Connecticut Basement Systems, Inc.

We're very pleased. The company is very responsive (even afterward - I called a few months later with a related electrical question, my production manager Bill Turner contacted the electrician who worked here and got answers for me within hours), and willing to answer as many questions as necessary. The crew was excellent, efficient and courteous, very professional. Price isn't inexpensive - but they do exactly what they say they're going to do, and do it well, and with good materials. We would do it again.

Josh and his crew installed a full perimeter drain system in our basement. They arrived on time and imediately went to work. Josh explained what they were to do and walked me thru the completed work to make sure I was satisfied with what they had done. I was. They finished in 4+ hours and were on their way. They were very professinal and left our basement as clean as possible. I had covered all items in the basement with plastic tarps and ,as expected, all that we found was a limited amount of dust on the tarps after they left. We are very pleased with the entire process to date by Connecticut Basement Systems. All contact with the firm was very positive. The person who scheduled the estimate was very informative. Todd the sales person and design specialist was very helpful and the installatiopn crew led by Josh did an excellent job. Several weeks before the installation I met an electrician who worked for Connecticut basement Systems and he answered a couple of questions I had very well. The proof of the job will be when we have heavy rains and then we'll see if the perimeter drain system works as promised. Based on our experience to date, we have no reason to think it won't work.

CT Basement systems was referred to me when I bought the house last fall by our inspector, they have done a number of jobs in my neighborhood, including my neighbor's house. The salesperson came out and did a whole presentation, he was literally at my house for like 6 hours. After the presentation we were offerred a 10% discount to sign that day and give a deposit. I had researched the company, and based on referrals was going to use them. The job was priced higher then I anticipated, though i went with them, this as an important job. Turns out they were booked up for like three months. I gave a 30% deposit and schedueld for Sept. When the crew finally arrived, they told my wife that there was some debris in the crawl space, and they would have to charge us for removal, though they ended up not charging us. I was under the impression from the sales person that this was a pretty big job and was going to take all week to complete, i was surprised when the four man crew finished the job in a day and a half. It made me feel like I had been gouged on the price, which probably explains why they didn't charge for the debris removal. After the job i saw a youtube video by CT Basement systems that states a 2100 sqft house should cost about 7500 to insulate... i spent almost twice that just to do my crawl space... I am looking to have my attic done as well. They verbally quoted 9k to do that job but never sent it in writing... Overall I like the quality of the work, i think it's a big improvement, and i would recomend using them for this type of job. Though i feel like i was charged a lot of money for the equipment and about 40-45 total hours of labor. I would have given them an A if i didn't feel like i was gouged on the price...

The salesman came out and gave us a long, computer presentation with a bunch of expensive printed material. (I could have done without all of this). We decided to go with them because they matched a competitive quote. The original schedule for performing the work was three months out. They were able to work us in after one month. The work took about 7 hours with 3 hours of constant jackhammers. The crew was professional and did a good job. I gave them an "A" on pricing because they matched a competitive quote, but they won't honor any of their coupons if they match a competitive price.

They showed up on time and began working on cleaning up and filling the crack using the flexispan system .They also jack hammered a dry well so that any water that did get in would flow away from the foundation. The first heavy rain, the drywell overflowed and I had water on the carpeting. I called and they sent another person over to redo the seal and reinstall the flexispan. This worked out fine and survived quite a few heavy rains over the years. It has a 5 year warranty and wouldn't you know, I think the seal is worn again because I think I've seen water coming up from the drywell during June and July's heavy rains. Not sure if I should call them again to have them come fix it again or pursue another option. Great product when it works, just doesn't seem to last.

They came and checked out the basement, sat down and explained the process and the different options, he was very thorough and pleasant, he wasn't intimidating and there was no high pressure language, he was just very knowledgeable and he's been doing work like this for an umber of years. They came out to give me the quote a weeks ago. His pricing seemed reasonable. I had gotten 2 other quotes about a year and a half ago they were within the same ballpark but his was a little bit more expensive because I signed up to have some siding work done in the basement as well. They had sent a package out before he came which had a lot of detail and client-making decision processes outlined.

Price of estimate and actual price was way off

Really positive experience.

We hired Connecticut Basement Systems to encapsulate our 23 year-old crawlspace. The sales representative came to do an estimate and was very helpful - he explained his recommendations clearly and gave us literature which explained the science in more detail. We were somewhat cost-conscious and he helped us get the most bang for our buck. We were able to arrange financing from an affiliate, and the process was incredibly easy. The crew came to do the work yesterday - they laid down a drainage mat and rigid insulation on the floor slab and walls topped by a plastic liner, set up a dehumidifier with a drainage line to a sump pump (which they also installed). I was amazed that they were able to complete everything in one day. When the job was complete, the foreman went into the crawlspace with me and showed me everything they had done. I had spent some time in the crawlspace removing the old insulation and was struck by how clean the finished product felt - to say nothing of the energy efficiency and moisture removal benefits. We have no plans to do additional work in our basement for the time being, but if and when we decide to do any, Connecticut Basement Systems will be our first call. Truly a pleasure to work with from start to finish.

The basement system we installed in 2006 works great and has made our basement so much more pleasant to be in! This is a great company with a great product

They did an excellent job drilling the floor, installing the drainage trench, sump pump and dehumidifier and recementing over the trench on the basement floor. Workers were punctual, professional and did an excellent job with the cleanup. The system has made such a difference in the humidity in the room. We will never have to worry about water damage coming in from the outside.

When we had the original work done They were on time and met the deadline they set. The workers were professional and cleaned the area each day.

The installer came three times to our house. Once to install a new sump pump, two other times to replace mal-functioning sump-pump (under warantee). Third time was perfect. He suggest that we place stones in our horizontal drainage area in front of the garage door, just outside of the sump pump inside the garage. This would prevent the acorns and tree debris from gettting stuck in our sump pump. The installer was extremely understanding of our problem and excellent in his resolution of the problem. We would highly recommend this company to anyone who is look for perfect, professional and fair repair and resolution of any basement problems.

They did exactly what our contract said they would do. They were quick and efficient with the demo and putting things back together again.

They honored their warranties, did excellent work, were congenial, professional, prompt, and very concerned about their customers.

CBS came in and assessed what needed to be done. They game me an estimate on the spot, and we booked immediately. The only thing I could say that would be a negative was that they were booked and I couldn't get an appointment for 1 month. Other than that they were professional, courteous, and charged a fair price, I would definitely hire again. Even if I had to wait.

A company representative visited my house to evaluate our situation and make a recommendation. Since our basement flooding problem is relatively minor unlike others he recommended a cost-effective solution. He outlined the pros and cons for their specific approach. While the price was not the cheapest it was far lower than others, and appeared to be very fair for the services rendered. This company was very professional, unlike some of their competition. The men that did the work were punctional and courteous. They were also very clean, leaving the area where they worked cleaner than they found it. So far, the system has worked as advertised.

I had an excellent experience with CT Basements starting with the Basement Waterproofing division and eventually discovering a more significant issue with my foundation. This company worked with me over a year as I flushed out the problems and was able to prioritize their necessity and costs. All of their representatives were not only knowledgeable, but patient and caring. They never hesitated to stop what they were doing to answer my questions thoroughly, ensuring I understood all aspects of the work being completed. I would gladly recommend this company again, and do so now regularly to friends and acquaintances. Well worth the money spent, and especially peace of mind. I will certainly give them business again in the future.

We dealt with Rick Janesky, the brother of the owner of the company,which was the most negative aspect of the experience. Initially,he quoted a price and said",Get it now or it will disappear by the end of the day."When I told him that I felt like I was being hustled and it was a bad thing for a good company ,he turned some of the pressure down. He was,however,hard to reach and didnot return phone calls. I persevered because of the company rating on Angie's List and a neighbor's experience. It ultimately took months to set up the job.Once set up,the men were punctual, very clean, efficient and pleasant. Carpentry is done on another visit,as is electrical work,as are loose ends---that's a lot of work for the homeowner to be taking off and not explained before.However, the people I dealt with over the phone bend over backwards to accommodate you and are very pleasant and efficient. After Hurricane Sandy, I had a dry basement after years of wet walls and floors. That says it all!!

Right now, after Hurricane Sandy, I am very happy to write this review. I have been living in my house for 38 years and have had water in the basement the entire time. I live over an underground stream, so my sump pump runs constantly, and if the electricity goes out, were are up all night bailing out the sump pump, even when there has not been that much rain. Now my children are grown and out of the house, so after the cellar flooded yet again and the basement really began to smell of mold and mildew, I decided to do something about it and take out a loan to do it. I called 4 companies. One went down the basement, looked around for 5 minutes and said $7000. The second company was two hours late, took 20 minutes to look around and said $10,000 and said he would give me a $1000 discount because I was a Red Sox fan! The third company was actually pretty good. The representative took about 2 hours to look around, call the engineer and explained everything he wanted to do and gave me a price of around $9 or $10 thousand plus the Angie's list discount. This company was rated very highly by Angie's list. The only thing I didn't like was that they solved my hatchway problem with a second sump pump which would drain into my back yard and my neighbor's yard. Actually, Greg from CT Basements was the first to come. He was very thorough - taking readings, looking closely at my entire basement, listened to my story and asked lots of questions I did not allot enough time for him the first visit ( I had to leave) so he came back again to explain exactly what he was going to do and why. At Greg's first visit I was a little overwhelmed, but after speaking to the other 3 gentlemen , I was impressed at Greg's thoroughness and knowledge. He had left a lot of literature with me to read. When Greg came back he had checked with the engineer about my hatchway problem and they solved it with a trench. He gave me all the options and worked within my budget, but did not compromise what needed to be done. He answered my numerous phone calls and was always available to help me. He took lots of pictures and mildew readings. I also liked the lifetime guarantee for the waterproofing and that CT basement is a reliable company and would be with me through the years. I decided to go with Greg and we decided on a date. Greg also pointed out two dangerous situations. The pipe going from my oil tank to my furnace was beginning to corrode. He said it should be replaced because it could crack. He also pointed out that my water tank was very old and there was a chance it could give way. I checked with both my oil man and plumber and they both agreed. So I had both problems rectified. I then proceeded to clean my basement and rid it of it of all the wooden shelves. It gave me a good reason to clean out things I didn't need to give to Good Will and friends. All the while I talked to Greg numerous times for advice. He even came to check the basement before the crew came to make sure everything was ready. I was concerned that because the crew was not familiar with my basement they would not to know what to do . I was also concerned that the crew would not be as knowledgeable as Greg. Greg reassured me on all counts that the crew had worked together for a number of years and knew what they were doing. On the day of the installation the crew showed up on time and proceeded to work . They were fabulous and answered all my questions. The foreman, Noel, actually pointed out a potentional problem that he solved. I called Greg about it and he said he had full faith with Noel's experience and Noel was right! The other men, Jorge and Ascension, were also very hard workers and they all worked the whole time they were there, taking very little time for lunch. They were all pleasant and respectful. The real test was this weekend with Hurricane Sandy. I was out of electricity for 8 days and was only able to stay in my house one night because it got really cold. I called Greg a number of times during the week because I was worried about the battery not lasting (then I would have to stay in a cold house to empty the sump pump - my generator was not working) and he reassured me and told me what to do. I was pleasantly surprised when the back up battery lasted 8 days and my basement was absolutely dry!!. I have said over and over how glad I was to have waterproofed the basement, chose CT basements and the best part was working with Greg. I have confidence in him and feel that he has my best interest at heart. Thank you Greg.

An underground spring was hit when the foundation of our house was built (we're not the first owners). A footing drain system has been completely effective in draining this water and we have had no water or only a very small amount in one corner after a single torrential rain storm. Things changed suddenly about 6 weeks ago when we awoke to a basement full of water after very heavy rain. We suspected a failure in the drain system, but had CT Basement Systems come out. Rick Raucci came and recommended a $16,000 system including two sump pumps, drains, and an industrial strength dehumidfier. He further told my wife that if we commit immediately, they can do the system early in the following week, but if we waited, it could be weeks. I spoke with him and asked why we would install such a system when it seemed most likely that our footing drain system failed. He told me that sump pumps are installed because footing drain systems fail and continued to insist that we install sump pumps rather than trying to fix the drains. I pointed out that with our underground water the pumps would need to run 24/7. He continued to insist on his recommendation. I told him I was going to pursue fixing the drain system. He nonetheless called me several more times during working hours on my cell phone. As I suspected, we had roots grow into the pipe emptying the footing drain system, and when that was repaired, the basement drained and has remained dry. CT basement systems failed in all aspects.

We were very disappointed with the scare tactics used, and the fact that they put down their competitors product as being inferior to theirs, when in fact the products are quite different. Their salesperson was constantly trying to close the sale (ABC "Always be Closing" must have been his motto). In addition, they added onto their job /estimate intentionally drilling into the wall below our window(s) to direct water into the perimeter drain. They also added access points for them to reach the drain at different locations in the basement because they told us it might be needed to clean it out. The straw that broke this camel's back was when they tried to sell me a system to prevent the external pipe from freezing. We saw all this as up-selling and had seen enough. In the end, when i told them we were going with their competitor they were going to include the access points because they needed them to stand behind their warranty, and finally admitted that their triple sump pump, with a six hr battery on the third pump would be useless if power were out for two days (as has been the case a number of times in the past year). I told them we were installing a whole house generator with automatic switch-over, and that the primary and back up sump pumps would be on their own breakers, and they still tried to sell me a triple sump pump with battery backup. So I ask: Why would anyone put up with such tactics? In our opinion, their pricing is fair at best, and that only happens after they realize you are taking your business elsewhere. Pricing is otherwise quite high.

They were very professional, they came on time, they were neat and clean. I would recommend them. I think their pricing was competitive, but I don't think they were cheaper than anyone else. They charged the market rate. I hope I don't have to use Connecticut Basement again, but if I had a problem, I would call them.

Their crews for the demo and both the waterproofing and renovation were great: on time, cleaned up, beautiful work. The estimator/salesman Tarn did a fabulous job in working within our budget without any high-pressure sales tactics, and was so patient with all my questions. I had first considered using a different contractor to do the renovation, but in the end, even if it might have been a bit more expensive, they made the waterproofing to renovation process seamless and hassle-free.

The overall job was a great experience. He really took the time to find out what we needed and wanted. He came over and looked over our basement. After his walk around he didn't try to sell us on things we didn't need. He told us exactly what needed to be done. His crew was polite and on time. Before they left they cleaned up very nicely.