The Basement Men & The Concrete Man

I had a bad experience with this company. I called to get a estimate on Monday and scheduled an appointment for 12:30 pm on Thursday. On that Thursday at 10:02 am (exactly), Steve called and left a voicemail asking me to ?give [him] a call as soon as you can? (nothing more ? I have the message saved). Due to a morning full of meetings, I was unable to check my voicemails until after I left work at 11:45 am. Upon listening to the message, I called Steve back at 11:51 am (exactly). Steve informed me that his schedule had changed and he was unavailable. One of the stereotypical issues with contractors is unreliability. When a contractor breaks the first promise he?s given you (i.e., the estimation meeting), it?s an obvious red flag in my opinion. Construction is a competitive business and I have the right to hire whichever company I feel is best. To me, last minute cancellations are deal-breakers. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. I politely told Steve that I prefer not to reschedule and that I would look for someone else to do the job. Steve then lost his cool and started to berate me for ?treating him poorly? and, ironically, ?acting unprofessionally?. He sarcastically asked me ?Is that how you treat people??. Steve claimed that 2.5 hours was plenty of notice time (I disagree ? especially during the work day) and blamed me for the issue because I did not call him back soon enough. Once it was clear that the conversation was spiraling out of control, I abruptly hung up the phone without saying anything else. Our entire phone conversation lasted 42 seconds (exactly). Shockingly, Steve immediately called back at 11:53 am; he clearly wasn?t finished lecturing me. This time he was angry that I hung up (as if I should just sit there and listen to an adult have a temper tantrum). After letting him berate me for 60 seconds (exactly), I informed him that I would not be willing to spend any money with him and he told me he?d never work for me anyway (finally we agree on something!). I hung up a second time. It was one of the most immature, baffling and strange conversations of my life. Because this was my only interaction with Steve, there?s a chance this encounter is not typical behavior. With that said, I see three other people had a similar experiences (see reviews posted on Angie?s List on 12/4/12, 2/2/12 and 11/14/12). To be fair, the majority of Steve?s reviews have been very good. During our conversation I tried to calm Steve down by offering not to write a negative review on Angie?s List. After thinking it over, I feel I have an obligation to my fellow consumers to document my interaction with Steve so that we all have the ?true story?. Finally, the core of our disagreement was whether or not 2.5 hours was enough notice time to cancel a meeting. I?ll let the readers of this review decide that for themselves; it?s clearly debatable. What is not up for debate is that Steve lost control of his emotions incredibly quickly. I was not comfortable talking to him and it became immediately clear that I dodged a bullet. I hope Steve learns from this experience and uses it as a way to mature as a person and as a professional. I wish Steve nothing but the best in his future endeavors.

I'm torn between 'B' and 'C'. 'B' Steve provided photos and ideas and was helpful in figuring out a plan. I think the price was fair for the project. His employee, Darek, was really the primary and we were very happy with his work. He and his partner were neat and prompt. Steve also returned my calls promptly when I called with questions throughout the process. We are happy with the finished product - it looks very nice. 'C' It took double the time Steve quoted and we didn't make any major changes- one extra canned light and an extra outlet or two. For us, the time wasn't a big issue but could be for others and it did get to be a bit of a pain. Also, we noticed a couple of errors - fortunately in time to fix them. The first was a problem with the stair railing - it was going to be an open wall but they put the electrical where there wasn't going to be wall. The other had to do with the TV mount. Next, I was not comfortable with the drywall situation. I didn't like the number of different people coming in and out of my house unattended by Steve or Darek. There were 3 different groups of people in and out of the house in one day. Lastly, was how the project wrapped up. We were very happy with it and didn't have a lot of complaints, however, there were a few areas that were not up to par. There were 2 spots where the carpet was cut wrong on the stairs so you could actually see the wood. Also, along the edge of the stairs where the stair meets the wall, the drywall and 'filler' was very noticably cracked and broken from the carpet installation. There were sizable sratches to the foyer wall from something when they were bringing in supplies and some minor dings along the basement walls from the carpet installation but those were minor so I didn't focus on those. Steve did not express any concern or apology rather he, literally, told me that I shouldn't expect it to be perfect and didn't want to fix anything other than the cracks along the stairs; basically it was good enough. This was upsetting to me because I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the carpet to cover the stair and scratches in an area they weren't even working on. He had me call the carpet guy who fixed the problem without attitude or complaint. And Darek came back to fix the other issues. So, the work got done but I did not like the way I was treated when I wasn't 100% happy with the imperfect job. I struggled with writing a review because the final product is very nice but I don't think I'd recommend him to a friend.

Of the 4 quotes that we obtained, The Basement Men were at least 35% less and even 60% in one instance of compariables. Steve was very prompt and professional when gathering information for quote and was the most helpful of all the contractors I met with in relation to providing design ideas. After 4 weeks our family made a decision to partner with TBM and Steve then brought out his foreman and shared the job specs with him. The foreman and his co-worker have been at our house for two full days now nad are doing a great job! They have arrived bright and early each day and work hard throughout the day. They are both very professional, courteous and neat. They are working at a fast paced and doing a great job. I even had a couple of requests to change the placement of electrical boxes and they accomidated without any complaints. At this point with framing and insulation and some electrical, we are very satisfied!

We have been extremely satisfied with Steve and his team. Steve has gone above and beyond to accomodate our schedule. Work was supposed to begin in September, but we had to push the start date to December due to a death in the family. Steve was so understanding and willing to work with us and our situation. Steve is very responsive and willing to take the time to answer any and all questions we have. I would recommend The Basement Men to anyone looking for a professional and competent team!!

Steve has been great to work with with for our basement remodel project. Steve has been very professional and had some great suggestions on ideas to help stretch our budget. We haven't decided who we're going to use yet but I recommend anyont looking at remodeling their basement get an estimate from Steve.

My home is 23 years old and had the original kitchen, mudroom and powder room from when we built the home. Steve and his crew worked magic over the 3 months that they worked in our home. The workmen were on-time, courteous, neat, unobtrusive and treated my home as if it were there own. Steve was checked in on the job every few days and when not at our home checked in by telephone. It was great to see the same faces on the project day-to-day and not some random workers showing up at odd times or different days. When Steve or the workmen told me they would be there, they were there. The workmen arrived and worked straight through the project until one portion of the project was finished. None of this, here one minute - gone the next. Home design is not my forte so I was fortunate to have Steve on my team. He introduced me to the right granite guy, the right tile guy and helped me select colors, trims and appliances. I appreciate that he was always thinking about how to improve the project and making suggestions along the way. We incorporate many of the suggestions and in the end were key to the project. I cannot imagine working with any other builder. I have worked with Steve on several other home projects - this was certainly the largest undertaking. Once again the project was done on budget, on time and not one hiccup in the whole project. What I value the most about Steve, his company and his workmen - the quality workmanship, the attention to detail, the care and concern about my home and the contacts that he had with outside vendors. It is hard for me to call this a renovation...it really is a transformation. My home is a showplace now. We are looking forward to many years of celebrations and day-to-day living in our "new" home. Thanks Steve for making magic and dreams come true!

WE did not use this company. Wouldn't recommend.

Both the premeeting and the actual contract meeting were both very professional. Steve was interested in our project and worked with us to give a great overall package.

Steve met us at the house, listened to what we wanted, offered suggestions, and put together a detailed proposal. Although we decided to go a different route, you should include Steve in your short list of contractors to have quote your project. His quoted cost was among the lowest and his reviews are great.

He was prompt on coming out. He started a couple thousand dollars higher and I told him what my budget was and the next day he called and said he would meet that price. The problem was, when he came back with the builder, they wanted to charge a lot to move the vent, so I stuck with the basics. I was able to bring him down from $700 or $800 to $225 by moving the vent two feet. He then talked about doing the insulation for me which was in the original contract and since I was trying to save a little, I told him to cancel that. That way I could save a thousand dollars and that would bring the cost down from $7,000 to $6,000. He said he was pretty tight on the estimate and asked if we could do if for $6,500. I said, that's fine. When he was done running the electrical and the wood, I had my father-in-law come and in and we insulated ourselves. He kept changing the price. The following week they were supposed to start the drywall on Monday. They didn't show up until 2:00 in the afternoon and that was just to deliver the drywall. They were back prompt on Tuesday and installed it and then left. He told me the drywall people were different than the guys who tape. And the guys who tape did not show up on Wednesday like they were supposed to. They did finally show up Thursday afternoon and were here until 8:00 in the evening. I called Steve and told him I had a deadline, especially with Thanksgiving coming up, and I needed to get this project done by Tuesday at the latest. I've got carpeting and furniture coming in. He said he didn't realize there was a deadline. He called me up that Friday and said he had a painter who would like to do the basement for $2,000. I laughed and told him I had a painter who was willing to do the entire basement for $400. He also tried to send me a carpet guy but I told him I was going through Home Depot. Overall, the work was great. Even my father-in-law was impressed. There were a few mishaps like one of the doors he installed had a dent. Then they told me they were going to come back this past Tuesday to install a wood slab that goes on the drywall as you head downstairs, and they didn't. It's been like a babysitting job for me. If we agree on a price, then that's the price. Someone asked me if I would recommend him and I said that's a 50/50. He is a nice guy and the builders were phenomenal, but at the end of the day, he was a little hard to deal with. Steve also told me the drywall guys would lie to him and do this and that which I didn't think he should of done. If you say you are going to do something then do it and keep me in the loop.

The Basement Men/ Creative Approach Remodelers gave us a very thorough estimate. They came out, were actually very responsive, gave us an estimate, and they came out again with the foreman who will be working on the job. We are still assessing, which is not a bad reflection on them as to why the work has not been started. We are going to use them, but we are still working out the details

Steve and his men were great. Professional, on time, communicative, respectful. My husband and I really enjoyed working with The Basement Men. They delivered what they promised in a timely manner. Steve and his men work hard! We appreciated Steve's input as well he always made himseof available to us when needed. The finished product, our basement, looks awesome! We get compliments all the time. Adults love it, kids love it. Thanks again.

Steve and his team are incredibly professional. We have now hired them for 3-4 different jobs and have remodeled two bathrooms within a month. They are prompt, clean, polite, and the work is very high quality. They are flexible and were very responsive when we needed to change the scope of the project due to unexpected water damage. Great experience and we will be hiring them again for jobs in the future.

Excellent from start to finish. Steve was listened and understood the project goals, provided his thoughts and possible modifications to keep the overall cost down. He was easy to communicate with and adaptable to our schedule. Martin, who performed the work was punctual, very clean and didn't stop until the project was finished. Very happy - painless and a pleasure to work with them. I will be calling them again very soon to help remodel our bathrooms :-)

They were excellent! The owner, Steve, from my first interaction on was extremely professional. I contacted Steve and several other similar contractors regarding the closet job. I was trying to get it completed in a short period of time because it was an anniversary present for my wife. I explained that my anniversary was in less than 5 days fromthe time I called him, so it was definitely a short time frame. Steve was very receptive, came out the next day to assess the basement and what the requirements would be for the job, and he was very detailed. Understanding my need to have this done in a timely manner, he showed me photos of his past jobs, and I could see the quality of the work was excellent. He was able to have 2 of his main carpenters, Ziggy and Cuba, available to start the job the next day. We agreed upon the price, and their work ethic/craftsmanship, and professionalism were impecable. They were extremely neat and clean in terms of the staging and equipment of their supplies. The detail that they used to complete the job was extremely impressive, especially considering it was an already finished basement and I wanted it to tie in together well. The work was flawless. I was so pleased with them that as I was finishing another job in the house with a ceiling patch job, I asked them to assist me. They helped me finish it up and they didn't charge any extra. My wife was ecstatic at the finished product. I would highly recommend them to ANYONE considering basement remodeling or similar basement needs.

Steve came out to discuss the project we had in mind. We then set a date for him to drop off the estimate (would have been easier to email it but I can understand and appreciate his aggressiveness to get work) After Steve dropped off the estimate and we discussed the project outline my wife and I took a few days to discuss and decided to move ahead with Steve and Creative Approach. Steve thenlet us know when his crew would start and finish. The job was started and completed within the time promised.

We hired the Basement Men after getting estimates from 6 other contractors that were either from Angie's List or recomendations from friends/family. Once the work began everything went great. The first couple weeks was mainly one/sometimes two guys doing all the demo, framing, electrical, and plumbing. The workers were at our house 7am-530pm M-F, and 7am-2pm on some Saturdays. I would recommend Voitec and Joseph for any job. After all the framing, electrical and plumbing was done a new crew came in and installed drywall that took about a week. Then to finish off the job the original two workers plus one came into install tile, doors, light fixutures, baseboards and painted to complete the job. The projected time of the project was 6 weeks and they were right on target. The overall experience with the basement was great. One recomendation before hiring, make sure you know all details of the job you want done before you sign the contract, the additional work charges can add up fast.

I've told the story from start to finish in the first box. I never got an opportunity to experience his work as we never got off the ground in what should have been a simple process. This has left me frustrated, angry and wasted my time when I could have been scheduling other contractors. The lesson I've learned is don't give people breaks when you see repeitive behavior that works against your goal/s. I try to give people the benifit of the doubt but this was a gradiose waste of my time. They were inconsiderate of the needs of their potential client (our association) and lacked the courtesy to call and bring closure to what began as a positive and possilby lucartive financial experience into an experience from h***!!! I do not expect them to care about this review, understand their role in this situation nor have the courtesy of a response. I'm finished with this. I will NOT recommend this Basement Men to anyone I know . I value my friends and would never want them to experience what just happened to me. Angie's List is saving me a lot of heartache now and in the future. Thank you for all you do to keep this sevice active.MJ. Coulter

Steve and his team were very professional and timely. We were provided with complete itemized quote so there were no unexpected costs along the way. The work crews show up at 7:30 am each day and worked to 5 pm. The quality of the work was fantastic. Steve had a time line of 4 weeks and they completed everything expect the carpet in 3 and with carpet the they were right on time. I would highly recommended the Basement men for any work that you have around your home.

Overall, the Basement Men provided a great experience. Steve was very responsive to our first inquiry, and return a couple of weeks later with a detailed plan and competitive estimate. Work began promptly, and we were very impressed with the crew's work ethic. They arrived daily by 8AM, and often stayed until 7PM. The quality of the work was first-rate. Steve was very helpful in making suggestions and accomodating small changes to our layout. He did direct us to a number of materials and fixtures suppliers (most of whom we used) but didn't push them, instead encouraging us to shop around.

Did an excellent job at an excellent price. Very few issues and minimal changes in scope. Steve was great to work with and very responsive. We are very pleased with the work done and the high quality. We had been concerned we would not be able to afford all of this work and they did it at a very reasonable price. Definitely will go back to them with future projects.

Overall, it was a big job, they had 1-2 people working during the week daily, took several weeks to complete but the final product was very good. There was one issue that required a licensed plummer to attend to(due to the fact we wanted to relocate the sink & hard lines had to be moved) but everything else the crew was able to handle and did a great job. Steve will also help you with any design issues or questions you have along the way.

Baement Men removed old paneling and ceilings, replacing with drywall, adding new lighting, constructing a wine room and refurbishing utility and storage areas. The firm was very attentive to the work, particularly Steve Lauer, the head of the firm, who visited the site frequently to check on progress. They were very flexible, adjusting to our schedules and requests for changes in the scope of work. The work was c ompleted on time. We are very satisfied and pleased with the work Basment Men performed in our home.

Fantastic. Could not be happier. For $7000 we got a very nicely finished basement. The quality of work was excellent all around, I really can?t find a flaw anywhere. The price was very good (I had talked with a handyman company who quoted 1.5 times as much for the same work). The people who did the work were all professional, friendly, and very helpful and flexible to slight changes in plans as we went along. They made some nice suggestions as well, for things to consider. No pressure and excellent communication from the project manager. I would highly recommend these guys for basement work, or really anything else similar in the house. We will definitely be calling them back the next time the need arises.

Steve was very responsive and attentive to details. We had no surprises except how quickly the work was done and how well it was done. He worked with us when we changed our minds about the flooring and opted to have the basement walls and ceiling and basement hall painted instead of the basement floor done. He had a great crew and the work was done well and the clean up was very good. The entire project, kitchen and basement was done in 2 weeks. A follow up visit was needed to recaulk the new shower, but if any problems come up again, we are confident it well be taken care of. So far so good.