The Basement Men & The Concrete Man

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.

Steve and his crew did an excellent job building out our basement office. His price met the estimates given and the work is of high quality. Steve stayed personally involved throughout the project and had helpful design suggestions at the beginning. The entire project was completed on time and with quality. We look forward to working with Steve on future projects.

His crew kept a clean work environment and was prompt and quick in getting the work completed. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Basement Men to anyone looking for an updated basement or a complete remodel. Very professional and responsive to his customer's needs.

Overall not a great experience. Steve was rude and abrasive on several occasions throughout the project and completely unprofessional. You just don't speak to your customers that way, period. The work that was performed was average at best and he had to send back a different crew twice to fix issues that were caused by the first group of workers. I'm actually tidying up the rest myself because I no longer want to deal with him and his attitude. The best thing I can say about them is that they showed up on time everyday throughout the project. I would not use them again and I would certainly not recommend them to anyone else. There are plenty of other more professional options out there.

When I initially contacted the company I was impressed that the owner, Steve picked up the phone personally and quickly. He came out and gave us an estimate on the work we wanted done and we felt the price, while a bit steep, was competitive and in the range we had anticipated. The guys that did the work were extremely polite, punctual and helpful. They all helped from design to completion of what we wanted and helped us put together our scattered ideas into a beautiful functional basement that I'm sure we will enjoy for years to come. It all was done faster than I thought it would be there and Steve was there every step of the way making sure things ran smoothly. Both Steve and the lead carpenter took phone calls from me at any time I had a question. They were very responsive and super friendly to my kids too; even when my 5 year old kept insisting on "helping" them, they were very gracious with him. All the work that was performed was done very well and the finished product is beautiful! Whenever I have household projects in the future I will certainly call them back!

Steve and his team (Voytak and Joseph) did an excellent job finishing our basement. Their quote was the most competitive, they started the job on time and finished when they said they would. The most impressive part to us was Steve's consultative approach. He never tried to 'hard sell' us. He simply provided different options and allowed us to decide the route with which we were most comfortable. We had several meetings prior to work starting where we discussed our wants and needs. Steve came back to us with a detailed plan and several great ideas that added to the finished appeal of the basement. Throughout the process, Steve would continue to meet with us and provide a detailed status of the project and discuss any concerns we had along the way (and patiently answered our crazy thoughts and questions). All in all, it was a great experience and we would highly recommend The Basement Men. We will definitely be working with them for future projects.

Steve and The Basement Men (TBM) gave the best offer and had the best ideas for what we wanted to do. I was intitially concerned about "bait and switch" tactics since once the project gets started it becomes hard to resist additional charges. That said, he was fair, stuck to the pricing schedule, was generous in the "offsets" when things came up, and we were very satisfied with the pricing. Steve came out on 5-6 occasions to review the work,, make sure we were satisfied, and keep the payment schedule on track. At first, i thought it would have been better to have paid "half now, half at completion' or some formula like that, but in retrospect this worked out because we got Steve's ear on a weekely basis to make sure all the details were covered. Finally, we had additional contractors come in to do other little projects during this time and TBM crrew made sure that everyone was accomodated without difficulty. We had the work finished in November 2010 and we have received multiple compliments from friends and relatives. The kid's play room (ours are 4 & 2) with a club house and a "mini door" is the crown jewel of the basement for the kids. There is a beautful wall shelf and a mounted TV. The storage options are multipled and the cozy and safe feel is priceless. The home office and updating of closets is solid and efficient and works very well. We had them tear down and redmodel an existing bathroom. Unfortunately, the tile store made a mistake and ordered the wrong tile. So when we had TBM pick up the marble tiles and install them, we were horrified when we came home and the wrong tiles were laid out. The tile store had given the wrong tiles!!! So, I don't fault TBM for that; instead, I got the tile store to pay for their own guy to remove the incorrect tiles and reinstall the correct ones. All in all, it comes down to this. I'd use TBM again.

He is on Angie's list. He is the only one who came out. I showed him that the stoop is disintegrating along with the long piece attached to it. He came up with an alternate idea. It required replacing less of the stoop, and solving my problem. The stoop was way too high for the people stepping down from the stoop under the patio. It was ridiculously 12 inches. He came up with an idea to create two steps instead of one. It turned out to be really nice. I had a little problem with the workers, while they were here; but the owner Steve took care of things, and made everything right. The end result was good. When the crew started to dismantle the old stoop that part of it didn't need to be replaced. The part that didn't need to be replaced was crumbling on the edge, which sort of deseeded my whole purpose of getting a whole new stoop. I had to push them, and then call Steve to get things correctly done. They first tried to re-pour just a part of the disintegrated stoop; however, I wanted them to redo it completely. Instead of a giant stoop, I have two beautiful steps, which is a safer thing.

We were referred to The Basement Men by neighbors who had a great experience with Steve + crew and I can report the same for our home. We're about to have a third baby and needed to finish our basement to accomodate our growing family. Steve came out the same week I called him to walk through the space and provided pricing and a realistic schedule in just a few days. We also put in a drain tile system (between demo and build out) and The Basement Men were very accommodating in working around the other contractors. When the bulk of the work was underway, we were in awe of how fast it came together. Ziggy was our main contractor and although a bit stubborn on some levels, he knows what he's doing and is very talented and efficient. I apprecicated his honesty and just needed to know how to talk to him to get little details accomplished as we intended. One thing to note if you're entering into a project like this is to sit down and review the schedule up front so you'll know when to have things that you're providing (doors, tile, bathroom fixtures, hardware, etc.) on time and ready for installation. Things moved very quickly and I felt organized and prepared and still scrambled a little to get it all here for them to continue working. Ziggy and one assistant did everything but the drywall (there was a seperate and equally efficent team for that) and we were truly amazed at how much they got done each day. Steve was very accessible and we met just about every week to review the work and keep up with the payment schedule. There was never a lull in work and all concerns were addressed in a timely fashion. I am an interior designer by trade and have worked in commercial design/architecture field for 10 years. I know residential work can be very different, but I was very impressed by their process, efficiency and the quality of the work. The whole project start-to-finish took about 8 weeks (including drain tile) and we are thrilled with the results!

Overall, I think this could have been a good experience but, unfortunately, it wasn't. Steve was first out to give us an estimate for some concrete work in our front walkway. I had no idea that concrete fixes were so expensive so I was quickly shocked by the costs but also understood that his prices were not inflated. Steve gave us alternative pricing for some paver bricks in our front walkway. He gave us a super price that I wish we could have accepted but decided that we had two other pressing projects to complete before we beautify our walkway. Steve was good in following up with us on the estimate but we decided not to go ahead with the project. A few weeks later, someone called us to check in again and I was honest about the fact that we would have loved to accept the paver brick estimate but that we had two other projects that would come first. The woman from his office convinced me to let Steve come out again to give us an estimate on these two projects. He arrived on time and spent lots of time in the basement measuring and mapping out a project to fix our stinky crawlspace. He promised that a carpenter would be out to give us an estimate on our front porch (the other pressing project). Well, to my surprise, Steve literally never got back to me (despite the many emails and calls a few weeks back). The woman from his office nearly begged me to let him come out to give us an estimate and yet no estimate ever materialized. Based on other reviews, I can only presume that Steve got a big-ticket project to work on and had no need to follow through on a potential client like us who works with a tight budget. I experienced this just a few weeks before with another contractor and can only imagine that this is the way these guys roll, however unprofessional it might be.

It is correct that the work was done in 2004. We were instructed to purchase the epoxy grout because it would save time and be easier. Epoxy grout is used in in ground swimming pools and was chosen because it does not need maintenance! We did not want to have to worry about sealing the small areas of mosaic tiles. Even though the work was done 7 years ago, I expected the tiles not to fall off, not to bow in and the company owner to at least come look at the project to avoid future mistakes. As for calling him on his cell phone, that was the only number listed on the contract that I was given.

The project went just about perfectly. The guys arrived on time at exactly 7:30am every day. You could practically set your watch by it. They work extremely quickly - the amount of progress they make in a day is really amazing. It was actually difficult for us to keep up with them in terms of design decisions hardware selection, etc. Just as importantly, they cleaned up after themselves every day - once they were gone you would hardly know they were there. The workmanship is great and everything is very solid. In the basement, they did a great job with the acoustical challenges and the new room is virtually soundproof. The kids can easily play games or watch TV down there, even at loud volumes, and nothing can be heard in the room directly above. The work on the bathrooms was also great - they not only did what we asked, the brought some good creative ideas, and also were not afraid to tell us when there was a better way to do something. I referred them to my sister, and they did an equally good job on her basement - I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone. We hired Steve and his crew based on a recommendation from a friend, and the price was very fair - we definitely felt like we got our money's worth!

They are starting the work tomorrow. They responded very quickly. Steve is the owner and he was very attentive and listened to everything we had to say. He contributed his ideas without overstepping our ideas. He got back quickly with a really great estimate. We spent about 45 minutes talking about the space and walking around to see what would work. We talked about ideas he and we both had. He was very thorough and really attentive. He was on time, professional, personal and he was nice to my kids. He was really an all around nice person. We feel very lucky to have found him. We have been very impressed with the people that have come by. They are very attentive about the details and they are good about being prepared for their work. We've had multiple discussions and walkthroughs. They literally answered every question we could come up with.

The did a fantastic job. The painter was very meticulous. They were very careful in making sure they did not leave any messes. They did the work in a short amount of time. They were very dependable. The price was reasonable. They followed up late to make sure everything was fine. They've also given us a quote for our basement and it was very reasonable.

They were fantastic. They started the work two months ago and finished it up a week ago. I spent $28000 on the job, which I thought was a good price. I had received other bids and this company had the best one. I was pleased with everything they did. The guys were very easy to work with. The owner was fantastic. My wife worked with them hand in hand since I was not around. They were very responsive. They suggested some solutions to the areas of the basement that were superior to the other places. They definitely worked with me and got down to a personal level with me, which I thought was more important rather than just coming out. I valued their opinion and they valued mine. There was good communication. They put in a bathroom and a bedroom. They remodeled 1400 square feet of space. They finished up a bathroom and did the drywall and insulation work. They also built another huge bedroom and a play area. They also finished up a fireplace. They mirrored the window and door placements in the house in the basement. They even built some woodwork at the bottom of the stairs. They did above and beyond what I had expected. They were top-notch. They started off with basic things, but later they got into doing elaborate things. I will definitely use them again in the future.

They were amazing, we refer everyone to them. They were wonderful, have nothing but good things to say about them, quality work, and on time.

This was the best experience I have ever had with ANY remodeling Contractor! From estimate to completion this job was handled with excellence and expertise. The cost was very reasonable, and the results are exceptional. The Basement Men added a new bedroom, including a large closet, and a new bathroom, with every detail done right (and I am a stickler for details). They helped us design, choose materials and fixtures for the bathroom, and helped us avoid making choices we would regret later. I highly recommend The Basement Men to anyone looking for great work done at a fair price.

Steve is one of the best contractors that I have ever worked with. He is thorough, professional and fair. They did a great job down to even the final small details. I would recommend them to anyone.

We were quite satisified. They were excellent, on time and the clean up very well after themselves. They were very courteous and there were no problems. It was done when he said he'd be done and the project started on time as well. They picked up the cabinets and bathroom accessories that we purchased and installed them without problem. The patio looks good and the basement looks excellent!

Steve is a true designer / contractor rolled into one. He understands not only the construction process, but how to make things look their best on a budget. He came into our basement and immediately offered up affordable and creative solutions to maximize the usability of the space we had. We also appreciated his itemized proposal and hands on approach to making sure the work was done exactly as outlined and on time. He turned a storage area full of cobwebs into a beautiful office. He also put in an additional heating duct for better temperature control. His crew installed new ceiling surround sound, 65 in. wall mount flat screen TV and connected/tested everything for us. He lets the customers select their decor, but does offer up suggestions on everything from paint color to crown molding. Their drywall work was meticulous and flawless. He was very flexible with the project. Initially, we were supposed to have him build a bar, but decided against it. He was completely fair with crediting the cost back and offered to repair and update other areas of the house instead. His workers were on time, courteous, professional and very quick. The project was done in 2.5 weeks as promised and Steve was involved every step along the way ensuring we stayed with in the fixed quote he provided. I would HIGHLY recommend him for any and all remodeling work, but specifically for finishing basements. A+++++++

I was told the job would take 2 days, and they did it in 1, which you might think was good, but I think it was hurried. When I got home, everything was a mess and they had gone in my garage and pulled out my brand new leaf blower and used it to clean up their mess. It was covered and in mud and concrete. I couldn't believe they had the nerve to use MY tools, and I had warned the contractor that I didn't want anyone touching my property when they did the job. The finishing was very poor. The aggregate was not exposed correctly in many areas and too much in others, giving it a finish that was either too rough, or just plain concrete. The edges were not finished properly where the forms had been and it's rough and jagged. They removed the driveway up to the surface of the garage, and instead of saw cutting, they broke it out and caused pieces of the garage floor to break away and to cover this up, they slopped some concrete in the holes in an attempt to patch it up. I'm sure these will break out in the first Winter freeze. They exposed the aggregate the same day as the pour. Most companies come back the next day to do this, but again, I think they were in a big hurry. The contractor had told me it would take at least 2 days. They washed all concrete out in street and didn't clean the street up well and now there is concrete all over the street in front of my house that won't come off. Since it was not done to my liking at all, the contractor agreed to seal for the driveway. That was fine except for the fact that they spilled sealer on the side walk and all over the step that steps down into my garage from the front stoop. Overall, I was extremly unhappy with this job and a sloppy sealing job does not make up for the very poor craftsmanship and the lack of respect for my personal property. The contractor is just that....a contractor... and he just subs some landscaping company in to do the job. He was not on site, overseeing that the job was done right and when I complained to him about the things that were done poorly, he argued endlessly that it was a beautiful job. Where the driveway meets the sidewalk, it meets it even at one end, but at the other end, the driveway sticks up 1 1/2 inches and is now sticking up in the air, looks terrible in my opinion, and is an obstacle to trip on now. He blamed that on the sidewalk if you can believe that. The driveway should've been tapered to mate with the sidewalk. Overall, the craftsmanship was horrible. The only reason I didn't give them an F, was that they actually showed up and did the job. The only way it could have been less satisfactory, was if they didn't show up and do the job at all.

Subcontractor did not do everything that was on contract: no concrete base, no flashing by home siding. Original work was second-rate. They had to come back -several weeks later- to do repair.

They did a great job. They showed up on time, cleaned up after themselves and worked really hard.

The project went very well. The work was completed in three days (which included inspection time). Our Village is particularly tough with contractors and Steve actually went to the village office to speak with the inspector to assist with the permit process. The old drive was removed cleanly and without damage to nearby landscape and the garage door. The new driveway was finished in a beautiful squared off finish that was unexpected. The look is gorgeous. The brick paver extension turned out as planned. After the job was done I wasn't happy with the look of a few of the pavers, Steve's crew came back and took out the pavers and re-set new ones in their place. No questions asked, my completion satisfaction was his only concern. I used Steve for a basement project several years back and his work commitment and that of his workers is unparralled. The work site was kept clean, the workman were polite and accomodating and the price was right. No complaints, just praise for a job well done.

Our basement was damaged by the flood so they gave the quote for water damage and remodeling. They came out on time and getting the quote was fine.