calling to ask for it) for $2,044. It stated it included an unsolicited, unexplained 10% discount. I attempted to schedule the work. I was promised multiple call backs that never happened. I was told the delay was he couldn't get a hold of the boss to give expedited scheduling. We agreed to place the job on the schedule and that we could move it up later after speaking with the boss. I was promised a call back same day to confirm. 3 days later after still no call back I call up, mysteriously get disconnected after identifying myself, and call back once more. I am told I am not on the schedule, the earliest they can fit me in a month and a half. Also there was a mistake in the quote and it will cost an extra $3,000. UPDATE: I noticed the Provider's response and it seems somewhat misleading to me. * I have no idea what they are talking about 'before coming out a second time'. They came out once and measured, provided a quote and a time estimate of when the work could be done. They stood by neither the time estimate nor the written quote. * His response to my Angies' List review leaves the impression that the owner discovered the error and promptly contacted me with both an apology and a correct price. This did not happen. The company never contacted me - I always had to call them in spite of promised call backs. The owner never spoke with me. The only apology I received was from the person that did the measures - and that sounded more like he was sorry because it was now a problem for him than because he was concerned of any impact to me or the reflection on his company. In reference to the owner' other comment that seems to try to defend the indefensible, good work and good time management are two different things. Making a customer wait 45 days to start work may be great for him, but it is not good customer service or a display of exemplary time management. And I will also say one of the first things I asked before even setting up the measuring appointment was how soon they could get someone out there - if they had said 30-45 days at that point there wouldn't have been an appointment to measure - I would have moved on to someone that is better able to manage the timeliness of their business.

The work was performed the work well and well within the time line that was estimated. A few items needed to be cleaned up after the work, however i would use the same company again for another project in the house.

They were very good. We will use them in the future. The gentleman who showed up was very professional.

They were timely and they came in on the promised time so everything was good. I will use them again if I need to.

We couldn't be more pleased with the service we received and the finished product. From the first phone call that we made inquiring about their services until completion we were met with professionalism and quality work. Once putting in our initial call we had a response within an hour and an appointment set up for a free consultation. We met with Wayne who did a great job explaining what a remodel would entail, within a week we had a quote and a rough drawing. We found the price to be very reasonable for the amount of work we were planning on having done. From there we met with the owner Jim and Wayne again and went over the contract and details, it was all understandable and simple, and no up-selling which we appreciated greatly. We had a start date set and the renovation began. We appreciated the on-line calendar that lets you know exactly what is happening on certain dates, you know who to expect to see and what will be done. The calendar was updated throughout the project, keeping it accurate. It was smooth sailing from day one until finish. We were most impressed with the professionalism of each and every contractor that came, the quality of their work, and hard work put in. When work was scheduled to get done, it got done, contractors were here. If we had any questions or concerns they were happy to help and make sure we were satisfied. Another standout, the cleanliness of the project. Each day the crew would clean up and our basement was safe for us to explore and see what had been done. Now that the project is done and we are using our basement we sit in awe of the outcome, could not be more happy. We don't have one single complaint or problem. We highly recommend their services, you won't be disappointed.

My first impression was very good. The designer showed up right on time and was very knowledgeable with good ideas. Construction started exactly as planned and the way it was all explained to me. All employees were extremely professional with great communication throughout the project. They kept me in the loop every step of the way. I was also impressed with the overall cleanliness of the basement as the project went on. Every night the basement was cleaned and swept. All questions were answered in a timely manor by the owner himself. They also have a great on-line system to keep an open line of communication as well as being able to post selections. Lastly, the designer came back for a final sign off to ensure that me and my husband were happy with the end result. The basement is now our favorite room. My kids love it. Overall, we are extremely happy we chose them. Based on prior experiences with other contractors, we will definitely be using them for future projects.

Better Built Basements (BBB) was not the least expensive of the three contractors to quote my basement renovation job. But they came with positive reviews from Angie's list and others. Overall the the finished product is as expected, but the job was punctuated with periods of miscommunication, arrogance, disrespect and, after the job was completed and a problem occurred with the electric panel set up, denial of responsibility and an irrational and emotional response from the president of the company to a problem they created. A concise listing of events and occurrences, some of which illustrate this perspective and some that may be of use for homeowners who have never been through a renovation: · In the beginning of the job, BBB said that I could track progress and job activity on a cloud-based software called ?buildertrend.? After checking the site three times during the first two weeks of the job, no updates were posted to the site. The response from BBB was ?we don?t put every activity up there.? None were posted. · During the job, we were informed by BBB that one of my town codes supposedly stated that there needed to be ?air flow? between floors. BBB wanted to cut a hole n the floor between the basement and first floor to allow for this flow. When we questioned the town code (it turns out they did NOT have to cut the hole), the president, on the phone with his worker on site said ?you tell her (my wife) we are cutting the hole in the floor or we?re off the job.? · When I called BBB to change the size of a full-wall mirror from ?above the outlet? to ?floor to ceiling,? the President of BBB said ?The mirror is 5x9'2 inches. They never go to the floor and it always goes above the outlets. If you want it to go floor to ceiling with the outlet I can get you a price but it will probably be 1000-1500 more (than the $500 included in the cost of the job). They charge a lot to cut the glass for outlets and larger mirrors over 5 foot high. We talked about this at the signing. In 7 years we have never done a floor to ceiling mirror they are too cost prohibitive.? I cancelled the BBB mirror and ordered the floor to ceiling mirror from a local fabricator who was happy to accept the job. The cost was $1,100 total installed, not the $1,500 - $2,000 suggested by BBB. BBB applied a $500 credit to the final cost. · At the end of the job, we did a walkthrough with the original salesperson. All went well. I called the next day reminding him of the ?free TV? offer on the BBB postcard that we discussed at the beginning of the job. His response was ?I don't think that we talked about a promotion when I was just there for the sign-off.... I looked at your contract and it didn't come up at the signing either because its not listed on the contract.? When I reminded him that the offer was not contingent on the contract language but an explicit promise on the postcard, he gave us the TV. Now for the ?after-job? events: The final sign off occurred on April 30, 2015. The job, as I mentioned, was well-done overall and they delivered what we expected. On Thursday, May 21, three weeks after the BBB job was completed, I turned on our central air conditioner for the first time this season. One of the units was not blowing cold air, so I scheduled a service call with my local HVAC contractor for Thursday, May 28. The contractor arrived, took a look at the AC coils and tried to turn on the unit. There was no power. He inspected the electrical panel (which was re-positioned and re-wired by BBB as part of the basement job) and asked us if the panel was new. When we said ?yes,? he asked if a licensed electrician did the job. When we asked why, he said that the AC unit was wired incorrectly and needed to be remedied ASAP. The cost from my AC contractor for uncovering the BBB electrical mistake was $280. This is the email I sent to BBB on May 28? ?One of my air conditioner units was not working, so I called [my AC contractor] to check it out. After taking a look at the AC unit, he went to the electrical panel. He informs me that the panel was wired incorrectly and needs to be re-wired with a new breaker for the AC unit. He stated that it is a hazard. Can your electrician call [my AC contractor] ? to discuss the issue and solve it today? I?d hate to see this turn into am unsafe issue. Thank you.? BBB responded quickly and sent an electrician to fix the problem. I sent the following message to BBB? ?Can you guys please consider paying the bill from the AC company?. Turns out the only thing wrong with the AC was the electric hook up.? BBB?s response? A terse? . ?We don't cover outside contractors.? While replacing the breaker and re-wiring the AC unit, the BBB electrician shorted an adjacent breaker and ?fried? a TV that was plugged into an outlet in the basement. When I heard of the mishap and having received the terse message that BBB does not ?cover outside contractors,? I sent the following message to BBB? "The only reason why the AC was not working was that the BBB electric job was done incorrectly. That cost me $280 from [AC contractor]. When [BBB electrician] came out, he did something to the panel that blew out the TV hooked up in the basement. He said he would replace that. At this point, I need some assurance the electric is safe and correctly installed and that the $280 charge will be reimbursed and that a new 19? brand name TV will be delivered on Saturday. These actions will essentially stop me from sharing this story with local broadcast and social media, including Angie?s list. Let me know what you think. Thanks. A new TV was delivered later that day. The electrician admitted his error in wiring and was apologetic and professional. The president of BBB responded to my email via a voicemail? Here are key excerpts: ?Sorry about your AC not being hooked up? ?He (BBB electrician) made a mistake.? ?[Our electrician] is a licensed E-2 electrician so I can assure you that it was done properly? ?You didn?t call us first before you called your AC guy and that?s on you.? ?I?m not paying for your AC guy?s bill. I?m not doing it.? ?As far as your threat to go to.. Angie?s list. I have your email showing that you are threatening me. I don?t respond to threats. That doesn?t work for me.? ?What I can tell you from the bottom of my heart is that I don?t respond to threats. So as far as you threatening me about Angie?s list? or the TV or whatever else, I?ve got attorneys too, so don?t threaten me.? The comment regarding the expectation that I should have called BBB first when the AC was not working does not hold water. Using this logic, I should call BBB when any electrical device in the house is not working properly, expecting that it could be from poor wiring in the new BBB-installed electric panel. While the overall job was completed as designed, and likely would have earned a ?B? rating, it was sometimes a painful journey. And the events that occurred after the job was completed, including the refusal to pay the $280 HVAC charge, showed inept management, the lack of a customer-centric perspective and led directly to this poor review of Better Built Basements.

We are so happy with Better Built Basements. They are a wonderful company where everyone is friendly, helpful and very professional. If we had any questions or concerns they were all addressed in a very timely manner. We could not be happier with how the project turned out. Not only does the entire area look amazing but you can clearly see the high quality of all of the work. Every detail was thought about from the type of sheet rock used for the walls, the LED lighting and the flooring to the smallest details like the type of finish the door handles have or that they took the time to match the kind of molding and trim from our existing home to the new floor and door trim in the addition. They take care of every aspect of your project so that all you need to do is decide what you want to have done and they will make it happen for you. There is no need to call an electrician, flooring companies, bathroom experts or anyone else... they are a one stop shop for everything. We are planning on redoing our kitchen in the near future as well as a wine cellar and they will be our one and only call. We have already recommended BBB to our friends and neighbors and will continue to do so. We truly could not be more pleased.

Better Built Basements worked with us on all the design work. They reviewed the process in detail with us, gave us the names of the retail stores and the names of our contacts for picking out the finished products for the basement. You can use your own home improvement stores like Home Depot or Lowes if you want or any other bath/kitchen suppliers that you would want to use. The sky is the limit and they tailor to your needs and wants. As little or as much as you want. Depending on your budget and the finished product. Our project included a full bath, a home office, a bar area with games, and a TV sitting area for the family to gather and watch a TV show or movie on the big screen. We also added a gas fireplace in our design. They work from your budget. So depending on what that entails you can go high end and go to some of the more expensive places if you wish. Once the job is started, you get access to their web-site and a calendar letting you know what will be done on a daily basis, i.e. painting on the 10th and 11th, flooring on the 13th. They move according to your schedule, but you do need to be ready with your choices as soon as it's time to do the work. They lay that all out for you and you are fully aware of what the next step will be and that "you need to have the tile picked out for the bathroom by next Tuesday". It' all methodically managed and the payment is broken out into portions of the job being completed. I believe that they may also have a financing program as well. As the project progresses, each team arrives at your home around 7:30AM and works until 4:00PM. They are all very polite and professional and treat your home as if it were their own. My wife and I actually work from home and they knew our schedule and worked around loud noises while we were on meetings or needed to have it a bit quite at times. Jim and Randy the owners popped in often to check out the progress of the job and to see if we had any questions or concerns during the entire project and they were always available to attend to our needs or concerns during the project. All the contractors cleaned up at the end of the day, so there was no trash hanging around like you see at a lot of work sites and it was all taken away each day. This was a big plus and a blessing. The project was finished on time and within our budget. All of our friends and relatives have nothing but great things to say about the quality of workmanship and the great space that they created for us. It's a great place for the grandkids as well as for family gatherings. Our Aunt and a few of our single friends asked if they could move in. We told them all that there was a long waiting list? LOL?. Well there you have it... Another fantastic job by Better Built Basements. We recommend them highly so give them a call for your next project.

Couldn't have gone better. The finished product is awesome! Worth every penny we spent. Had the nicest, easiest to work with people from the office to the guys in the house! They worked through one of the worst winters and had everything finished when they said. They would even show up ahead of schedule or early to avoid any weather complications. I can't wait to hire them again for my next project!

Initially they ordered the incorrect door. Had to wait another few weeks for installation. When the contractor did the installation it was very good. Well done.

The work was great. They were very easy to work with and accommodating. They are very responsive.?I would also use them again in the future.

They were very professional and punctual. Provided quality work and cleaned up after themselves. Also, they were not pushy at all when it came to price and sealing the deal. Would definitely recommend them and use them again.

Great job. Great communication. Kaitlyn (scheduler) was so accommodating and responsive with my crazy schedule. I would not hesitate to hire them again and even asked for a few estimates for future work.

Service to provide drawing was used by provider to create opportunity to sell basement remodeling services.

It went very well. The electricians were neat and organized professionals. The smoke detectors look great and my family feels safer.